Promises of Optimism in Triumph of the Will

While watching Triumph of the Will, I could not help but notice how positively the Nazi Party is portrayed throughout the film. The camera angles and cinematic elements use to cast Hitler as somewhat of a religious savior for the country, were only reinforced by the speeches given by the politicians. The ideals of the party, which later resulted in the association of extreme aggression with the party, were hidden behind the promises of prosperity and a better future. Therefore, I find it very intriguing to consider the statements that were not made throughout the film. There was no mention of war, let alone a mass genocide. There were also no statements made regarding what a “German” should or should not be in terms of physical appearance. Such messages are easy to see with our modern retrospective viewing of the film, but only through observance of the camera work and types of people who received airtime.

With regards to what was said, I again have to emphasize the portrayal of optimism both among the audience and the politicians. Hitler is repeatedly compared to the entire country in an attempt to link his goals with those of the country. Statements such as “Hitler is Germany. Germany is Hitler,” are made several times throughout the film. This certainly helped create an image of unity and undivided support for the party. What really struck me, however, were the statements made by the soldiers holding shovels. As thousands of them stood in a very organized fashion, they chanted things such as, “we plant trees” and “we build roads.” Such statements certainly lead one to view the assembly of supporters and party members as helpful and almost harmless. They also emphasize some things Hitler attempted to do early in his reign, such as lower the national unemployment rate through the creation of the Autobahn. Furthermore, the soldiers are thus presented more as civil servants than instruments of war. This forces me to conclude that it would have been very difficult at that time, without having witnessed what would later be inhumane party ideals, to doubt the good intentions of the party. To summarize my understanding of how words were used in the film to portray the party, I would say that words are used to help solidify the positive image of the party by emphasizing tasks being carried out which were difficult to argue against. People want to hear that politicians are going to provide jobs, improve the national situation both financially and socially, and establish an improved future. All of these promises are made in the film, while nothing related to the “final solution” or other hateful endeavors of the party is mentioned.