Triumph of the Will

In recent years, I have found myself with a keen interesting the WWII and the events that led up to it. This resulted in a lot of reading and the eventual discovery of the film Triumph of the Will. It took me a good while to find a copy of this Synapse Films bluray, I eventually got there and I was not disappointed.For those of you who do not know, Triumph of the Will is a Nazi party funded propaganda film that does an interesting job at documenting the happenings of the 1934 rally in Nuremberg, Germany. This of course means that you'll see a lot of enthusiastic speeches, a huge public turnout in support of their furor and endless chanting from the military personal on parade. Visually this makes Triumph of the Will quite the spectacle and something we really don't see often or at all on television these days. The symbolism of the Nazi party is quite striking and so fascinating to see from today's perspective. I enjoyed seeing the old style fashion, the beautiful pre-WWII motors and even the emblems etc utilised by the party themselves. It's very interesting on the eye and there's always something to look out for.The presentation of the film is great. The picture quality for the most part is very clear and highly detailed. Because of the advanced age of the film, you're obviously not going to get that perfect clarity. But what is on offer here is an excellent restoration of something older than most people alive today. The cinematography is really well done and I honestly think Leni Riefenstahl did a superb job with this film. There's a lot of great visual shots with the camera panning over large spaces showing the impressive scope of the military marches featured in the film. The audio quality is the only real draw back here but that is down to the technical limitations of the time and is not to be judged. The sound is often distorted, limited and crackly, very common for films of the time. Quite excusable if you ask me.As a film, I can't see it being enjoyable for people who aren't interested in this period of European history. Being a documentary and pro-Nazi party at that, the film is two hours of over enthusiastic salutes, speeches and marching. It's a great documentary of its time and one that deserves its place in history but it is certainly not something you sit down to watch with the family. Sadly, I can see a film like Triumph of the Will disappearing from history due to the awful turn civilisation has taken in recent years. The world is being forcibly run by people who can't even tolerate an old statue or a Tweet. It's a shame really as a film like this should always be in print, not to support the people in it but as a reminder of the mistakes we made in history and how not to do it again. Sadly, we appear to be on the brink of repeating ourselves to the point of insanity.

I very much like the shots of Nuremberg itself - like a fairy-tale city, full of spires and clocks - and those of people not in uniform (especially children) plainly enjoying the event (without, presumably, ever understanding the implications; who ever can?) The ceremony of remembrance is very touching, considering the casualties the army suffered during the First World War. But - Lord - the horror of it all! Evil, pure evil, out of post-war chaos. What must have been going through the heads of those SA members? And much of it is plainly dull: marching, marching; flags - that wretched swastika everywhere - and banal speechifying. I saw a shot of Farage recently that reminded me very much of this kind of thing.I hate mobs and the mob mentality, being far keener on feeding birds and making compost.

Are you capable of inserting brackets around the round-ups, persecutions and incessant ideology of the Third Reich? You must if you are capable of dealing with history, its truths and its horrors.This is no more propaganda than propaganda of any nation. In fact, at times, the musical score, the fanfare is a nod to the British way of life. Hitler admired the class tradition of Great Britain, reflected in Triumph of the Will's overall production.A striking difference is how Third Reich Germany (pre '39), is militaristic from the cradle to the grave. Imagine a political convention where each Minister speaks before the party faithful (the Only party) in military uniform; imagine the spectacle of row upon row of adoring public faithful throwing the Nazi salute without prompt and with wild, loving, shameless abandonment? It's all here from Hitler arriving by plane at Nuremburg to Hitler's tireless inspection of his youth, S.A S.S agricultural soldiers, etc, etc. The spectacle caught as it happened, in a congratulatory mirror to those who could maintain the 1000 year Reich. Such frenzy, such passion is understandably contagious.There are very few cinematic scenes where the filmmaker casts doubt, stepping out from the National hysteria: a reflection in water inverts the swastika; a member of the adoring crowds lining the street steps away whilst noticing the camera. The fleeting look throws back an unnerving jarring. There are few examples.By the end, I too was mesmerised and watched it several times again. A remarkable document !