3. Triumph of the Will (1935, 114m)

First Week of September 1934: Nazi Propaganda Films and Rallies

From German filmmaker/actress Leni Riefenstahl comes Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will), a German propaganda film focusing on the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg. The film employs many of the same methods as British propaganda films from the First World War but goes further, employing many innovative techniques that are still in use today. It is regarded by many as the greatest propaganda film of all time.

The movie (which we're told was 'ordered by the Führer') opens with a series of title cards, setting the stage for post-war Germany, and announces that Hitler is going to 'review the columns of his faithful followers'. Meanwhile, a fanfare heralds something grand to come. After some aerial shots, Hitler disembarks his plane and the celebration is underway. What follows is four days of pageantry and speeches for the seven-hundred-thousand assembled supporters.

Hitler arrives and tours Nuremberg by car while thousands of adoring fans line the streets hoping for a glimpse of the man. It's really quite surreal to see all the old ladies clapping, the beaming children, and attractive young women trying to catch Hitler's eye. Through it all, though, the city of Nuremberg is beautiful, painting a picture of 1930s Germany with its classical buildings and historic architecture. My favorite moment is, barely visible in one of the crowd shots, there's one man with a toothbrush mustache (or Hitler mustache if you will), the only one I saw the whole film (and, believe me, I was looking). I couldn't help but think that old man must have been so proud of himself that day - this is the same mustache!

Eventually the speeches start. What took me aback for a second is how mundane they were for the most part. Basically, each party official took the podium for a few minutes to discuss the area of their purview; topics such as the press, foreign relations, infrastructure, agriculture, and the building of the autobahn. There is, however, a singled veiled comment by one official that "a people that does not protect its racial purity will perish" which subtly portents the terrible things to come. Out of context, it might seem innocuous, but through the lens of hindsight it's impossible to interpret it any other way.

Inevitably, Hitler finally takes the stage and delivers the first of a couple speeches. Even in German, it's evident he's a more compelling speaker than his contemporaries. On one day he addresses the delegates and party members, another the HJ, another the SA/newly formed SS. His speech for the SA was very interesting to me because he addressed the recent death of Ernst Röhm, their former commander, and his plans for the future of their organization. Röhm's murder was one of the final events depicted in Hitler: the Rise of Evil (2003) and I was curious how Hitler would handle it within the party. This is exactly the type of thing I'm looking for in conducting this project the way I am, previous films informing the events in current films, and I'm pleased to see it working out so well.

If I had to describe the film in one word it would be grand. Huge and diverse marches, speeches, and exhibitions by a variety of people (from displays by government ministers to farmers ceremonially presenting Hitler with the harvest). And all of it is cleverly, and efficiently, designed to bolster nationalism. Hitler tells the workers, arrayed in military formation (albeit with shovels instead of rifles) that society is now equal. No longer will manual laborers be looked down upon, now the labor will be required of every person in Germany. Strong symbols are particularly important - and prominently placed. Even the quasi-military drilling with shovels is most effective, sending one message to all who behold it: Germany is powerful again.

Between all the pageantry though, you can see some rare moments of authenticity. When Hitler arrives at the hotel the first day, he looks out the window and the crowd is still there. In a rare break of his public facade, he grins self-consciously to himself as if thinking, "jeez, what did I get myself into?" There's also a moment later in the film, when all the party officials are on stage, and the crowd is going wild, where Hermann Göring turns to an unseen man behind him and grins bemusedly as if to say, "can you believe this?" That's what's really appealing to me: in a film such as this, it's quickly evident that everything has been meticulously planned and executed (even the footage of the soldiers 'horsing around' seems dubious). However it's these brief glimpses behind the public front that are real and telling. Telling, too, is the diminished presence of Germany's actual military - a majority of all forces depicted in the film are Nazi forces (the SA, SS, etc) - something which reportedly upset the Wehrmacht a great deal.

Overall a strong picture is painted of a Germany on the rise. Informed by hindsight, this film really sets the stage for things to come. Further, this film employs innovative techniques for blocking and filming crowds, angles, moving cameras, and the combination of score/cinematography that are still in use today. I will admit I got a little bored about halfway through; perhaps the propaganda isn't quite as effective it once was. It's also interesting to note that, at the time, this film was shown all over the world (albeit in a niche capacity) to generally favorable reviews, even winning awards in Venice and France. However, for my own part, I couldn't help but think, "just wait eleven years and we'll see how much you like Nuremberg then."

In the end, I think the film is worthwhile to watch as a historical document, and should be considered as such. Though I have no interest in seeing it again, in light of the quirks of my rating system, for its historical significance I rate it 2.25/5.