Triumph of the Will (1935) Triumph des Willens (original title)

Director:

Leni Riefenstahl

Writers:

Leni Riefenstahl
Walter Ruttmann

Release Date:

28 March 1935 (Germany)

Genre:

Documentary | War

Plot:

The infamous propaganda film of the 1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg, Germany.

Plot Keywords:

Hitler | Rally | Third Reich | Propaganda | Nazi

Cast

Adolf Hitler	...	Himself - Lauded by Hess, Physical Labour Speech to RAD, Behind Us Comes Germany Speech to HJ, We Created Our State Speech, Black Shadow Speech to SA, Reviews Parade, Two Principles Speech to Party
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Max Amann	...	Himself - Views Parade of SA in Long Pants, No Banners
Martin Bormann	...	Himself - Sits on Hitler's Left, at HJ Rally, Enters Hall Behind Hess, Sits Behind Streicher
Walter Buch	...	Himself - Views Parade of SA in Long Pants, No Banners, Views SS Parade
Walter Darré	...	Himself - Health of Our Farmers Speech
Otto Dietrich	...	Himself - Truth About Germany Speech
Sepp Dietrich	...	Himself - Commander of the SS-Leibstandarten
Hans Frank	...	Himself - Speech
Josef Goebbels	...	Himself - Arrives by Plane with Hitler, Bright Flame Speech, at HJ Rally, Views RAD Parade, Listens to Hitler
Jakob Grimminger	...	Blood Flag Bearer
Hermann Göring	...	Himself - Listens to Hess, Reviews Army, Parades in SA Uniform Then Joins Hitler, Listens to Hitler, Stands and Nods Agreement
Rudolf Hess	...	Himself - Opens Congress, You Are Germany Speech, at HJ Rally, Reviews Parade, Sits on Hitler's Right, Introduces Hitler, Listens to Hitler, Hitler Is Germany Speech
Reinhard Heydrich	...	Himself - Views SS Parade with Other Officers by Hitler's Car
Konstantin Hierl	...	Himself - National Labour Service Speech, Presents RAD to Hitler, Leads RAD Parade Then Joins Hitler
Heinrich Himmler	...	Himself - Walks to Flame with Hitler and Lutze, Leads SS at SA Rally, Leads SS Parade Then Joins Hitler, Sits Beside Lutze, Listens to Hitler
Robert Ley	...	Himself - Reviews DAF with Hitler, Single Thought Speech, Salutes SA Parade, Listens to Hitler with Schwarz
Viktor Lutze	...	Himself - Speech as New SA Leader, Walks to Flame with Hitler, Faithful to Führer Speech, Leads SA Parade Then Joins Hitler, Sits Between Himmler and Hess, Listens to Hitler
Ludwig Müller	...	Himself
Erich Raeder	...	Himself - Listens to Hess, Salutes SA Parade When Göring Sighted
Fritz Reinhardt	...	Himself - Improvements Speech
Alfred Rosenberg	...	Himself - Unshakeable Belief Speech
Hjalmar Schacht	...	Himself
Franz Xaver Schwarz	...	Himself - Sits Between Wagner and Himmler, Listens to Hitler with Ley
Julius Streicher	...	Himself - Stands with Hitler, Purity of Race Speech, Sits on Hitler's Left Near Podium, Nods in Agreement with Hitler
Fritz Todt	...	Himself - Autobahn Speech
Werner von Blomberg	...	Himself - Reviews Army Units with Hitler and Göring
Hans Georg von Friedeburg	...	Himself - Salutes SA Parade when Göring Sighted
Gerd von Rundstedt	...	Himself - Behind Raeder as He Salutes, Views Army Parade with Officers (unconfirmed)
Baldur von Schirach	...	Himself - in Car, Arrives at Stadium with Hitler, Selfless Youth Speech to HJ, Views SS Parade, Listens to Hitler
Adolf Wagner	...	Himself - Reads Hitler's Proclamation, Views Parade of SA in Short Pants, Sits Beside Schwarz, Listens to Hitler

Directed by
Leni Riefenstahl

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Leni Riefenstahl
Walter Ruttmann

Produced by
Leni Riefenstahl	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbert Windt

Cinematography by
Sepp Allgeier		(photographic director and camera operator)
Karl Attenberger
Werner Bohne
Walter Frentz
Hans Gottschalk
Werner Hundhausen
Herbert Kebelmann
Albert Kling
Franz Koch
Herbert Kutschbach
Paul Lieberenz
Vlada Majic
Richard Nickel
Walter Riml
Arthur Schwertfeger
Károly Vass
Franz Weihmayr
Siegfried Weimann
Karl Wellert
Willy Zielke

Film Editing by
Leni Riefenstahl		(uncredited)

Production Management
Walter Groskopf	....	production leader
Artur Kiekebusch-Brenken	....	unit manager (as Arthur Kiekebusch)
Walter Prager	....	production manager
Walter Traut	....	production manager

Sound Department
H. Bullerjahn	....	assistant sound
H. Degner	....	assistant sound
K. Drews	....	assistant sound
E. Eisenbach	....	assistant sound
Bruno Hartwich	....	sound editor
H. Honicka	....	assistant sound
Erwin Kropf	....	assistant sound
C. Kühns	....	assistant sound
H. Loos	....	assistant sound
Alice Ludwig	....	sound editor
J. Richter	....	assistant sound
Walter Roßkopf	....	assistant sound
Siegfried Schulz	....	sound (as Siegfried Schulze)
Ernst Schütz	....	sound

