← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · xmetalhead
Thread ID: 12708 | Posts: 12 | Started: 2004-03-11
2004-03-11 15:23 | User Profile
I finally watched, for the first time and in it's entirety, "Triumph of the Will" by Leni Riefenstahl. I was, and still am, moved by this glorious masterpiece.
Although the most infamous regime ever in the history of mankind (according to our history indoctrinators), the artistic vision and technical marvels of this film are incredible beyond words. It's beautiful and medieval; high art for sure. The "propaganda" elemental effect is evident, or, emphasised, but the meat of the message is not propagandistic in my eyes, but reflects a strong, uplifting, open, and brave force ready to die for self-determination.
There is absolutely no way this documentary was faked or staged (although Leni edited the film to the highest effect), and I guess to most, that is what's most frightening about seeing this film. (maybe it convicts people of their cowardice?) You come to see that the people truly BELIEVED in the Party's ideology and direction. Hitler acknowledged that the 'State doesn't control the people, We, the Volk, control the State' and 'other countries cannot understand what we've been through', and 'Germany follows us' ... instilling a hope in the Volk that was positive and uplifting, hopeful for better lives, although there were definitely totalitarian elements as well in the Nazi movement, but those ideas were also expressed. So, nonetheless, one thing about Hitler, the guy was honest and it shows and his speeches make sense, although extremely dramatic. But, they wanted something everlasting and pure, free from the subversion of those outside their Race. No easy task. Maybe delusional?
I get the feeling that they all knew death was ultimately coming to many of them, but the German Nazi's believed in the noble and chivalric code that it is better to die standing up fighting for your own than being imprisoned, degraded, subjugated and kiled by the hands of Communists, Jews, and other outside forces. They would not implode and die from within (like the Romans, USSR, and currently the United States) but they would be brave enough to die fighting to retain the purity of their Volk and Reich as an example of what God may have intended when he created the nations of the world.
The backdrop of 700 year old buildings in Nuremberg adds such drama to the message, it's quite impossible to not be mesmerized by the whole pageantry. The music, marching, and faces of the youth....extraordinary film. Leni Riefenstahl was a true pioneer of artistic filmaking, as this was the first art movie.
Were other films made like this one, from the other nations involved in WWII, openly stating their political objectives? I've seen "Alexander Nievsky", but that was different than 'Triumph'.
2004-03-11 19:05 | User Profile
[QUOTE=xmetalhead]I finally watched, for the first time and in it's entirety, "Triumph of the Will" by Leni Riefenstahl. I was, and still am, moved by this glorious masterpiece.[/QUOTE]At David Irving's conference in Cincinnatti I saw Leni Riefenstahl's film of the Nazi party gathering the year before "Triumph of the Will". Like yourself I, who regard myself as not in the slightest attracted by Nazi dogma, was overwhelmed by the pageantry and message. She was a master film-maker.
2004-03-11 19:35 | User Profile
Hi Edward, and thanks. While I don't think living under the rules of Nazism is desirable, I do sympathize with their message taken in the context of the times the Germans were living in back the 1920's and 30's, years after the vicious Versailles Treaty completely crushed the German pride. The film depicts a joyous people; I almost fell under the spell, 70 years after this film was made. The technical achievement of Leni Riefenstahl should be honored forever.
2004-03-12 08:00 | User Profile
ALL Whites must watch T.O.T.W. It has a thread of pro-Whiteness that is SO very powerful. You wonder, as you watch the film, "what might have been?" Great, must watch video! Trust yer Uncle Franco. That movie is a MUST WATCH.
2004-03-12 09:17 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Franco]ALL Whites must watch T.O.T.W. It has a thread of pro-Whiteness that is SO very powerful. You wonder, as you watch the film, "what might have been?" Great, must watch video! Trust yer Uncle Franco. That movie is a MUST WATCH.
----[/QUOTE]
I must agree. I finally saw it in its entirety recently too. What an experience. :clap:
2004-03-12 16:46 | User Profile
All these comments in this thread ring with truth, but we must be aware that films like Triumph des Willens may result in undesirable side effects for white nationalism, such as leading white racialists to succumb to the belief that using Third Reich imagery and slogans is an effective way of creating a massive white racial awakening. Decades of wasted political activism have shown this notion to be patently false.
2004-03-12 17:01 | User Profile
Yeah ... maybe we could create WN rap music to reach the White yoots of Amerikwa. :dry:
2004-03-14 18:55 | User Profile
I've yet to see it. I want it on DVD, so that I can savor it until the cows come home.
I often watch the Hitler Channel (in spite of its chewy jewiness) for the same reasons you all enjoy Triumph: the wonderful old footage of a pre-war Germany that was dealing with its * Jude* infestation. The magnificent rallies, the glorious architecture - and, of course, the delightful shots of hook-nosed charicatures painted on jew shop windows.
2004-03-14 22:57 | User Profile
Install eMule ([url]www.emule-project.net[/url]) and get it off the internet. I just did.
Then you can either watch it on your PC, or convert it to VCD format, burn it onto a CD and watch it on a DVD player (most can play VCD disks).
2004-03-16 05:10 | User Profile
[QUOTE=N.B. Forrest]I've yet to see it. I want it on DVD, so that I can savor it until the cows come home.
