Triumph of the Will Special Edition DVD with Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess (NR) +Movie Reviews

One of the Most Influential "Unseen" Movies Ever Made

Doc Sarvis | 05/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"TRIUMPH OF THE WILL has long been viewed through a dual perspective: It is both reviled by many for its glorification of Hitler, and at the same time praised for the masterful work of its director, the legendary Leni Riefenstahl (who at the time of this writing is still alive...I think she's over 100 by now). The truth is, it is all of that and more - a highly memorable, fascinating experience on several levels:1. Despite the subject matter, it must be acknowledged that this film does what it was made to do marvelously well: It is a masterpiece of the art of propaganda...somethng that is practiced every day by all governments, in advertising, and in all political campaigns - but never better than this. The film does an amazing job of tapping deep into the German psyche, with scenes of Nuremburg, youth, etc., and allusions to great Germans of the past, all designed to tug at the "volkish" national sentiment, then deftly superimposed with images of Hitler. Very crafty, but no different than what we see every day in our media-saturated world. 2. As a study of the early the Nazi era, it is invaluable. Regardless of what happened in the years that followed, TRIUMPH needs to be viewed as a statement of its own era, when none of the horrors had yet happened and many around the world still referred to the Nazi regime (which was then consolidating power and trying to reach the hearts and minds of the people) as "the German renaissance". The commentary track adds a fascinating "what happened to that Nazi?" perspective. 3. This film has become unbelievably influential (possibly because it is still required viewing in film schools); it is perhaps second only to THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN as the most visually quoted film in hstory. Just a few examples: The closing scene in STAR WARS, "Be Prepared" from THE LION KING, and especially the entrance of Commodus into Rome from GLADIATOR are all lifted directly from visuals in TRIUMPH. Even more common is the visual "homage" that directors sometimes subtly insert, such as the woman being tossed in the air from THE BIG LEBOWSKI (remember the kid at the beginning of TRIUMPH)? The list goes on and on. One certainly does not need to sympathize with the Nazis to appreciate this film. In fact, it is precisely because of what became of them that makes this early look so fascinating. Still, I would not call this "entertainment"; rather, this is a piece to study and analyze. Recommended for any student of history, sociology, mass media, or film."

Try to remember -- this movie wasn't made for YOU!

Thucydides 1 | USA | 10/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After slogging through a number of these reviews it is clear that most cannot see that we Twenty-First Century Americans were not the intended audience for this movie. The movie was intended to be a unifying morale-builder for the National Socialist Party in Germany, which had been in power only about a year when this movie was made.

From its loss of World War I until the NSDAP was elected to power in Germany in 1934, the people had suffered every kind of internecine mob warfare, illegal abuse and theft of whole portions of Germany at the hands of the French, and an economic catastrophe that made our American Depression look like a picnic by comparison.

This movie sought to persuade Germans (GERMANS!) that this dreadful misery was finally over and that the criminal Bolshevik traitors responsible for Germany's defeat in World War I, and all the residual woes, would be defeated once and for all. It must have been a most welcome message because as you watch the film you certainly don't get the impression that anyone had to beg the many thousands of Germans who attended the NSDAP rallies to stand up and cheer their hearts out.

If you speak and understand German, you'll have a much greater likelihood of being able to understand the impact of these rallies, and this film that celebrates them. For many who are not conversant in the German language or who know little about the actual history of the time besides what they were exposed to in American World War II films, the film is actually pretty boring after a while.

You sit there and watch one group of soldiers, police, or workers after another, marching and marching and marching. This is interspersed with speeches by Hitler and the other Party officals. From time to time you'll see interesting-looking people doing everyday things, some in costume, but mostly they're just talking, walking, eating, brushing their teeth, and so on. Be advised -- for those of you who expect the whole thing to be a stirring, gigantic SS parade with weapons bristling, be prepared to be disappointed. The last group of soldiers on parade are indeed the SS Leibstandarte Adolph Hitler, and they're marching to what was reputedly Hitler's favorite piece -- "Der Badenweiler". Remember to notice that they aren't even carrying rifles or bayonets....

