Triumph des Willens (1935)
Introduction:
This paper seeks to examine the film Triumph des Willens (1935) which was a Nazi propaganda film produced by Leni Riefenstahl. This paper seeks to show that the film portrays Hitler and Nazi’s as strong movements that would unify Germany and help Germany redeem the power that Germany had lost after its loss in World War 1. The film also seeks to portray Hitler as a leader who is loved by Germans.
The film portrayed the Nazi and Hitler as the heroes and revolutionists in Germany. It depicts them as individuals who sought to restore the glory of Germany that had been lost after the First World War. The file is able to achieve this by showing Hitler as a great leader who is a unifying factor for all Germans. In addition, the producer uses excellent cinematography techniques to document the Nazi Party congress that had been held in 1934. This party congress had helped to create the illusion of the Nazi party as a strong party since over 700,000 supporters had attended it. For example, as the film begins with an aerial scene which shows a large crowd acknowledging the arrival of Hitler in Nuremberg.
The filmmaker provides selections of speeches given by the Nazi leaders at the congress such as Fritz Todt and Robert Ley. In addition, it also features some of the speeches that were made by Adolf Hitler. The filmmaker especially focused on parts of Hitler’s speech that touched on the Unity of Germany, Germany’s might and the power that the Germans had in the world. Footage of the speeches was intertwined with footage of the massive crowd that attended the Nazi party congress. Such footage helped to create an illusion in the minds of the German people that Hitler and his party was a powerful and united front.
The themes that are evident in the film are power and Unity. Power is evident from the title of the film. The name Triumph of the Will indicates that the German people were strong individuals who could be able to rise up from their defeat in World War 1 to become a world superpower. In addition, in the film, the speeches made by Nazi party leaders and Hitler clearly speak about the power of the German nation. Hitler indicates in his speech that the nation ‘will endure for a millennium.’ The film in one scene also clearly shows the German army performing military drills. In addition, images of Swastikas are dominant throughout the film. This was the symbol of Hitler’s power.
Unity is also evident in the speeches that are made by Nazi party members and Hitler throughout the film. Hitler called for unity among the German people towards the restoration of German’s glory. The film shows a soldier living in unity in camps. The soldiers in the film march in unison and are seen living in very organized camps. The film also shows large crowds gathered in Unity to listen and support the Nazi party leaders. The film also shows footage of German youth who greatly support Hitler and his party. In one of his speeches, Hitler greatly supports the youth and indicates that they are the future of the German nation. Hitler indicates that he has a dream of a unified nation.
In conclusion, the film challenges the image of Nazism that I have had before watching it. This is mainly because it portrays the Nazi leadership as revolutionaries who fought to unify their country. The film depicts the Nazi leadership as individuals with dreams and ambitions that seek to help the German people.
