The Triumph Of Will: An Exploitation Of The German's Heart

However, as Wolfgang Ruge argues, “the Nazi party developed a propaganda apparatus whose activities far eclipsed all previous heights of the demagogy of German imperialism.” On this note, it is widely agreed by historians that the regime was highly successful in one of Friedreich's principles; control of the increasingly powerful mass media in German society as a mechanism for public control. Primarily coordinated through the work of propaganda minister Goebbels, Hitler was portrayed as a leader who was at the same time moderate and reasonable who put the national good before his own interest. Other themes highlighted images of strength and authority which appealed to the highly nationalist German population; epitomised by Hitler appearing out of the sky to lead the German people depicted in Riefenstahl's 1934 film Triumph of the Will, still widely considered the most influential propaganda film of all time. The radio, state produced to be inexpensive, become the regimes number one weapon as it allowed propaganda to not only infiltrate but permeate as many homes as possible.

Monster, killer of the innocent, madman, bully, lunatic, and devil. A justification for a good God not allowing all people into heaven. The name Adolf Hitler evokes repulsion, distrust, and anger all over the world. Yet this man persuaded an entire population to follow him into the carnage of World War II. Hitler’s speech before the German parliament, the Reichstag, on February 20, 1938, explains why so many Germans were enthralled by this leader. Displaying the qualities of the most persuasive rhetoricians, Hitler uses logos to builds his arguments, pathos to direct the emotions of his audience, and ethos to strengthen and confirm each word he utters. These rhetorical strategies are carefully

“The staging itself reminded the audience of how fascists use such panoramas: […] Hitler at the Nazi Party Conference at Nuremberg in 1934 as reevoked in the monumental Triumph of the Will” (Crowl, 53). The huge red scrolls and banners with Richard’s badge of boar, the vast crowd waving red flags, all these imageries created by Richard Loncraine echo the past “glory” of Hitler when he convinced tamed German citizens with his mouth.

The film Triumph of the Will was created in 1934 after Hitler was named Fuhrer of Germany. At the time, Hitler was eager to improve the public image of the NSDP (National Socialist German Workers ' Party). After his election as chancellor in Early January 1933, Hitler gave Leni Riefenstahl the job of filming the annual NSDAP conference in Nuremberg, Germany . Riefenstahl accepted the offer and agreed document, direct and edit the Conference. As years pasted, the infamous “documentary” began to be speculated as possible Nazi Propaganda.

Leni Riefenstahl was one of the most revolutionary and certainly most controversial filmmakers of the early twentieth century. The lasting influence of her innovative filmmaking techniques on twentieth century cinema is undisputed by scholars throughout history, but the exact nature of her work is surrounded by ongoing controversy. Riefenstahl’s production of the feature films “Triumph of the Will” (Source 3) and “Olympia” (Source 1) have left a lasting imprint on history; these films established Riefenstahl’s influential career as a film director under the years of the Nazi regime. Although these films are attributed by scholars and critics to be Riefenstahl’s greatest achievements they are also considered to be her greatest fault, for

Triumph of the Will is a documentary of the Nazi Party conference in 1934 in Nuremberg. From the first frame of the film, Riefenstahl captures every essence of how worshiped Hitler

After watching Adolf Hitler’s speech, he is very intimidating just because of the way he looks. He states what his audience wants to hear and gives them courage to fight for the change that they want. He builds fear in the audience by stating, “Once, our enemies worried us and persecuted us and, from time to time removed lesser elements from the Movement for us” (News and Politics). In other words, saying that enough is enough. No longer can the German people let their enemies step all over them and do as they please with them. Basically, stating that their enemies have made them believe that they are superior to them, when they aren’t. The camera often focuses on the audience which are well dressed in suits and who can be trusted.