Lastly, in my opinon, the commentary by "historian" Dr Anthony Santoro is mostly just another sarcastic, demeaning rant against the people in the film, so typical of those who pronounce judgement on the vanquished after every war. The marching soldiers and other Germans who reverberated such thrills of hope for their poor, beleagured country are all long dead, but Santoro must make fun of them for the amusement (?) of the American audience. Try to remember -- this movie was not made for YOU!
"

Splendid transfer of a beautifully malevolent film

I. Martinez-Ybor | Miami, FL USA | 04/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had seen TotW in the theatre (Anthology Film Archives, NYC), on video and I could feel the power, in spite of the jumpy images, splotches of darkness, scratchy prints. The DVD transfer is magisterial. Clean, sharp, the underlying visual rhythm clearly discernible, the structure of the work exerting its magic without restraint. And, as good a sound as one can ever expect. The transition between pompous nocturnal nazi party celebrations to a misty dawn progressively clearing to reveal air views of Nuremberg's ancient rooftops, with the lens coming to rest fully sharp on row upon row of simmetrical white tents, where party members are waking up, all set to the quiet prelude to the third act of Wagner's Meistersinger (a piece in itself celebratory of German art and set in medieval Nuremberg), is pure cinema magic. And it establishes visual continuity (ergo historical?) from the traditional Germany of Hans Sachs to its 20th century flowering under Adolf Hitler...... not a small feat to accomplish within less than a handful of cinematic minutes. Like magic, there is technique behind it. This is not a news-style documentary but a film constructed flawlessly in the editing room. Leni had full control of the editing and supposedly did most of it herself. The result is mesmerizing. One can understand how an unthinking populace could fall for it, and how keen an intellect and great an artist Riefenstahl is (I gather she's still active at 90+). This is not just a nicely crafted collection of pretty pictures of an old city and massive nazi spectacle. Everything is calculated to evoke an emotional response helping consolidate the identification of Germany as Hitler and Hitler as Germany. Yet, it is also a beautiful film. It is frightening for its lack of human ambiguity, for the willful surrender of a people to a master. There is a lot of "joy" portrayed in the film (perhaps of the "strength through joy" kind) but after seeing it this time, I realized there is not a single funny moment in it. Placing myself in 1935 Germany, and erasing from my mind everything that subsequently happened, I was comfortably glad to realize that, temperamentally, I would have had a hard time with the nazis, indeed would probably have reacted to all things around me by becoming an anarchist or some such thing. But ... who knows? Films like this are made to seduce.The DVD comes with a short documentary of German military maneuvres also from 1935. It still amazes me that the French and the English, seeing these two films, not to mention taking into account other German actions in the Ruhr, etc., did not commence rearmament sooner or would not have been so duped at Munich. If you feel it is immoral to watch this movie .... get over it. Anyone with a serious interest in film needs to see this. Anyone interested in seeing how visual imagery can be structured to propagate a faith needs to see this. For that matter, all our contemporary putative manipulators: marketeers, political consultants, advertising executives, TV and movie producers ought to see this. Citizens who want to remain informed and self-determinating ought to see this. Most immediately, anyone who wants to put together a beautiful, masterly structured film from tons of negative reels needs to see this.... and I don't think anyone born after the war has seen it better than in this DVD."

A most valuable historical record

petyko | Suisun, CA | 03/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's easy to see how this now famous (or infamous) 1934 film by Leni Riefenstal could have helped reinforce Hitler's already dizzying domination of the German psyche. For our own time, it helps reveal the human complexity of the Nazi phenomenon - so much more than just a march of crazed fanatics, as it's often stereotyped today. Triumph of the Will is particularly relevant to current politics - the Austrian controversy, as well as the continued importance of various dictators who still garner so much of the media spotlight. Sadly, the near-sightedness of the Nazi mentality and its contradictory nature were already glaringly apparent at the time the movie was shot. Hitler's frenzied admonitions to value "peace" but at the same time to cultivate "courage", bristle with contradiction and hypocrisy. Brief allusions to racial purity and clear-cut moral rectitude are darkly ominous, as are the reiterated pledges of allegiance to Hitler , the man. It's instructive to compare Nazi rhetoric with much of today's political hype. Though, as many others have pointed out, nobody else has done it with quite the same elan. Sad to think that had they watched their own film with a more discerning eye, they might have seen what we see. From an artistic standpoint, I can appreciate why it's cited as one of the most accomplished of all propagandist vehicles. Nazi shortcomings notwithstanding, the film is stunning. Riefenstahl's contribution is self-evident - even if she didn't direct the action herself, she captured and organized it admirably. But for all that, it is still the action which is most spellbinding. The gripping facial expressions, the charismatic speeches, the thundering shouts of allegiance, the enormous scale and choreography - all of this actually took place! Combine that with historical perspective - knowing what all of it would lead to - and the movie acquires a distincively haunting quality. I not only recommend this film to others, I strongly advise it. It captures the very essence of social fanaticism. Many will instinctively feel its primitive appeal, and then, after putting it into perspective, recognize its inherent madness. Watching this movie, appreciating the feelings it evokes and reflecting on what it all means, will make the viewer a better person."

