After watching the intro to Triumph of The Will, more than having the urge to keep watching it, I wanted to learn more about Leni Riefnestahl. She seems like an extremely driven personality. I did some research and read that she was debating between becoming a dancer or a filmmaker and actress. She also says she wrote no text when making Triumph of the Will, “The moment I had a clear picture of the film in my head, the film was born. The structure of the whole imposed itself. It was purely intuitive. Starting from that idea, I sent the technical crew out on different tasks, but the true establishment of the form began with the editing.”
It is a German propaganda film that has such a compelling intro. The calmness of the clouds contrasts so evenly with the tense hierarchy of Hitler and his fans. At first sight, it’s difficult to determine that this piece is a documentary since the intro is extremely dramatic. After being exposed to many different docs in this class, I realize that there is no particular formula on how to structure the content. It’s mostly focused on the directors intent with the piece and how they choose to work around it. We see how creatively Riefenstahl has filmed, directed, and edited this piece of work. The power of the videos along with the soundtrack says enough, there is no need for narration. I don’t only think that this is a propaganda film, but also a piece of art in the way its put together, especially from the standpoint of Riefenstahl. Her usage of moving the cameras as the Nazis march and following Hitler as he walks is bold. How can this art form be both morally sinful yet beautiful at the same time? We can see the unity and loyalty of all Hitler’s followers through the intro. The high angle shots of Hitler and the soldiers show us how perfect their formations were.