Flahtahl's Propaganda Triumph Of The Will ( 1938 )

In her essay, “Propaganda: How Not to Be Bamboozled”, author Donna Woolfolk Cross explains the different types of propaganda and how it is used in the United States. The essay was first published in Speaking of Words: A Language Reader (1977). Cross defines propaganda as “simply a means of persuasion and so it can be put to work for good causes as well as bad” (247). In her article she discusses how propaganda works and explains how propaganda is used with thirteen different devices to manipulate people’s thoughts, opinions, and ideas. She uses this essay as an informative piece, giving advice on how not to be manipulated by propaganda.

A documentary is a genre of film that provides a factual report on a particular story, viewpoint, message or experience. In this essay, two documentaries, Bowling for columbine by Michael Moore and Made in Bangladesh by CBC news will be explored to show how persuasive techniques are used to make an audience feel a particular way.

Indistinguishable Rhetoric Persuasion is a form of influence that has been utilized throughout American history as crucial times have transpired. Persuasive techniques are used through rhetoric to sway an audience one way or another. Namely, two speeches, “Speech to the Virginia Convention” by Patrick Henry and “President Bush Outlines Iraqi Threat” by George Bush, are examples of persuasion. Henry’s speech was intended to persuade the Virginian delegates to go to war with Great Britain. The Virginian colonists wanted to be free from British rule.

Even after war, groups will always produce media with the intent of influencing the public. “Meet King Joe,” for example, is a post World War II film that follows Joe on an educational journey where he learns about how the American economy works to make his life better. The other post World War II film to be analyzed, “Don’t Be a Sucker,” follows Mike as a wise stranger tells him about how, as Americans, we should all be tolerant of each others differences lest we become like Nazi Germany. Both of these films utilize Plain Folks appeals and other techniques in an effort to influence public opinion; but one is black, deceptive, and unethical propaganda while the other may be closer to a rational attempt at persuasion than a piece of propaganda.

Society tends to associate propaganda films with issues such as Nazi Germany and their film messages for their country; however, it is also possible for small independent companies, groups of like-minded people and individuals to use the media of film to incorporate messages for our society (The Independent, 2010). These messages are often in relation to changes that individuals should make in order to improve the standards by which they live their lives and changes to everyday habits that will benefit the individual, the individual’s family, a group of individuals or even a single person (Barnhisel and Turner, 2010).

Propaganda has many influences as it is designed to meet the goals of a specific agenda. Propaganda is a message that creates enemies by influencing public opinion and manipulating other people's beliefs through mass media. Common propaganda techniques are

Propaganda is a division of rhetoric, in which the lecturer or journalist endeavor to influence the listeners with a movement or misleading analysis. A widespread subject in propaganda is us versus them pretentiousness, in which the lecturer or journalist persuades you to connect with rational citizens and resist the opposition. This pretentiousness is especially destructive in the world, and that it is innately disruptive and raises obstructions to operating jointly to resolve issues that influences every

Since the advent of documentary film with Robert Flaherty’s Nanook of the North (1922), those with power have sought to use it as a tool in their arsenal to reach people. Advances in communications technology in the early twentieth century allowed it to be used as a one-way message delivery system to the masses, however the ways in which this has been implemented have varied hugely based on context and political viewpoint. Through consideration of Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will (1935), and Lorentz’s The River (1938) this essay will analyse the concepts of persuasion, education and propaganda in documentary film, discussing the similarities and differences between these areas by.

The key difference between propaganda and persuasion is the line of honesty. In persuasion, the underlining story should display some sense of truth and should be free from falsehood. The

"Propaganda tries to force a doctrine on the whole people... Propaganda works on the general public from the standpoint of an idea and makes them ripe for the victory of this idea." ( Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, 1926).

Resulting from the propaganda debate is the view that Riefenstahl’s films and their ability to influence political beliefs have transcended their original context to modern society, thus demonstrating the power of propaganda. Nevertheless, when considering Riefenstahl’s films, one cannot neglect the fact that her work was not considered propaganda when they were first produced. Riefenstahl’s most notable films, Triumph of the Will and Olympia, both won awards after their releases and were acclaimed as masterpieces. In light of this, the widespread Fascist movement within Riefenstahl’s own context justifies the propagandistic nature of her work as they were a reflection of her society, and the belief that Riefenstahl should be celebrated rather than condemned for the contribution she made to German culture and society

The fact that wars give rise to intensive propaganda campaigns has made many people suppose that propaganda is something new. The truth is, it is not. The battle with persuasion for power and men’s minds is as old as human history (Casey, 1994d)

In Modern Times, a 1936 film, whether the observer recognizes the social and political implications of the movie

Propaganda is performed through print, audio, and visual mass media. It is used for the promotion of the public’s activities in their life such as purchasing goods through market propaganda, and it is also found in politics, foreign affairs, and in many other fields. Most importantly propaganda is depicted in the informercialization of the news, which is connected with subliminal advertising and commercialization of public events and individual promotion such in communication websites. However, there is great debate over propaganda and persuasion that is casted in the media, which I will be elaborating in this essay.

during the economic boom in search of prosperity. For both of these films, the ideas