Triumph of the Will (Special Edition)

Starring:Adolf Hitler, Sepp Dietrich, Josef Goebbels, Erich Raeder, Julius Streicher, Max Amann, Robert Ley, Alfred Rosenberg, Hans Georg von Friedeburg, Martin Bormann, Jakob Grimminger, Hans Frank (III), Fritz Reinhardt, Viktor Lutze, Konstantin Hierl, Hermann GÃ¶ring, Hjalmar Schacht, Baldur von Schirach, Fritz Todt, Reinhard Heydrich
Director: Leni Riefenstahl
Studio: Synapse
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
Triumph of the Will is one of the most important films ever made. Not because it documents evil--more watchable examples are being made today. And not as a historical example of blind propaganda--those (much shorter) movies are merely laughable now. No, Riefenstahl's masterpiece--and it is a masterpiece, politics aside--combines the strengths of documentary and propaganda into a single, overwhelmingly powerful visual force.

Riefenstahl was hired by the Reich to create an eternal record of the 1934 rally at Nuremberg, and that's exactly what she does. You might not become a Nazi after watching her film, but you will understand too clearly how Germany fell under Hitler's spell. The early crowd scenes remind one of nothing so much as Beatles concert footage (if only their fans were so well behaved!).

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Triumph of the Will is one of the most important films ever made. Not because it documents evil--more watchable examples are being made today. And not as a historical example of blind propaganda--those (much shorter) movies are merely laughable now. No, Riefenstahl's masterpiece--and it is a masterpiece, politics aside--combines the strengths of documentary and propaganda into a single, overwhelmingly powerful visual force. Riefenstahl was hired by the Reich to create an eternal record of the 1934 rally at Nuremberg, and that's exactly what she does. You might not become a Nazi after watching her film, but you will understand too clearly how Germany fell under Hitler's spell. The early crowd scenes remind one of nothing so much as Beatles concert footage (if only their fans were so well behaved!). Like the fascists it monumentalizes, Triumph of the Will overlooks its own weaknesses--at nearly two hours, the speeches tend to drone on, and the repeated visual motifs are a little over-hypnotic, especially for modern viewers. But the occasional iconic vista (banners lining the streets of Nuremberg, Hitler parting a sea of 200,000 party members standing at attention) will electrify anyone into wakefulness. --Grant Balfour

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Movie.......2007-06-27

I am a huge WWII and civil war fan and this movie was an excellent portrayal of Hitler rising to power in Nuremberg. The movie is in German, but with English subtitles, but is still a very powerful work of history/propaganda.

The Big Lie.......2007-06-21

Hitler's propaganda minister infamously said, "If you tell the Big Lie often enough, people will believe it."

TRIUMPH OF THE WILL is a terrifying look at the zenith of Nazi propaganda. In the future, propaganda would be well-used cinematically by the Soviets (and Michael Moore) but never as well as "Triumph of the Will". The opening vista in the clouds, soaring above the earth, gives Hitler an almost divine persona. The landing is accompanied by throngs of ordinary people who call out his name as though he was a long-lost relative. The motorcade past the old somber buildings reflects Germany's past , while the parade presents Germany's future. To see these rapt children, teens and older adults in the light of history is to see those whom Hitler would most cruelly betray. Seldom has such evil been presented as messianic. This is the power of mass media perverted and abused.

Students of history and of mass communication would do well to view why a free press is critical to a democratic republic like ours.

Triumph of the Will.......2007-06-21

Accomplished through the offices of propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels (though he detested the idea of a woman filmmaker), Riefenstahl's magnificent, mesmerizing masterpiece offers a powerfully instructive look at the delirium of crowds, the fever pitch of 20th-century nationalist politics, and the megalomania of Adolf Hitler--none of which, of course, was its reason for being. However, on the level of technical brilliance alone, "Will" is a visual monument every bit as great--and ethically compromised--as D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation." An undeniably accomplished work of art, "Will" is one of the more intriguing documentaries you'll ever see.

Spooky.......2007-06-16

WOW!!! The power of film. Very Scary!!!! It reminds you to be critical of the "information" the media provides.

WOW.......2007-06-15

IF only scene 15-the nsdap review was in color!!! you would BE there!!!only thing missing! watched it a hunderd times!!its magnificent---and my father fought in ww11--im not condoning it---but WOW-no wonder so many were sucked in

Average customer rating:

A work of Art
A Mesmerizing Exercise In "Spin"
Creepy but instructional look into a thankfully vanished world
Riefenstahl's Powerfully Cinematic Sensibilities Remain Noteworthy Despite the Controversial Subject
Try to remember -- the movie wasn't made for YOU!

Triumph of the Will (Special Edition)
Starring: Adolf Hitler , Sepp Dietrich , Josef Goebbels , Konstantin Hierl , and Hermann Göring
Director: Leni Riefenstahl
Manufacturer: Synapse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004WLXZ
Release Date: 2001-04-17

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Customer Reviews:

A work of Art.......2007-07-04

If Triumph of the Will was not successful in its aims then the controversy surrounding it would be unnecessary. It is because it is so exceptionally effective in its aims that it is seen as a source of potential danger.

