Thursday 8.3.2001

Triumph of the Will

Celebration and Manipulation

Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will) still charms, angers, and provokes. Leni Riefenstahl's documentary on the 1934 Nazi Party Convention is a propagandist film classic. Nazi Germany's most talented director and filmmaker received fame and praise for this work, but with the end of the war Hitler's darling lost face as a Nazi sympathizer.

Leni Riefenstahl directing a scene from the Triumph of the Will.

Leni Riefenstahl began her career as an actress and dancer in the 1920s, later becoming interested in directing. Hitler saw her on stage and evidently liked what he saw. At the Führer's request she made an artistic documentary of the 1934 Nazi Party Convention in Nuremberg. Preparations for the convention took filming needs into account and the party leadership were helpful. Thus the documentary recorded a party convention, but one that was staged for the benefit of the film. Thirty cameras and a crew of 120 were put at the director's disposal, and the result was Triumphe des Willens, a 120-minute masterpiece for use by the Nazi propaganda machine.

Triumph of the Will is remarkable for its artistic quality. These same qualities make it an impressive piece of propaganda. Central to the documentary is rhythm, movement, and continuity. Static and dynamic elements, light and dark sequences are skillfully alternated, while Nazi symbols --swastikas, eagles, flags and banners-- are filmed from different angles, creating rhythm and a sense of continuity. The camera is omnipresent and draws the viewer into a disciplined row of soldiers marching. Herbert Windt's music is essential to creating the atmosphere, while Riefenstahl's artistic voice is present in the dance-like rhythms and lyrical cinematography.

As subject matter, the party convention with its long speeches and endless military parades may seem incredibly dull and monotonous. Riefenstahl, however, has selected her shots with skill. Speeches are interspersed with close-ups of listening soldiers and the ever-present Nazi symbols. Individual characters are not apparent. Instead, people are blended in to the background or filmed as part of a group: faceless masses of soldiers marching, carrying Nazi flags, saluting the Führer. In the end, all you can see is an ocean of flags. Masses are part of the architecture, and the only individual persona is Hitler.

The documentary was completed in March 1935 and received several awards both in Germany and abroad. Hitler was very pleased with the result, but the party's propaganda department thought it was too artistic. Riefenstahl herself considers the documentary as purely an artistic made-to-order work, which has nothing to do with politics or propaganda.

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Text: Anne Paananen
Translation: Josephine Abdallah
Photo: Tampere Film Festival
Updated: 14.03.2001 kello 15.35