As the film opened in Germany and around the world it became obvious that Riefenstahl had achieved overall success, beyond all expectations. In America, specifically New York it was called “flawless” and “a highly fascinating fantasy”. The Blue Light was even awarded a silver medal at the first Venice Biennale that year. Riefenstahl still saw herself primarily as an actress, but after her new found success, expected to continue filmmaking as a career. If The Blue Light had not influenced her career path she would not have reached her prominence with her films such as Triumph of the Will and Olympia to come. Riefenstahl did not only gain wider international fame, she also gained the admiration and support of Adolf Hitler. According to Audrey Salkeld, “Hitler was already an admirer of hers, having been won over by her first dance of fluttering veils in her first movie.......From then on, he had followed her career with interest, The Blue Light in particular catching his imagination.” Indeed the success of The Blue Light was one of the determining influences on Riefenstahl’s rise to prominence as she states, “This film was pivotal in my life, not so much because it was my first successful effort as a producer and director, but because Hitler was so fascinated by this film that he insisted I make a documentary about the Party rally in Nuremberg. The result was Triumph of

If Hitler is not on the screen, he is always an assumed to be present. The object of the mass's gaze, the erotic object of the mesmerized, ecstatic women in the crowds. By making it seem as though even the statues and cats stopped to gaze at his wonders. It’s hard to believe than one person is loved by so many; it is almost as if it were to be too good to be true, and it was. It’s hard to see any realism in this film, like it was scripted instead. As said previously, a convincing piece of propaganda shows the viewer hope, but also reality, and in the film, it looks anything but realistic.

Hitler uses his words to strike fear into people's hearts. It really is remarkable that he doesn’t need the use of any type of weapon , such as, a gun or sword to strike fear into people, instead, he utilizes the power of his own words. One particular character that is affected by the words of Hitler is Max Vandenberg. He is a 23-year-old Jew who hides from the Nazis in the Hubermanns' basement. Max was a fist-fighter growing up, and as a teenager he resolves not to die without a fight. Even when the Hubermanns hid him in the basement, Max was at constant fear that the Nazis were out to get him. “Sometimes, close to the end of the marathon of sleep, he spoke. There was a recital of murmured names. A checklist. Isaac.Aunt Ruth. Sarah.Mama.Walter.Hitler.Family, friend, enemy.” (Zusak,205) This is a perfect example of the power of words. Hitler even remains in the thoughts of many even through dream and in this case

Nazi Germany, under the rule of Adolf Hitler, was harrowing, with fanatical Nazis repeatedly undertaking inhumane acts of violence. Despite the disturbing facts of the period, to this day many films are directly, or indirectly, based around the actions of Nazism. Specifically focusing on The Lion King, Cabaret, Sophie Scholl, Schindler’s List, and The Downfall, Nazism is heavily illustrated. These films focus on various parts of Hitler’s timeline, and the actions of the Nazi Party, with society continuously being intrigued with media based around these themes.

The imagery presented in the 1939 film, The Triumph of Will, impacts the viewer by giving them the sense honorable power. The film begins by showing Hitler flying above Germany, allowing views to see he is higher than life. The film transitions into men, woman and children honoring his power during a period. The way people hail Hitler provide an outlook of respect and honor. Alongside power, the movie connects the idea of power with the idea of unity.

At the beginning of the documentary, we are told that Hitler is going to Nuremberg to “review his faithful followers”; the scene enters with ominous music playing and a plane flying through the sky filled with large and puffy clouds, and then the plane flies above the city we assume is Nuremberg. During the documentary it portrays all the people of Nuremburg are happy and excited to greet Hitler. Throughout this paper I will be talking about the different persuasion techniques and elements and principles of design that are found in the Triumph of the will documentary. Once Hitler lands he is greeted by the millions of people in Nuremburg.

The Nazis extremely concerned with what they saw as foreign influence and corruption of German citizens, culture, and traditional values. In Mein Kampf Hitler specifically warned against the corruption of German culture by Jews. But, the Nazis were worried about more than just the corrupting influence of Jews, they were worried about the corrupting influences of all foreigners on traditional German culture. Given the Nazis distaste for foreign influence, it is not surprising that Nazi propaganda films choose to touch on the danger foreign influence can have on the state and on the population; in fact all three films discussed so far touch on the issue.

As we look deeper into the historical contexts that came about in Germany during the 1920’s, Germany was confined due to the isolation the country was experiencing during World War I. During this solitude, the German government banned foreign films. German Expressionism was formed in result of the conclusion of World War I which compelled Germany to establish its own style of cinema. German Expressionist films produced in the Weimar Republic