Review of Triumph of the Will (1935) by Joe B — 18 Jun 2008

When, like clockwork, that time of the day arrives for me to encounter a situation which makes me question my sanity for living here in China, I often scream to myself "how can this be happening!!".

In short, sitting down and rewatching 'Triumph of the Will' reminds me of how fickle the human race is, and how blind they can be. Though the comparisons to present day China are few, it is interesting to see the propaganda machine whirring into action. Though these days, the shots of Wen Jia Bao getting out of places are more like shots of Bush or Blair in the West, it doesn't take a lot of imagination to compare the opening scenes of Leni Riefenstahl's most famous film to the footage of Mao, and indeed the promises of 'The East is Red'.

In hindsight, this film will always be sickening in its jovial approach to Hitler, and perhaps it is this strange uncomfortable presentation, so at odds with the facts of Hitler's Nazi party, which will forever remain a blunt reminder of how much power should be given to a single person, or party. And the consequences of not keeping them in check.

Regardless or not of whether Reifenstahl knew about the atrocities being comitted by the subject of her documentaries, her work provides an outstanding example of the power of the medium of film - and it's limitless potential for manipulation.