The primary rhetoric of Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will revolves around the idea of an eternal Germany, as well as the glorification of Hitler as the sole leader and savior of the country. However, Hitler’s final speech that he gives at the closing ceremonies of the rally brings together many of the themes of Nazi ideology that Riefenstahl’s cinematography brings to light, and foreshadows some of the future actions and policies of the National Socialists. First of all, at the beginning of his speech, Hitler calls on Germans to remember when it was “not easy” to be a National Socialist, and reminds them that the party began humbly with only seven men. By conjuring up an image of the struggling Nazi origins while simultaneously filming a massive rally with thousands of enthusiastic supporters, Riefenstahl visually creates the illusion of the “triumph” that is in the title of the film. By reminding Germans that the National Socialists were not always revered, the idea of their triumph becomes more obvious. Furthermore, although there is no reference to Jews or minorities throughout the film, in this speech Hitler refers to the leaders of the Third Reich as the “racially best” throughout Germany, foreshadowing the racially-obsessed and anti-Semitic rallies to come. Hitler also uses language in this speech to promote the idea of the Third Reich as very permanent, most likely to assuage the German peoples’ fear that this regime will be as transient as Germany’s past governments. Hitler even goes so far as to call National Socialism a “holy order” that will last a thousand years. Throughout his speech, Hitler also makes a point to present the Nazi Party itself as one that is highly exclusive, of which only the “best” National Socialists belong. Finally, Hitler’s final speech of the film is representative of overall Nazi propaganda in that it promotes Germans everywhere to sacrifice their individuality for the good of the state.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Rhetoric of Hitler's Last Speech of the Film
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I, too, was struck by the beginning of Hitler’s final speech when he said described the humble origins of the Nazi party. For the German people, the tie between the rise of the Nazi party and the promise of the same for the country must have been impossible to ignore. Here was a god of a man, telling them about how the Nazi party started with just seven men, while they view on a giant screen the cinematic spectacle of the Nazis that Riefenstahl produced for them. I agree that Riefenstahl creates the triumph for Hitler, as the German people would have a hard time seeing such a presentation and denying his greatness. Hitler is clearly seen as a source of pride, that he was able to create the entire rally scene from just seven people, and a source of confidence that he could do the same with all of Germany.
ReplyDeleteAlso, in regards to the point when you say that the “racially best” people will be the leaders for ever, I found the most telling portion was when Hitler said “The German people are happy in the knowledge that the constantly changing leadership has now been replaced by a fixed pole; a force which considers itself the representative of the best blood, and, knowing this, has elevated themselves to the leadership of this Nation and is determined to keep this leadership, to use it to the best advantage and never to relinquish it again.” This statement was one of the strongest ones in the speech, I feel, because it ties both the stability and the pride that Hitler felt.