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Triumph of the Will

Play trailer Poster for Triumph of the Will 1935 1h 50m Documentary History Drama War Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl's controversial masterwork is an artful work of propaganda showcasing German chancellor and Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler at the 1934 Nuremberg Rally. Edited from over 60 hours' worth of raw footage shot over the course of the rally's four days, the film is visually remarkable in the way it captures the event's enormous scale. Riefenstahl's portentous filming from low angles (to make the small-framed Hitler look imposing and majestic) is often copied and parodied.
Triumph of the Will

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Critics Consensus

Triumph of the Will is impossible to separate from its repugnant political context -- and impossible to deny as a powerfully made piece of cinematic propaganda.

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Critics Reviews

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 02/17/2016
4/4
That Triumph of the Will is a great propaganda film, there is no doubt, and various surveys have named it so. But I doubt that anyone not already a Nazi could be swayed by it. Go to Full Review
David Parkinson Empire Magazine 02/17/2016
5/5
Making a supreme effort to put aside the socio-ethical considerations this is, in purely cinematic terms, incredible filmmaking. Go to Full Review
Dave Kehr Chicago Reader 02/17/2016
Nazis or no, two hours of marching and speechifying is pretty damn dull; maybe this is what they mean by "the banality of evil." Go to Full Review
Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault 11/23/2022
As a document of the allure of demonic power, it must be seen and shuddered at. Go to Full Review
Yasser Medina Cinefilia 04/22/2022
7/10
I don't know if it is a major work of documentary cinema, but of course, Riefenstahl frames it with a formal virtuosity that manages to captivate me for its compositional care, despite the reprehensible propaganda diatribes. Full review in Spanish Go to Full Review
David Keyes Cinemaphile.org 03/14/2016
The movie is the embodiment of an evil and destructive philosophy, but it must remain accessible for both new filmmakers and students of history, especially if it inspires them to contemplate the moral limits of their respective fields. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Witty 2 Jun 29 Absolutely unacceptable!!! This movie is promoting nazism!!! See more I love S May 16 This is so awful! It is absolutely vile and twisted See more Bubble B Mar 29 Balls and cheeks!!!!! See more Sachin E 02/11/2024 I showed this to my cat yesterday. Today he left home to invade Pawland. See more Leaburn O 01/19/2024 Important historical document that makes you wonder how on earth a nation can collectively turn into sheep, following a bizarre and frankly boring cult leader. I had to fast forward through much of the pageantry and marching because this is one deathly dull film, so I'm not recommending unless you have an interest in seeing just how weird Germans were back in the day. Thankfully, they all seem to have sobered up now. Watched it on YouTube. See more Deke P 05/04/2023 Great Nazi propaganda film. My 2 1/2 Rt star rating is cuz I agree with most that it was great and stirring, so that would have been 5 stars, but hate Nazis so that would be Zero stars, so compromise at 2 1/2. But it way more than 'passed the time'. I saw it when it was shown at college. I wonder it colleges still allow it today? See more Read all reviews
Triumph of the Will

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Movie Info

Synopsis Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl's controversial masterwork is an artful work of propaganda showcasing German chancellor and Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler at the 1934 Nuremberg Rally. Edited from over 60 hours' worth of raw footage shot over the course of the rally's four days, the film is visually remarkable in the way it captures the event's enormous scale. Riefenstahl's portentous filming from low angles (to make the small-framed Hitler look imposing and majestic) is often copied and parodied.
Director
Leni Riefenstahl
Producer
Leni Riefenstahl
Screenwriter
Leni Riefenstahl, Eberhard Taubert
Genre
Documentary, History, Drama, War
Original Language
German
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 4, 2012
Runtime
1h 50m