The excellence with which Riefenstahl's film is put together is both magnificent and chilling, and communicates exactly how Hitler had 1930's Germany under his spell. This film was made to further that spell and is direct in its attempts to inspire National pride, devotion, and the feeling that the Nazi party truly can conquer anything that opposes it, as such it is a work of Fantasy more than a work of Politics. Riefenstahl's editing abilities almost match those of her directing and her portrayal of Hitler is messianic.
The opening scene of Hitler traveling through Nuremberg calls to mind Star Wars (indeed one can detect how much this film inspired later Hollywood movies) and is effective in demonstrating the almost religious devotion accorded to him from the German nation. A further example of this is a scene which Laborers accord their commitment to the Fuhrer in a robotic fashion while proudly proclaiming "One People One Nation".

Scenes such as this make it easy to understand why Germany fell in love with Nazism. Though it is this very quality which makes this film so disturbing. There is very, very little Anti-Semitism in Triumph of the Will but rather a demonstration of the beauty and perfection that Nazi Germany brought to the German people. To the modern viewer this film is seen as the propaganda that it is, however to the viewer of yester-year this film was an Inspiration a Marvel which they sat back and watched while oblivious (perhaps willfully) to what was actually taking place.

A Mesmerizing Exercise In "Spin".......2007-04-21

Most people, at least in the Western World, are aware of Triumph of the Will through the notoriety of its connection to the rise of Naziism. But I would bet that most of those same people have never seen it. If you are in that number, then here is your chance to be entranced by this mesmerizing exercise in what today is called "spin".
Many things have been said and written about this film and almost anyone who praises it for its quality as art is almost immediately attacked as some sort of closet Nazi. Witness the recent imbroglio involving British pop singer Bryan Ferry when he did so. If you put politics aside, and it is admittedly hard to do, then you can see just how ingenious this film is. If you are not already a Nazi, it certainly won't make you one, but you will be able to see how millions were taken in by well-choreographed pomp, pageantry, and ceremony.
You must remember that the politically speaking, the people of that day were not like the people of today. Socialism had a very strong hold on the political imagination of the majority of the people and the National Socialist strain was just one of the socialist ideologies vying for the people's support. Yes, director Leni Riefenstahl was a master filmmaker, but it was really ace Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels who masterminded the spectacle that was the 1934 Nazi Party Congress shown here.
As one reviewer said, the film was made partly to build party morale as Hitler did not yet have a firm hold on power. But it also spoke to other groups. Watch and see how it appeals not just to nationalist sentiment by depicting German unity across regional and class divides, but also manifests this putative unity to the international community. Don't think that Triumph of the Will did not have some of Germany's rivals quaking in their boots. I think the film ultimately helped Hitler neutralize domestic and foreign opposition to some of his early adventures like the remilitarization of the Rheinland.
Those who look to the film for anti-Semitic tirades and militaristic saber-rattling will be disappointed. This film was meant to show foreign and domestic opponents how reasonable the Nazis were. Despite what many think today, anti-Semitism was "red meat" only for a small group of core fanatics, it was not an election winning issue and could only really be acted on when a dictatorship was firmly in the saddle.
I think that Triumph of the Will should be required viewing for all high school students to show them how easily people can be taken in by well-disguised evil and so that they can learn to see through political blather.
I ordered this Special Edition from an amazon partner but was sent the other one instead. As there is little difference between the two, I kept it. Now that there is a price differential, be sure that if you order this edition, that this is the one you get.

Creepy but instructional look into a thankfully vanished world.......2007-01-10

For most of her life Riefenstahl denied being a Nazi sympathizer, but this movie makes a hard argument against that claim. It's interesting now to see a film where the Nazis are so flatteringly portrayed, and Hitler is displayed with almost god-like status (he descends from the clouds in the beginning, which must have been rare to see in the mid-30s, as few had flown then). The movie sometimes drags as we watch the speeches of minor party officials, but the spectacle never fails to impress and horrify. Instructional on a number of levels.

Riefenstahl's Powerfully Cinematic Sensibilities Remain Noteworthy Despite the Controversial Subject.......2006-10-18

Before her death in 2003 at the age of 101, filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl would have you believe she had no affiliation with the Nazi party when she was asked by Adolf Hitler to document the momentous four days leading to the 1934 Nuremberg rally. However, it's obvious from her concurrently celebrated and reviled 1935 propaganda film that she was mesmerized by Hitler's oratorical skills judging from the dynamic way she has captured his undeniable charisma. She shows a remarkable deftness in editing techniques and camera movement and placement that remains the gold standard among documentarians. Riefenstahl succeeds in making Hitler a larger than life figure to the masses without resorting to editorial commentary to validate what is obvious from the images.

