Nazis have been the staple bad-guys for numerous modern entertainment pieces, so much as being cliched to the point of absurdity. So it's rather uneasy to watch "Triumph des Willens" nowadays. Gone are the humorous "absolute evil" movie-nazis - replaced with serious ones. DEADLY serious.
The cinematography is quite astounding. Executing complex visual movements and playing up the symbolisms of glory and comradeship like a rose in full bloom. We're well aware of the thorns it possesses unlike most of the folk back then, but it was probably too late by then: The political battle for Germany was over - Hitler was Germany and vice versa, like Rudolf Hess triumphantly proclaims in the closing of the political rally. Hitler chillingly speaks of the sweet, succumbing surrender of the populace to the will of the nationalsocialistic movement. And the men, women and children embrace it with blind devotion, never fully comprehending the consequences.
When one watches this one hour movie, one starts to understand what was in stake in WW2: The whole individualistic way of life - to be replaced by a totalitarian collective society not far apart from an Orwellian dystopia. We were lucky we survived that ordeal, but just. And for now.
The cinematography is quite astounding. Executing complex visual movements and playing up the symbolisms of glory and comradeship like a rose in full bloom. We're well aware of the thorns it possesses unlike most of the folk back then, but it was probably too late by then: The political battle for Germany was over - Hitler was Germany and vice versa, like Rudolf Hess triumphantly proclaims in the closing of the political rally. Hitler chillingly speaks of the sweet, succumbing surrender of the populace to the will of the nationalsocialistic movement. And the men, women and children embrace it with blind devotion, never fully comprehending the consequences.
When one watches this one hour movie, one starts to understand what was in stake in WW2: The whole individualistic way of life - to be replaced by a totalitarian collective society not far apart from an Orwellian dystopia. We were lucky we survived that ordeal, but just. And for now.