Documentary
German (Triumph des Willens)
1935 · Directed by Leni Riefenstahl · 114 min
A feature-length record of the 1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg, made at Hitler's invitation by a director with exceptional visual gifts. There is almost no narration and no argument spoken aloud: the film works through processions, speeches, music and carefully composed images.
Why it matters in cinema history
A landmark of the propaganda film and of the documentary form's capacity for manipulation. It is the work against which debates about art, politics and responsibility in filmmaking are still measured.
Watch with intention
Watch it as a built object: ask what has been arranged for the camera, and what each arrangement is meant to make you feel.
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