The film begins with Hitler's arrival in Nuremberg by personal aircraft where he is greeted by enthusiastic throngs of Nazi supporters. In fact, the first third of the film focuses primarily on civilian support of Fuehrer and then transitions to the opening of the Reich Party Congress where we see familiar historical figures, such as Rudolf Hess and Joseph Goebbels, speak. This leads to the third day of activity with rather unsettling shots of Hitler Youth as they prepare to greet Hitler from the rows of teepees in which they have camped. Her discriminating use of close-ups is most striking here when we see tow-headed Aryan boys hypnotized by Hitler's speech. The film ends with the startlingly choreographed rally with the famous shot of Hitler, flanked by Heinrich Himmler and Viktor Lutze, walking down an emptied aisle to place a wreath at a WWI memorial (a shot replicated by George Lucas at the end of the first "Star Wars"). The climax is designed to be celebratory as Hitler leads the masses toward unity under the Reich with his fanatical delivery.

Like D.W. Griffiths' "Birth of a Nation", it is difficult to defend the intended messaging behind such a trenchant film, yet it is criminal not to recognize the powerfully cinematic sense with which Riefenstahl imbues her work. The 2001 Synapse DVD contains a good though not outstanding print transfer. However, there are two worthwhile extras - the extremely informative commentary track from historian Dr. Anthony R. Santoro (which I recommend you switch on immediately to fully appreciate the individual personalities and historical details behind the rally) and a short Riefenstahl made at the following year's rally to celebrate the Wehrmacht (the German army), "Day of Freedom". There is little use in attempting any sort of objectivity about this film as it was intended to evoke strong emotions with the sole goal of solidifying the Reich in a country still feeling weakened from WWI. In this respect, Riefenstahl succeeds admirably.

Try to remember -- the movie wasn't made for YOU!.......2006-10-02

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 soliders 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!

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Triumph of the Will
Starring: Triumph of the Will
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Hitler: February 10, 1933

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Perhaps the most-important speech of Hitler's political career is captured in this original Nazi Party election film. On February 10th, 1933, the newly-appointed Chancellor rose in the Berlin Sports Palace and unleashed his charismatic oratory to condemn political enemies and exhort his audience--including millions listening in on radio throughout Germany--to support the Nazis' reach for total power.

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Picking up where Triumph of the Will leaves off, this film features highlights from the Party rallies at Nüremberg in 1936 and 1937. An extended aerial sequence, showing Nüremberg in all its gothic splendor, opens the film; Hitler's airfield arrival and triumphant motorcade into town commence its grand ceremonies. Subsequent scenes at the Zeppelinfeld demonstrate the colossal scale and military precision of National Socialist pageantry, while capturing the escalating quotient of spectacle at Nüremberg over the 1930s. A growing variety of pageantry is also suggested, from mass folk-dance performances in rural costume, to a sensational sequence of Wehrmacht exercises conducted at Zeppelinfeld: parachute drops, cavalry, infantry and Panzer formations, artillery fire and live explosions. Throughout its spectacular sequences--night rallies, torchlit marches, massed throngs and fireworks--the film argues its case for an ever-growing bond between party and nation.

The Sorrow and the Pity - 2 DVD Special Edition [NON-US Format, PAL, Region 2, Import]

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The Sorrow and the Pity - 2 DVD Special Edition [NON-US Format, PAL, Region 2, Import]
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Made for French television, Marcel Ophuls's magnificent four-hour-plus documentary explores the average French citizen's memories of the Nazi occupation. Just how large and effective was the fabled Resistance Movement? Is cooperation the same thing as collaboration? And how did one's up-close-and-personal experiences with the occupation troops impact one's postwar life? These questions are probingly posed (but not all are answered) by Ophuls, who also acts as offscreen interviewer. The first half of the film is a mosaic of sights and sounds from the years 1940-1944: Maurice Chevalier singing for the German troops, clips of propagandistic newsreels, appalling vignettes from the scurrilous anti-Semitic film drama Jew Suss (1940), and the like. Ophuls' interpretation of history as the "process of recollection, in things like choice, selective memory, rationalization" is fully illustrated in the film's long second half, which is devoted almost entirely to interviews, in which the subjects display emotions ranging from mild embarrassment to abrupt rage. Long, challenging, exhausting, but never dull.

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Triumph of the Will
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Amazon.com essential video

Like the fascists it monumentalizes, Triumph of the Will overlooks its own weaknesses--at nearly two hours, the speeches tend to drone on, and the repeated visual motifs are a little over-hypnotic, especially for modern viewers. But the occasional iconic vista (banners lining the streets of Nuremberg, Hitler parting a sea of 200,000 party members standing at attention) will electrify anyone into wakefulness. --Grant Balfour

Triumph of the Will - A Visual Document of the German Third Reich
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Director: Leni Riefenstahl
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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Product Description

Average customer rating:

A work of Art
A Mesmerizing Exercise In "Spin"
Creepy but instructional look into a thankfully vanished world
Riefenstahl's Powerfully Cinematic Sensibilities Remain Noteworthy Despite the Controversial Subject
Try to remember -- the movie wasn't made for YOU!

Triumph Of The Will
Starring: Leni Riefenstahl , Sepp Dietrich , Josef Goebbels , Konstantin Hierl , and Hermann Göring
Director: Leni Riefenstahl , and Leni Riefenstahl
Manufacturer: Connoisseur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video