Why do we need an Olympic torch anyway?
Most of us tend to assume it's part of the timeless tradition? No, it's just a Nazi relic, says Mary Beard:
Hardly any commentator stops to mention that this silly torch ceremony has nothing to do with the ancient Greeks, and was really invented to be a magnificent shot in Leni Riefenstahl’s movie (choreographed by Carl Diem). This is one of Hitler’s most pervasive legacies.
Incidentally, if you're a connoisseur of Heathrow stories, Beard also has an eyewitness account of the chaos down west London way.
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dearieme
March 28th, 2008 10:50pmThe Nazis were masters of vulgar art.
Pat Patterson
March 29th, 2008 11:58amNow my understanding is that Leni Riefenstahl was ordered to film a private version of the lighting of the torch just for a private viewing by Hitler, a sort of Auto-Da-Fe for the Black and Brown Shirts. But this attempt fell apart when Riefenstahl had to admit that for some reason none of the Rotschilds could be convinced to volunteer.
Another, a real one, of Hitler's legacies from the '36 Games was the ending of the practice of giving the Olympic Salute during the Opening Ceremonies, as it bore a close and confusing resemblence to the Nazi salute.