Enter Real History

Stephen E. Gruber | Victorville, CA USA | 05/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I fully understand both the reviews of disappointment and approval of this DVD, "The Triumph of the Will." As a WWII fanatic, and one who owns virtually every important, and less important, documentary, I give this film a five-star review for many reasons. Before I share those reasons, once again, I sympathize with those with less favorable responses. The one criticism that I relate to is the marching sequences. The film begins with what appears to be endless marching in 1934 Nuremberg.

What is particularly monotonous is the lack of variety; with so many thousands of soldiers marching with spades (post WWI armistice limited Germany to a 100-thousand army, so they didn't want to appear aggressive at that stage), I was expecting to see tiger tanks with their 88 mm. guns, field artillery, transports, and quite literally "the whole nine yards", but this is not the case. You will see the SA, the SS, soldiers and nazis of every shape and uniform, but no hardware other than shovels and swords, banners, swastikas, and decorum. So the disappointment for me, and from what I gain from other reviews, is that Leni Rienfestahl (hereafter LR) gives us plenty of marching soldiers ad tedium. The viewer is treated to about 25 minutes of introductory marching before the first speech.

However, the strengths of the film far outweigh the flaws. Keep in mind, 1930's movie making was far different than it is today. Back then, if a director wanted to "truck" in or out with the camera, he/she had to literally use a truck to do that, giving a zooming effect (that's where the word "truck" came from as per movie directing). In addition, LR had to use existing light sources, large or small, and no added SFX, B-roll editing, and lap dissolves were done by hand. The film reminded me so much of Disney's "Fantasia" with the use of lighting effects, and vignettes consisting of brief fade-in and fade-outs to build viewer expectation and tension.

Now, my list of favorable feature findings:

1. The extended raw footage and splendid directing allows the viewer to appreciate the ambience of the moment. You feel that you are actually there experiencing the moment. My mother attended a number of Hitler Youth rallies, and told me that a combination of music, color, chanting, etc., left the participant feeling almost paralyzed. The SA had their members littered everywhere throughout the audience who would continually incite the audience to react with heated emotion and praise.

2. The speeches by Hitler and others are unedited. When you view other documentaries, such as "The World at War," you will be treated to only a few moments of speech sound bites. In this DVD, you will see Hitler uncut and hear his words, which are as strange as watching the man himself. He reminds me of a sales speaker I once heard, blasting the audience with the qualities of his product, but not explaining why the audience should buy it. The tripe and shallowness of Hitler's words can only really be appreciated as one can both observe, and listen to his presentation uninterrupted. Here again, the vast majority of documentaries out there give only snippets of Hitler's speeches. Suggestion: if you get tired of the marching and want to view the speeches, simply jot down the times from your DVD player.

3. As a propaganda film produced to be exported, we understand what the nazis held to be near and dear: Hitler was in full gear with his war machine and wanted to show German might through intimidation. The well-orchestrated rally demonstrated unity, determination, organization, and most importantly a national "vision" of a German ideal codified in one individual, Adolph Hitler. As Hess declared to the people, "Hitler is Germany; Germany is Hitler." The sheer numbers of the multitudes is awesome; I can only try to imagine what it must have been like to have been a Frenchman, or Hungarian, or a Russian, viewing this film for the first time.

4. As an extended film, the viewer can see how the people dressed and carried out their daily lives at the time. How sad that Nuremberg was such a magnificent city prior to the Allied bombing, and the introductory aerial scenes of the city are breathtaking.

5. This is a digitally remastered DVD from 35mm film. The resolution is excellent to the degree that you can see the follicles in a close-up of Hitler's face. Unlike many similar documentaries of questionable quality, this DVD allow the viewer to appreciate facial expressions, uniform insignia, and other detail.

If you view this film in the historical context in which it was produced, LR was indeed brilliant and "done Hitler proud." If you want Hitler in the context of modern filmmaking, you will probably feel disappointed. An excellent alternative would be the recent feature film about the last ten days of Hitler's life titled, "Downfall", produced in German with English sub-titles. Even still, try to view "Triumph of the Will" in the context of what the Nazis wanted the world to see: behind the pagentry -- power!

Then, be prepared to enter real history: a Nazi night rally, Hitler youth (notice the commitment and determination on their faces!), the farmer's march, the magnificent Congress Hall of the NSDAP, Reich labor review, Reichswehr review, SA and SS review, the Liebstandarte bodyguards, Lutze, Hess, Goebbels, Hitler, and yes, lots of marching. So, fasten your boots, enjoy, and if the marching is a bit much, keep your remote handy.
"

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