Triumph of the Will

After watching the film, Triumph of the Will (Triumph des Willens) directed by Leni Riefenstahl, I saw how Hitler could be glorified as a national hero. A central theme of unity was displayed profoundly in this film with Hitler as a symbol of a leader for Germany. Throughtout the film, there was back and forth shots between the crowd of peolple and Hitler and this showed how much influence that Hitler had on the people of Germany. Low angle shots and backlighting showed the importance that Hitler had to this movie. You could also notice that Hitler is always framed either by himself or with a highranked official, this is done mostly to direct the attention to the Führer. The intent of this director was not only to show Hitler as a glorified savior but it a clear example of German nationalism at it's finest. The opening sequence of the movie shows signs of Metropolis, with the flying helicopter and the use of minatures. Riefenstahl also experiments with aerial cinematogrophy in the shots where the crowd of German is seen at a overhead. The majority of the speeches by several German leaders had to do with the untiy of the German people. I can't help but notice how this shows early signs of the Soviet Montage era where the movie is set to favor the group rather than the individual. But my observation contradicts with the fact that Hitler potrayed throughout the movie as the idol for the German people to look up to. Tracking shots show the connection between him and the people of Germany. The use of telephoto lens added a sense of realism as if you were in that crowd when Hitler was making the speech.The music is another thing to notice as throughout the movie is always upbeat and and never dull. The crisp sounds of horns and the battering of drums draw your attention on whats going on. It also has an effect of making Hitler's speeches feel more powerful to the viewer. The music is by Richard Wanger's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Most of the lighting is ambient and at times, like the night rallys, was dark, spotlight was always shined on Hitler, due to his importance. Although you miss the wrong ideals that came out of Hitler in this movie, you have to appreciate it's film elements like it's creative cinematography and dedication to the German Expressionist era.