Documenting Docs: 'Triumph of the Will'

By Emily Reuben The opinions and views expressed in Documenting Docs are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board. It’s Women’s History Month! What better way to begin than by highlighting the work of a Nazi filmmaker? No, I’m not kidding. Now let me explain my choice to cover her. Let’s say you really dislike someone. You think they’re arrogant, annoying, mean and a handful of other synonymously awful things. But here’s the catch: that person is still insanely talented. You may hate them, but they can dance, act and direct, and that makes you angry. That basically summarizes my feelings towards Leni Riefenstahl. She’s responsible for crafting Nazi propaganda for Hitler, but at the same time is an incredibly talented filmmaker. In fact, Riefenstahl is the first female filmmaker to garner international attention. Of course one of the first famous female filmmakers would be a Nazi.

Despite my dislike of her as a person, we do need to talk about dear old Leni. Riefenstahl grew up in Germany in the first decade of the 20th Century. Initially working as a dancer who was talented enough to tour Europe at 22, she started starring in various films (specifically in the “German Mountain Film” genre) at the age of 24. Obviously she had a lot going for her, so how exactly did this talented young women become one of history's most controversial filmmakers? After being inspired by one of Hitler’s speeches, Riefenstahl contacted the man himself and the two began correspondance with one another. Riefenstahl’s first film Das Blaue Licht or “The Blue Light” impressed Hitler so much that he actually asked her to film the annual Nuremburg Rally. The result of Hitler’s request is Sieg des Glaubens or “Victory of the Faith,” a film that Riefenstahl later deemed unimpressive. When Hitler next asked Riefenstahl to create Triumph des Willens, better known as Triumph of the Will, Riefenstahl was given assurance that no one would meddle in her work giving her unwavering support and artistic freedom. To quote an article by Kara Peterson from St. Edwards University,

“She had thirty cameras in operation in order to make the film. Special bridges, towers, and ramps were built by the city of Nuremberg solely for the production of this film. Dollies were built to move along with marching troops, fire trucks were used to get unique shots of monuments throughout the city, and there was even a 120-foot flagpole that had been outfitted with an electric elevator in order to get wide shots from a bird’s eye view.”

Triumph of the Will

perfectly summarizes Riefenstahl’s effective filmmaking Triumph of the Will' Time Triumph of the Will the Triumph of the Will The Great Dictator   Triumph of the Will Triumph of the Will Triumph of the Will Olympia Triumph of the Will

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Wikipedia Kara Petersen New York State Writer's Institute,  The BBC The Birmingham Mail mytholtok.edu