Wege zu Kraft und Schönheit
Wege zu Kraft und Schönheit (Ways to Strength and Beauty) is a 1925 German cultural film. The full-length (over 2 hours) silent film is an idealized depiction of health and beauty in harmony with nature. After an introduction showing the stresses of modern life, the film goes on to show ancient and modern gymnastics (with models wearing jockstraps), women dancing, some contemporary athletes, and finally, exercise in fresh air, including the naked guy above swinging a 20-pound iron ball.
The film was a hit in Germany. Due to its celebration of the human body, the film is considered a forerunner of Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi propaganda films. Riefenstahl herself appeared in this film as one of the (clothed) female dancers.
6 comments:
A captivating piece of history. Similar in some ways to the nude motion study clips, which I also find enjoyable to watch. Young men in all their glory.
I have been very interested in Leni Riefenstahl for a long time, especially her works containing nudity.
The man in the clip is very harmonious with nature!
Until blogs such as yours, I had mental image of the males earlier part of 20th century being much less athletic (think images of typical worker in skyscraper back then, had big arms, but not well defined muscles etc).
This show clip is one more example that disproves that image I had.
Those were unashamed men, you can film in a all men enviroment, but Leni was a woman, so may some guys are ashamed, not those guys here
watch again and again
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