Special Effects by
Ernst Kunstmann	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
August Beis	....	assistant camera
Fritz Brunsch	....	special photography
Richard Böhm	....	assistant camera
Hans Bühring	....	assistant camera
Bernhard Delschaft	....	lighting design
Erich Grohmann	....	assistant camera
Peter Hailer	....	assistant camera
Peter Haller	....	assistant camera
Wolf Hart	....	assistant camera
Otto Jäger	....	assistant camera
Richard Kandler	....	assistant camera
Sepp Ketterer	....	assistant camera
Josef Koch	....	assistant camera
Ernst Kunstmann	....	special photography
Erich Küchler	....	assistant camera
Rolf Lantin	....	still photographer
Heinz Linke	....	assistant camera
Wolfgang Müller	....	assistant camera
Hans Noack	....	special photography
Bernhard Eugen Oskar	....	assistant camera
Wilhelm Schmidt	....	assistant camera
Kurt Schulz	....	assistant camera
Erich Stoll	....	assistant camera
Hans Wittmann	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
David Block	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
John Müller	....	conductor

Other crew
Wolfgang Bruning	....	production assistant
Rolf Hanasch	....	pilot: airship
Adolf Hitler	....	commissioned by (as Der Führer)
Guzzi Lantschner	....	production assistant
Otto Lantschner	....	production assistant
Erna Peters	....	production assistant
Walter Prager	....	production assistant
Anton Riediger	....	aircraft pilot

Production Companies

• Leni Riefenstahl-Produktion
• Reichspropagandaleitung der NSDAP (as NSDAP Reichspropagandaleitung Hauptabt. Film)

Distributors

• Tobis-Sascha Film-Vertrieb (1938) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Universum Film (UFA) (1935) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Connoisseur / Meridian Films (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Connossieur Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Contemporary Films (USA) (subtitled)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• DD Video (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Grapevine Video (video)
• International Historic Films (IHF) (video)
• Leni Riefenstahl-Produktion
• Phocea Films (2006) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Reserva Especial (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Stomp Visual (2006) (Australia) (DVD)
• Synapse Films (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Timeless Video (video)
• Transit Film

Other Companies

• Deutsche Lufthansa  airplane adolf hitler
• Screen Time Images  film restoration

Also Known As:

"Triumph des Willens" - Germany (original title)

Runtime:

114 min | USA:110 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Tobis-Klangfilm)

Certification:

Brazil:18 | Australia:G | West Germany:(Banned) | Germany:(Banned) | Sweden:Btl | UK:E | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Leni Riefenstahl-Produktion

Trivia:

Clips from this film were used in an Allied propaganda short, edited by Charles A. Ridley of the British Ministry of Information, set to the British dance tune, "The Lambeth Walk". The legions of marching soldiers, as well as Hitler giving his Nazi salute, were made to look like wind-up dolls, dancing to the music. Nazi propaganda chief Josef Goebbels is reported to have seen a copy of the short film and was outraged beyond reason, leaving his screening room kicking chairs and screaming profanities.

Quotes:

[first lines]
subtitle:The documentary of the Reich Party Congress, 1934 - Produced by order of the Führer.
Opening crawl:On September 5, 1934, 20 years after the outbreak of the World War, 16 years after Germany's Suffering, 19 months after the beginning of the German Rebirth, Adolf Hitler again flew to Nuremberg to review the assembly of his faithful followers.
crowd:[for more than 20 minutes, there is only one discernible word:] Heil! Heil! Heil!...
Rudolf Hess:I open the sixth Party Congress in respectful memory of he who has passed on to eternity, Field Marshal and Reich President von Hindenburg...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Inside Salon Kitty (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Die Jugend Marschiert (Youth Marches)

The Feel Good Movie of the Century

Set aside your preconceptions, notions of political correctness, kick back with some nachos and enjoy the spectacle, pageantry, patriotism and just plain ole unmitigated evil of a bygone era. Yes, this is the "documentary" of the events of the Sixth Nuremberg Nazi Party Congress in 1934, featuring a cast of thousands, mind blowing special effects, and show stopping musical numbers, as well as (of course) Hitler, Himmler, Goebbels, Hess, Goering and assorted other Nazi superstars of the day. Get caught up in the wackiness as Hitler and Goebbels lead the German people around like neutered sheep on thorazine with an economy artificially over-inflated by military spending, appeals to mean-spirited patriotism and pathological xenophobia, and cheap military victories against third-rate opponents. The brilliant camera work and editing ratchet up the tension incrementally from the opening marches and speeches to the closing speeches and marches, creating a yearning and semi-religious awe for the realization of the full spectrum dominance of Nazi ideology. The legendary cinematic genius Leni Riefenstahl creates in the viewer an irresistible excitement over the images of mindless obedience to patently psychotic leaders and vulgar nationalistic narcissistic myopia. But politics aside, one can't help but admire the energy and skill that went into this classic; the sweeping vision, the epiphanic insight and the joy of marching along in human herds. In most versions, the "I'll See You In Poland, Baby" musical climax number has been left out of the final cut, but "Triumph of the Will" still pays off in sheer entertainment value despite the cliff-hanger ending. Unfortunately, during the production of the sequel, "The Nazi European Tour, featuring Adolf Hitler", about 50 million extras died, including most of the leads, and it was never completed. But fear not, I've heard from reliable sources that Hollywood plans to resume work soon on that unfinished masterpiece.