Triumph of the Will

1934, German documentary, 114 mins., black and white, mono sound, in German language

Directed and Produced by Leni Riefenstahl
Written by Leni Riefenstahl and Walter Ruttmann
Original music by Herbert Windt
Cinematography by Sepp Allgeier and Karl Attenberger and Werner Bohne

Leni Riefenstahl's real name was Berta Helene Amalie Riefenstahl, born August 22, 1902, in Berlin. "Leni Riefenstahl's showbiz experience began with "an experiment". She wanted to know what it felt like to dance on the stage. Success as a dancer gave way to film acting when she attracted the attention of film director Arnold Fanck subsequently starring in some of Fanck's "mountaineering" pictures. With Fanck as her mentor, Riefenstahl began directing films. Her penchant for artistic work earned her acclaim, and her films awards, across Europe. It was her work on "Triumph of the Will", a documentary about Adolf Hitler, that would come back to haunt her after the atrocities of WWII. Despite her protests to the contrary, Riefenstahl was considered an intricate part of the Third Reich's propaganda machine. Castigated, she has not made a movie in the past 50 years." (Mini biography from IMDB)

Links:

Leni Riefenstahl made films
for Hitler, but claimed not
to have been a Nazi
Dutch poster protesting 1936 Olympics
Triumph of the Will scene shows
huge banners designed by Albert Speer

revised 3/16/99 by Schoenherr | Film Notes | History Department