Triumph des Willens

This film can only be judged or analyzed in any meaningful way only by those who can envision Germany and its people with the hindsight of the decade following its defeat in WWI and the ensuing economic chaos of the 1920s. For those of us who can objectively remove ourselves from our time and revisit the year in which it was filmed, 1934, and then compare it only with all other films made during that early part of the 20th Century can we locate the single word describing it … astonishing.

We are called to objectivity when commenting on a book or film, a piece of art, or product. Only when that is accomplished does a comment have any enduring and meaningful value. Another thing I have found astonishing about this film and its creator is the seemingly unique inability of those commenting on it to be objective. It is seen in the overwhelming number of cases, not from the time in which it was made but with the hindsight of decades of history that had not yet taken place.

There is scarcely a review which doesn't focus on the meaning or message contained within this film.

I don't mean to suggest that those elements don't exist; I merely want to suggest that there is much more in this powerful film.

Like Olympia, this is a masterfully crafted work of art.

A historical film capturing the1934 Nazi party rally in picturesque Nazi hotbed of Nuremberg, Filmed over a number of days it contains all the leading lights of National Socialism in pre-war Germany making speeches to the faithful. It also shows the various clips of the different organizations within National Socialism ie.The Hitler Youth in all their Arian glory excited and in gleeful expectation of seeing their Fuhrer,The goosestepping standard bearers of the S.A. and the S.S. paying homage to their glorious leader. Triumph of the Will captures the state of the German nation and the Nazi mindset perfectly ,and I felt a sense of foreboding with the bluntness of some of the speeches. The film is full of very striking German Expressionism Cinema techniques,never more so than in the night shots, full of torch bearing storm troopers and the Nazi faithful hailing their glorious leader..Goebbels vision was put brilliantly to film by Riefenstahl who had over thirty cameras to film every incident of the event.This is truly a masterclass in Propaganda but it is also one in Cinema,Triumph of the Will truly is a triumph of Cinema and despite its content should be seen as one. Riefenstahl for her part was imprisoned for four years after the war and never was able to reinvent her career as a top Director,a real and tragic loss to Cinema

Triumph Des Willens was a blockbuster film in a number of ways. It was meant to be a proper memorializing of an annual NSDAP Parteitag held in Nurenburg. A prior attempt, Sieg Des Glaubens, had proved to be a failure. Adolf Hitler gave director Leni Riefebstahl full rein to use all means to make this film the success which he wanted. First, many innovations in camera techniques, sound synchronization, storyboarding, staging, etc., made movie history. Second, it was an overt appeal to the emotions of both Germans and foreigners that suggested the excitement for and the apparent power of the new Third Reich. Third, the film was part of a multimedia campaign ahead of its time. Its success was confirmed for many years by the almost universal ban most countries placed on its showings. And sixty years later it is still effective in both thrills and chills. Highlights: the first 20 minutes or so resemble a media drama; the solemn military reviews demonstrate components of state power; speeches illustrate the personnel in power at the time. Quite a package!

Whatever ones beliefs this is amazing. Leni Riefenstahl was a great director with amazing vision.Not alone is there all the marching and saluting which one would expect from a documentary filmed in Nazi Germany but Riefenstahl also gives snap shots of the people who are in the crowd at the various events.The looks of amazement and zeal on the faces of many who are watching is testimony, in my opinion ,to how mesmerizing an event this was.Riefenstahl captures the atmosphere and the excitement of this event.The last seen where Hitler is giving a fiery speech shows Riefenstahls genius at work.The camera angles are amazing and give a feeling of being there.I would highly recommend this not only to historians but also to students of film.