Amazon Australia Withdraws Nazi Propaganda Films

Several high-profile Nazi films are still available on Amazon USA.

By Pesach Benson, United With Israel

Amazon Australia is withdrawing a number of Nazi propaganda films from its sales and online streaming platforms, the Australian Jewish News reported on Thursday.

According to the AJN, among the 30 videos being withdrawn were “The Jews Suss,” and “The Eternal Jew.” The AJN didn’t clarify if any Nazi films might still be available.

Amazon USA faced a backlash in January when Americans Against Antisemitism first raised the issue. The organization discovered more than 30 of the most popular Nazi propaganda film titles produced in 1933–45 were available for hard-copy purchase and streaming on Amazon’s retail and Prime video platforms.

Amazon USA pulled a number of the videos listed by Americans Against Antisemitism. But the two highest profile films are still available on Amazon — Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will, Victory of Faith,” and “Olympia,” which glorified Hitler, Aryanism, and Nazism.

Directed by Riefenstahl with Adolf Hitler’s personal collaboration, “Triumph of the Will” chronicled the 1934 Nazi Party congress which was attended by 700,000 supporters. Riefenstahl’s use of moving cameras, aerial photography, extreme closeups and her method of combining music and cinematography were considered pioneering when “Triumph” was released in 1935.

American film critic Richard Corliss would later comment that the film “painted Hitler as a Wagnerian deity.”

“Olympia” showcased the Nazi regime through the 1936 Olympics, which were hosted in Berlin. It was the first time the Olympic games were documented on film, and Riefenstahl’s cinematic techniques enthralled international audiences.

After the World War II, Riefenstahl was arrested by American forces. A series of trials concluded that she was not aware of the Nazi campaign to exterminate the Jews, and she was labeled a “fellow-traveller” who sympathized with the Nazis. She died in 2003.