Through a series of carefully constructed shots Leni Riefenstahl creates the most effective government propaganda piece to date, effectively taking part in the genocide of thousands. Triumph of the Will offers a completely twisted version of the true Nazi party, portraying a half truth to the audience, resulting in thousands more joining the hate and evil of the Nazis. While many argue the brilliance behind this documentary, the artistic aspects become insignificant when compared to the atrocities that followed its influence, and the evil committed by the government sponsors. I will argue that when governments sponsor documentaries, their influence over the content can too easily become propaganda for a corrupt system, exploiting the medium
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Leni Riefenstahl’s work in Triumph of the Will offered an idealized image of the Nazi party and Adolf Hitler. Throughout the documentary, Riefenstahl offers a positive representation of the Nazi government during the Sixth National Socialist Party Congress and as they interact with the German citizens. The score is kept consistently upbeat, and positive as Hitler is shown in the film, this reinforces that this is someone that the viewer should like. Riefenstahl used setting and imagery to further prove the Nazi message, by showcasing scenic shots of German cities and country sides, as she illustrates how the country is united and prospering under Nazi rule. She repeatedly used shots of Hitler interacting with cheering crowds, smiling and waving to his followers, characterizing him as someone loved by his people, …show more content…
Under the influence of the Nazi government, Leni Riefenstahl produced the ideal propaganda piece, that showcased the Nazi Party as a peaceful government. During the 6th Nazi party Congress the speaker says to Hitler “’Thanks to your leadership, Germany will reach its goal of being home to all Germans throughout the world. You were our guarantor of peace.’” Though as the documentary was done “by order of the Führer,” as is stated in the opening credits, the method through which Hitler achieved this ‘peace’ was not featured in the film. By excluding these crucial narrative facts, the documentary is essentially lying to the viewers, attempting to erase the horrid acts that the Nazi government has committed. The documentary was filmed and released from 1932 to 1935, with events coinciding with the events of the Holocaust (Hirsh 20). By failing to acknowledge the violence at the time being committed against the Jewish people, Riefenstahl, under the influence of the Nazi government commits a vile act of injustice against the world. As the Nazi government erases these facts from Triumph of the Will, the German public would only receive a half truth. This corruption goes unknown by the public, as the government hides behind Riefenstahl’s work, as she claims to only use real
Leni Riefenstahl’s work in Triumph of the Will offered an idealized image of the Nazi party and Adolf Hitler. Throughout the documentary, Riefenstahl offers a positive representation of the Nazi government during the Sixth National Socialist Party Congress and as they interact with the German citizens. The score is kept consistently upbeat, and positive as Hitler is shown in the film, this reinforces that this is someone that the viewer should like. Riefenstahl used setting and imagery to further prove the Nazi message, by showcasing scenic shots of German cities and country sides, as she illustrates how the country is united and prospering under Nazi rule. She repeatedly used shots of Hitler interacting with cheering crowds, smiling and waving to his followers, characterizing him as someone loved by his people, …show more content…
Under the influence of the Nazi government, Leni Riefenstahl produced the ideal propaganda piece, that showcased the Nazi Party as a peaceful government. During the 6th Nazi party Congress the speaker says to Hitler “’Thanks to your leadership, Germany will reach its goal of being home to all Germans throughout the world. You were our guarantor of peace.’” Though as the documentary was done “by order of the Führer,” as is stated in the opening credits, the method through which Hitler achieved this ‘peace’ was not featured in the film. By excluding these crucial narrative facts, the documentary is essentially lying to the viewers, attempting to erase the horrid acts that the Nazi government has committed. The documentary was filmed and released from 1932 to 1935, with events coinciding with the events of the Holocaust (Hirsh 20). By failing to acknowledge the violence at the time being committed against the Jewish people, Riefenstahl, under the influence of the Nazi government commits a vile act of injustice against the world. As the Nazi government erases these facts from Triumph of the Will, the German public would only receive a half truth. This corruption goes unknown by the public, as the government hides behind Riefenstahl’s work, as she claims to only use real