Triumph des Willens

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

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.

After winning elections, the National Socialist Party of Germany held a congress in 1934, a demonstration of force that was filmed "to show the world the triumph of the will of the German people." From the opening when the Führer literally arrives from heaven and the healthy, disciplined and pure Arian party members gather in Nuremberg, the documentary goes from the particular to the general with clever audiovisual manipulation, through marches, speeches and banners, turning the masses that celebrate the triumph of their will into a perfect piece of architecture, a magnificent structure that is reduced to the power of the Party. For decades, this so-called work of "reactionary modernism" was dismissed after the revelation of the Nazis' iniquity. However, after emotions are subdued, the masterfulness of director Leni Riefenstahl is evident (see "Die Match der Bilder.") In this and her 1938 film of the Olympic Games in Berlin, "Olympia", she coined techniques that today are common place in the entertainment industry. So don't be surprised if today you watch a football game with technical solutions of Nazi origin...

No matter what you think of Nazis this film is brilliant. It was the first of the kind political documentary. The beginning may bore some viewers, but those who stay will be rewarded by some of the most famous documentary footage ever shot. I feel I could see this movie a few times without being bored. In fact, the more you watch the more fun it is.

Utterly brilliant film that was unfortunately very difficult to find (along with some other great films by propaghandist directors like Sergei Einsten)until a dvd release recently . Just look at the long shots. Absolutely no cameras visible. Truly meticulous work. Astounding score. The opening sequence of Hitler's descent is brilliant artistry, with the director creating the implicit parallel of God's descent from heaven. Excellent film for anyone remotely interested in politics since all these techniques are routinely used in campaign ads. People often neglect to realize the inherent politicality of all art. Art's politics is at its most dangerous when we fail to realize this simple truth - art and politics are inextricably linked. Do you think there's not a reason why the American market will soon be glutted with war films as we prepare for one? gee, i wonder. Riefenstahl is an amazing director, one that should have done more films. When we censor great works for fear of "what they might do to the 'ignorant'", we're a lot closer to the fascists than their detractors.