Riefenstahl was hired by the Reich to create an eternal record of the 1934 rally at Nuremberg, and that's exactly what she does. You might not become a Nazi after watching her film, but you will understand too clearly how Germany fell under Hitler's spell. The early crowd scenes remind one of nothing so much as Beatles concert footage (if only their fans were so well behaved!).

Like the fascists it monumentalizes, Triumph of the Will overlooks its own weaknesses--at nearly two hours, the speeches tend to drone on, and the repeated visual motifs are a little over-hypnotic, especially for modern viewers. But the occasional iconic vista (banners lining the streets of Nuremberg, Hitler parting a sea of 200,000 party members standing at attention) will electrify anyone into wakefulness. --Grant Balfour
Amazon.com:
Triumph of the Will is one of the most important films ever made. Not because it documents evil--more watchable examples are being made today. And not as a historical example of blind propaganda--those (much shorter) movies are merely laughable now. No, Riefenstahl's masterpiece--and it is a masterpiece, politics aside--combines the strengths of documentary and propaganda into a single, overwhelmingly powerful visual force. Riefenstahl was hired by the Reich to create an eternal record of the 1934 rally at Nuremberg, and that's exactly what she does. You might not become a Nazi after watching her film, but you will understand too clearly how Germany fell under Hitler's spell. The early crowd scenes remind one of nothing so much as Beatles concert footage (if only their fans were so well behaved!). Like the fascists it monumentalizes, Triumph of the Will overlooks its own weaknesses--at nearly two hours, the speeches tend to drone on, and the repeated visual motifs are a little over-hypnotic, especially for modern viewers. But the occasional iconic vista (banners lining the streets of Nuremberg, Hitler parting a sea of 200,000 party members standing at attention) will electrify anyone into wakefulness. --Grant Balfour

Customer Reviews Average rating - 4.5

Rating - 5 Date: 2009-01-05
Content: Leni Riefenstahl's masterpiece, Triumph of the Will is a cinematic milestone. Set aside your preconceptions, notions of political correctness, kick back with some nachos and enjoy the spectacle, pageantry, patriotism and just plain ole unmitigated evil of a bygone era. Yes, this is THE "documentary" of the events of the Sixth Nuremberg Nazi Party Congress in 1934, featuring a cast of thousands, mind blowing special effects, and show stopping musical numbers, as well as (of course) Hitler, Himmler, Goebbels, Hess, Goering and assorted other Nazi superstars of the day.

Get caught up in the wackiness as Hitler and Goebbels lead the German people around like neutered sheep on Thorazine. The brilliant camera work and editing, ratchet up the tension incrementally from the opening marches and speeches to the closing ones, creating a yearning and semi-religious awe for the realization of the full spectrum dominance of Nazi ideology.

The legendary cinematic genius Leni Riefenstahl creates in the viewer an irresistible excitement over the images of mindless obedience to patently psychotic leaders and vulgar nationalistic narcissism. But politics aside, one can't help but admire the energy and skill that went into this classic; the sweeping vision and the insight that are meant to lead the audience to an epiphany. Triumph of the Will pays off in sheer entertainment value despite the cliff-hanger ending.

Summary: Historically Significant...

Rating - 3 Date: 2008-07-24
Content: I watched this film twice, and was amazed at the discipline imposed on the German people. It begins with Hitler flying in to a small airport, and follows a motorcade lined with cheering, adoring Germans, as Hitler is driven to his hotel. In scene after scene, we see Hitler reviewing field workers carrying shovels, Hitler's Youth Brigades, and torch light parades. The message is clear: Germans love Hitler. He was their savior. Those who didn't love Hitler are in concentration camps. We are not treated to concentration camp scenes, for this was clearly a propaganda film. This film is not rehearsed, it was filmed as it happened. Speeches are well rehearsed and scenes with troops and workers were choreographed by Speer, and Goebbels.

Since my initial review, I watched Lina being interviewed. She won an award for this film, but she regretted doing it. She was not political, she was an artist. Hitler implored her to do this film, and she did no others for the Nazi party.
Summary: Fair Propaganda Film

Rating - 5 Date: 2008-06-07
Content:


This is the infamous documentary produced by Leni Riefenstahl of the 1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg, Germany. Working with an unlimited budget, she created the almost perfect propaganda film to promote the Nazi Party in Germany. Fascinating today, just for the historical interest, it has been the model over the decades for others wanting to understand the power of propaganda film. It was a powerful influence in establishing Hitler as the messiah for Germany. It was shown in part or whole in every theater throughout Germany during WWII. Of course, today we see it thru the lens of history and the unspeakable evil that was committed by Hitler and his regime but the people watching in 1934 did not have that insight. At the very least, it is a powerful warning to those of us who have the benefit of history to be more discerning in our falling for those who would seek to use this same kind of propaganda to push a cause, no matter how noble or good it might seem and the Nazi Party certainly seemed to be a noble cause for the German people. Riefenstahl used 30 cameras and 120 technicians during the filming. Hitler was always filmed separately so he could be edited in and out of the crowd pictures for maximum manipulation of imagery and seduction of the mind. While it runs a little long and is a little repetitive in places, this is an amazing piece of history and very much worthwhile of your time. WWW.LUSREVIEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM


Summary: PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES!!

