Leathers 1 Olivia Leathers Dr.

Ma Media Criticism and Rhetoric September 25, 2013 Triumph of the Will and Propaganda Propaganda is used everywhere from politics to advertising. Though, when it comes to defining propaganda; historians often differ in opinion. Many consider any persuasive communication to be propaganda. While others believe it to be biased or misleading information used to promote a public figure, or government entity. Today, we see both practiced in the United States of America. However, the use of propaganda is nothing new. In fact, Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Party, also known as the Nazi Party used propaganda as an aid to gain supporters during his rise as the leader of the Nazi Party. The 1935 film, Triumph of the Will chronicles this unforgettable time in history, twenty years following the outbreak of World War I. The movie begins with the date of September 5, 1934, and the words flashing across the screen, sixteen years after the start of German suffering and nineteen months after the start of Germany rebirth. The movie immediately plants in the viewers mind that the country was this poor suffering victim of a nation that needed saving, and after nineteen months, Germany has had a rebirth. The way that the movie is set up allows the Nazi regime and Adolf Hitler to be portrayed as a savior to this poor struggling country. The next scene captures Adolf Hitler flying into Nuremburg, Germany, the camera shows airplane floating over the clouds with serene music playing as though Germanys savior has arrived. When he arrives, he is greeted by waving and cheering citizens. Their hero has come.

Leathers 2 Leni Riefenstahl, the director of the film even depicts children, the essence of innocence in the crowd watching and waving in adoration. Adolf Hilter is then seen standing and waving to the crowd from his vehicle. He is wearing a swastika armband. The swastika was a symbol adopted by the Nazi Party and it later became associated with the idea of a racially pure state. The swastika would become one of the most recognizable uses of propaganda by Nazi Germany. As it appeared on election posters, armbands, flags, medallions, and military badges. The quintessential aspect of the Nazi Partys ideology and propaganda was to form a sense of community and camaraderie amongst all Aryan Germans. The film shows crowds of people participating in the Nazi salute. The Nazi salute was a way of all Nazi supporters coming together as a nation and showing support for their leader. One of the main techniques of propaganda is bandwagon propaganda. Bandwagon propaganda promotes a sense of unity. What better way to feel unified than to have a mass of people saluting their leader simultaneously? This is why Triumph of the Will is known as one of the most infamous propaganda films to date. These candid shots in the film illustrate propaganda at its finest. Triumph of the Will shows viewers how the Nazi superpower drew in the masses through propaganda and also how Adolf Hitler had a rare and startling ability to allure crowds to his beliefs by the very power of his words. Hitler had a way with hypnotizing the German people by staging dramatic parades and gigantic and spectacular rallies and demonstrations. These demonstrations were a way for the people of Germany to come together and unify. To use bandwagon propaganda effectively, it was important to create a sense of belonging amongst the people. And Hitler was able to do that successfully with his speeches, rallies, and parades.

Leathers 3 Works Cited Evans, Elizabeth F. "Air War, Propaganda, And WoolfS Anti-Tyranny Aesthetic." Modern Fiction Studies 59.1 (2013): 53-82. E-Journals. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. Hobusch, Harald. "A 'Triumph Of The Will'? Andrew Marton's Der Damon Des Himalaya And The National Socialist Need For Heroes." Sport In History 29.4 (2009): 623-645. EJournals. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. Morgan, Ben. "Music In Nazi Film: How Different Is Triumph Of The Will?." Studies In European Cinema 3.1 (2006): 37-53. E-Journals. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. Simpson, Kevin. "Classic And Modern Propaganda In Documentary Film: Teaching The Psychology Of Persuasion." Teaching Of Psychology 35.2 (2008): 103-108. E-Journals. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.