Should The Will By Leni Riefenstahl Use Government Propaganda?

Through a series of carefully constructed shots Leni Riefenstahl creates the most effective government propaganda piece to date, effectively taking part in the genocide of thousands. Triumph of the Will offers a completely twisted version of the true Nazi party, portraying a half truth to the audience, resulting in thousands more joining the hate and evil of the Nazis. While many argue the brilliance behind this documentary, the artistic aspects become insignificant when compared to the atrocities that followed its influence, and the evil committed by the government sponsors. I will argue that when governments sponsor documentaries, their influence over the content can too easily become propaganda for a corrupt system, exploiting the medium

with malicious intent and should therefore not be allowed. I will prove this by analyzing how government sponsors played a role in Leni Riefenstahl’s work, effecting the overall success of the documentary through mandatory viewings, the bias towards the Nazi party, and the censorship of Hitler’s atrocious acts of hate.
When a government has control over the audience’s response to the film, not only is audience shown one side on an issue, but the public is given no choice but to consume this content as it is forced on them.

The Nazi party maintained this absolute control through the distribution and media coverage of Triumph of the Will. The Nazi government guaranteed the film’s success by ensuring “the film was shown all over Germany, particularly by means of mandatory screenings in schools and local halls.” (Culbert). When governments are given influence over the creation of content and its message as they do in Triumph of the Will, they can alter it into whatever they choose and control its distribution rights. This takeover of the medium allows for a monopoly over the platform. When the media is overwhelmed by this bias narrative, it limits the public’s knowledge and allows for only one viewpoint, one that coincides with the Nazi governments agenda. This message of hate was then consumed by the German public, misinforming them on who and what their government was, and as it has in Nazi Germany, an uneducated public can lead to a dangerous political take

over.
Leni Riefenstahl’s work in Triumph of the Will offered an idealized image of the Nazi party and Adolf Hitler. Throughout the documentary, Riefenstahl offers a positive representation of the Nazi government during the Sixth National Socialist Party Congress and as they interact with the German citizens. Riefenstahl used setting and imagery to further prove the Nazi message, by showcasing scenic shots of German cities and countryside, as she illustrates how the country is united and prospering under Nazi rule. She repeatedly used shots of Hitler interacting with cheering crowds, smiling and waving to his followers, characterizing him as someone loved by his people, focusing only on his charisma and relationship with the public, (Barker 80) rather than the terror acts he has committed. She reuses images of a mass of people, to reinforce the concept of the German people as one united force. These shots are “intended to show the German people the power of a resurgent German united under a Nazi party.” (McLane 113) This same technique is used to show the normalization of the Nazi men. Riefenstahl uses a long cut of these men getting ready, following them as they shave, cut their hair and spray each other with hoses. This scene aims to show how the Nazi soldiers were just regular men like the viewers, showing them the bond they could have if they joined the Nazi party. The involvement of the Nazi party in the production of this documentary had a large role in how the party and Adolf Hitler was viewed by the public at the time, consequently aiding in the murder of millions of innocents during World War Two. Through the false image presented by Leni Riefenstahl the Nazi party grew in both strength and numbers as it terrorized innocent victims.
Leni Riefenstahl used the framing of the Nazi party and Adolf Hitler in a more severe approach as she cuts out all the monstrous acts that were committed by the party during World War Two and the Holocaust.

Under the influence of the Nazi government, Leni Riefenstahl produced the ideal propaganda piece, that showcased the Nazi Party as a peaceful government. During the 6th Nazi party Congress the speaker says to Hitler “’Thanks to your leadership, Germany will reach its goal of being home to all Germans throughout the world. You were our guarantor of peace.’” Though as the documentary was done “by order of the Führer,” as is stated in the opening credits, the method through which Hitler achieved this ‘peace’ was not featured in the film. By excluding these crucial narrative facts, the documentary is essentially lying to the viewers, attempting to erase the horrid acts that the Nazi government has committed. The documentary was filmed and released from 1932 to 1935, with events coinciding with the events of the Holocaust (Hirsh 20). By failing to acknowledge the violence at the time being committed against the Jewish people, Riefenstahl, under the influence of the Nazi government commits a vile act of injustice against the world. As the Nazi government erases these facts from Triumph of the Will, the German public would only receive a half truth. This corruption goes unknown by the public, as the government hides behind Riefenstahl’s work, as she claims to only use real

footage. After analyzing the film with hindsight into the Holocaust and various other terror acts executed by the Nazis, it is apparent that governments should not be allowed to sponsor or involve themselves in the production of any documentary, as it could portray a harmful and potentially offensive message to viewers.
As an outstanding propaganda piece, Triumph of the Will, played a significant part in the rise of the Nazi party in Germany and Hitler’s success as the Führer. Leni Riefenstahl’s work with the Nazi government aided in the torture and murder of millions of innocents during the Second World War. As the government sponsor, the Hitler and the Nazi’s had a large influence over the content of the documentary, using it for their own destructive gain, portraying an inaccurate image of the true Nazis. This corrupt message was forced onto the German public, effectively homogenizing the German media into one viewpoint. The documentary had an extreme bias to Hitler depicting him as a charismatic leader, while brushing aside the hateful acts he was currently committing. It aided in glorifying the image of the Nazi government, convincing thousands that their fascism and acts of hate were means to a peaceful Germany.