I often watch the Hitler Channel (in spite of its chewy jewiness) for the same reasons you all enjoy Triumph: the wonderful old footage of a pre-war Germany that was dealing with its * Jude* infestation. The magnificent rallies, the glorious architecture - and, of course, the delightful shots of hook-nosed charicatures painted on jew shop windows.[/QUOTE]
When I was in college, I had a class with a jewish professor who seemed obsessed with the film, believe it or not. Of course, he was obsessed for reasons that you can all imagine. Anyway, he would blow his stack because during the presentation of the film - and his accompanying propaganda - and again during the viewing of segments "for discussion", people - including myself - would chuckle at the imagery of the chosenites. And this is well before I gave them much of a thought beyond being kind of a sneaky bunch of cheats when it came to exams, etc. On some level, everybody must know.
Was the film available on laser disk years back (early 80's) - until some type of legal wrangling, etc. torched things? Yeah, I could check, but someone may know off the top of their head.
2004-03-17 20:08 | User Profile
[QUOTE=xmetalhead]I finally watched, for the first time and in it's entirety, "Triumph of the Will" by Leni Riefenstahl. I was, and still am, moved by this glorious masterpiece.
Although the most infamous regime ever in the history of mankind (according to our history indoctrinators), the artistic vision and technical marvels of this film are incredible beyond words. It's beautiful and medieval; high art for sure. The "propaganda" elemental effect is evident, or, emphasised, but the meat of the message is not propagandistic in my eyes, but reflects a strong, uplifting, open, and brave force ready to die for self-determination.
There is absolutely no way this documentary was faked or staged (although Leni edited the film to the highest effect), and I guess to most, that is what's most frightening about seeing this film. (maybe it convicts people of their cowardice?) You come to see that the people truly BELIEVED in the Party's ideology and direction. Hitler acknowledged that the 'State doesn't control the people, We, the Volk, control the State' and 'other countries cannot understand what we've been through', and 'Germany follows us' ... instilling a hope in the Volk that was positive and uplifting, hopeful for better lives, although there were definitely totalitarian elements as well in the Nazi movement, but those ideas were also expressed. So, nonetheless, one thing about Hitler, the guy was honest and it shows and his speeches make sense, although extremely dramatic. But, they wanted something everlasting and pure, free from the subversion of those outside their Race. No easy task. Maybe delusional?
I get the feeling that they all knew death was ultimately coming to many of them, but the German Nazi's believed in the noble and chivalric code that it is better to die standing up fighting for your own than being imprisoned, degraded, subjugated and kiled by the hands of Communists, Jews, and other outside forces. They would not implode and die from within (like the Romans, USSR, and currently the United States) but they would be brave enough to die fighting to retain the purity of their Volk and Reich as an example of what God may have intended when he created the nations of the world.
The backdrop of 700 year old buildings in Nuremberg adds such drama to the message, it's quite impossible to not be mesmerized by the whole pageantry. The music, marching, and faces of the youth....extraordinary film. Leni Riefenstahl was a true pioneer of artistic filmaking, as this was the first art movie.
Were other films made like this one, from the other nations involved in WWII, openly stating their political objectives? I've seen "Alexander Nievsky", but that was different than 'Triumph'.[/QUOTE]
Actually plenty of it was faked and or staged. The Fuhrer (of blessed memory) gave her a totally free hand to do anything and everything the way she wanted it done, and much of the actual 4 day festival was either rearranged for her purposes, or parts of it were re-staged for her cameras, or repeated in venues that worked better for her. Hitler, for instance, is often rim-lit throughout the film, and that is because the direction in which his car was going would be planned in relation to the time of day and the placement of the sun at that time. Much of the marching toward the end was done in the same way - so that the divisions and organizations that Riefenstahl wanted to have the biggest and darkest shadows (the Schutzstaffel) would be marching later, when the sun was lower in the sky.
Similarly, though the troops at the end are actually marching to the marches we hear, they heard small scaled actual band renditions of them. Riefenstahl had her incredibly talented composer - Dr. Herbert Windt - re-score the marches and conduct them for a much larger, plusher orchestra for post-dubbing. One of the most sophisticated effects in the entire movie involves the manipulation of the music. When the Schutzstaffel marches, they do so to the Fuhrer's favorite march and if you watch and listen closely you will see that initially the men are very slightly out of step with the music. As the scene progresses the tempo of the music actually quickens in order to conform to the absolutely unvarying march tempo of the men...they are so powerful that even the music they march to conforms itself to their cadences rather than the other way around. Actually, the only technical mistake in the entire film that I have ever noticed takes place right at the end of this sequence when a guy in the back rank of soldiers slips and has to very hurriedly regain his place and try to get back in step just before the Schutzstaffel band swings around to close the segment.
The film also takes advantage of virtually the full range of narrative film making techniques, including extremely elaborate lighting effects, spectacular wipes (for instance, toward the end when a giant swastika flag billows up and with sensational timing reveals the Fuhrer in his monster Mercedes to begin the parade), rack focus effects, crane shots, high angle mobile shots, POV shots, etc., etc.
For a 'documentary', Triumph des Willens makes unprecedented use of film making technique.
I think Olympia is better, but Triumph is awe inspiring too.
It was on LD years back. The DVD put out by Synapse films has superb picture and sound quality.
2004-03-18 02:23 | User Profile
I gained access to Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph des Willens many years ago. It is still restricted in Germany and not 'allowed' on German television.
A thinking person may ask why a German historical film document is disallowed in Germany while Soviet propaganda has no such censorship.
I found the documentary inspiring and life-enhancing. An original in technique, much copied by subsequent film-makers but without the proper commendation and recommendation to the author.
The complete package at the time. And just as relevant today.
Those that have seen it should feel privileged. You have an insight that is denied to many.