Rating - 4 Date: 2008-05-26
Content: This is one of the true masterpieces of propaganda and an outstanding example of cinematic manipulation. Leni Reifenstahl created a truly impressive record of the Nazi Party Congress in 1934 and preserved it for the world to watch for generations to come. It is fascinating to note, with the benefit of hindsight, how much is left unsaid but lurks menacingly below the surface. But what is said is rather mundane and adheres to the party line, which makes modern audiences wonder what all the cheering and "seig heils" were about. The film is subtitled so you can read all the words of the speeches and you may be surprised by how lame they sound today. It is with a knowledge of history that one can take this all in and appreciate what a tremendous sales job this film did for Adolph Hitler and his government. This edition of the film helps you out with an historical commentary track which will help people, especially younger audiences, understand why what they are watching had such a tremendous impact. It is fun to watch Reifenstahl's cameras rolling to capture every angle of the impressive procedures...the Nazi's were masters at staging massive events. Look for the camera mounted on a flag pole in the stadium and moving up and down to capture the scope of the ceremonies. Some of the speeches were staged for the camera and you can sometimes pick out where the material was intercut. Propaganda is rarily so effective and this masterwork is well worth watching if you are a student of history and the terrible period of World War II. I know that a warning to take this entire production and its moving images in context is not necessary but it is wise to keep in mind while you watch this film that this was a dangerous government building its power. These days we are used to a mass media assault by politicians but this was very new in 1934. Well worth watching, it also created and refined a standard for filming live events of this type. Reifenstahl spent the rest of her life being praised for her dramatic technique and apologizing for this work. She did several other films for the Nazi Party including the wonderful "Olympia", which contains somewhat less propaganda because the Americans won so many gold medals.
Summary: Triumph of the Will

Rating - 5 Date: 2008-05-04
Content: To begin with, merely discussing this film in open society, or among those conversant with film history and theory, often serves as the beginning of arguments rivalled only by mentioning Birth of a Nation. Attempting to review the film can only compound the problem. So, one must look at Riefenstahl's film in light of what it intends to accomplish, and how effective it is in doing so. To answer the first question, any film that attempts to rationalize National Socialism is morally questionable, to say the least. However, did Riefenstahl know this at the time this film was made? The evidence would argue that she didn't. While she couldn't have been unaware of the anti-Jewish rhetoric of the Nazi party, she may very well have been unaware of the extremity of that political party's ethnic hatred. Riefenstahl was commissioned to produce a celluloid document that would contribute to the cultural standing of the Nazis, and she did exactly that in her depiction not only of Hitler as a "god" descending from the heavens to rescue Germany, but also through the sheer power of the sequences in which masses of soldiers move in exact synchronization. Through images pastoral and industrial in origin, Riefenstahl weaves a tapestry that, for the moment of viewing, comes within a hair's breadth of achieving what the Nazis desperately wanted: acceptance by the world outside Germany.
The cinematic accomplishment of Triumph of the Will can be noted by one barometer: The film was considered to be so effective in its method and argument that it was banned from exhibition in the U.S.A. during the Second World War. Now, Riefenstahl's film was not alone in receiving this distinction; many lesser, more heavy-handed (and offensive) films were also banned during wartime. However, one only has to look at two of the most popular films of all time to determine just how influential Triumph of the Will really is. In George Lucas' Star Wars (Episode IV, for the newbies), the entire sequence in which the heroes are awarded their medals is "appropriated" from Triumph of the Will, even down to the replication of Albert Speer's "Cathedral of Light" which was created around the stadium at Nuremburg using huge flood lights. Following that, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy used Triumph of the Will as an obvious reference in the depiction of the mustering and marching of the Orc troops against the heroic defenders of Middle Earth.
So where does this leave us? Is this film the virtual capture of evil on film? Yes...and no. It is a fact beyond dispute that the Third Reich epitomized evil during the mid-20th century, and any form of media which attempts to argue on its behalf is tainted by such an association. However, it is unfair to penalize Leni Riefenstahl for doing exactly what she was directed to do. What many people seem to be unable to accept is that she was willing to bring all of her cinematic acumen to bear upon such a project. It is difficult to reconcile the director of Olympia with that of Triumph of the Will. However, one must constantly remind oneself of Riefenstahl's commitment, as a documentarist, to capture the moment which is occurring before her cameras. As such, she cannot be held accountable for the ultimate effect of Triumph of the Will; this is simply an example of a director doing a job a bit too well. Still, no-one should simply sit back and view this film without the guidance of history. To do so, to accept the arguments of the film's "stars" without question, would be to declare defeat in the face of an evil which should have been wiped from the face of the Earth decades ago.
In short, this film is an invaluable resource of technique. Morally, it is beyond redemption. This moral failing is not the fault of the director.
Summary: Problematic Genius