Leni Riefenstahl transformed and renewed documentary by artistically creating one of the most brilliant yet controversial films in documentary history. Making a deal with the devil, she dedicated six days of her life filming Germany’s Third Reich in which illustrates Hitler in an infamous positive light. Recognizing the importance of film by Hitler, he stated to her that he “wanted an artist, not a party maker” to reveal his powerful regime. As Riefenstahl blatantly agreed, she refused to do any other films for the National Socialist Party. With her unique filming techniques and artistic visions in editing for
Leni Riefenstahl transformed and renewed documentary by artistically creating one of the most brilliant yet controversial films in documentary history. Making a deal with the devil, she dedicated six days of her life filming Germany’s Third Reich in which illustrates Hitler in an infamous positive light. Recognizing the importance of film by Hitler, he stated to her that he “wanted an artist, not a party maker” to reveal his powerful regime. As Riefenstahl blatantly agreed, she refused to do any other films for the National Socialist Party. With her unique filming techniques and artistic visions in editing for Triumph of the Will, Leni Riefenstahl embarked fame in Nazi Germany contributing a series of events in which was already presented.
According to Barnouw, Riefenstahl did not create any actions in which happened in the film, but “she saw it as her task to bring them to the screen with maximum impact” (Barnouw, 103). What makes Triumph of the Will different and unique is her use of techniques in which evoked the audiences’ emotions of how great and godly Hitler disguised through film and editing. Riefenstahl placed emphasis on the massive disciplined audience praising Hitler’s name as he was singled out making it dramatically noticeable that he was the leader. For example, in Triumph of the Will, there was a two minute scene in which Hitler and two of his right hand men were walking down through the large pavement as the Nazi’s obediently and overwhelmingly covered the grey areas of the Sports Palace. With this, she achieved a stance of power and a taste of an untouchable in Hitler in the film. In addition, during this scene she developed a nice slow movement of the camera moving left behind the pillars of the ceremony in which I think helped set the tone of the film of the quietness, but almost terrifying presence of him. Another example that made her film separate was that there was no spoken commentary in Triumph of the Will, “only in that of Hitler and other Nazi leaders” (Barnouw 103). Considering that any dialogue or commentary not remotely from any speech, Riefenstahl considers it as an “enemy of film” as it most likely harms the nature of film. Furthermore, I think the no commentary technique of Riefenstahl created a sense of awe as it ministered also a sense of a truth of the power of the Nazi Party.
In comparison, Robert Flaherty and John Grierson both had different perspectives in documentary. Flaherty’s, Nanook of the North, presented more of an emphasis on the character of the people and a sense of discovery. John Grierson’s Nightmail, on the other hand, performed an inspirational message through the use of film making it more impersonal. Finally, Riefenstahl’s take on documentary was for the film to speak for itself. Despite the heavily editing, she did not add any commentary nor paragraphs to improve the film besides the already brilliant nature of the film.
Although Riefenstahl particularly had not any clue of Hitler’s demonic nature, she succeeded him in bringing people to join him through the medium of film, lamentably leading towards the unforgivable massacre of the Holocaust. With her unique filming techniques and artistic visions in editing for Triumph of the Will, Leni Riefenstahl created a dramatic series of events with maximum impact in which was already there.