Triumph of the WillTriumph of the Will

For almost a century, Leni Riefenstahl's TRIUMPH OF THE WILL (Triumph des Willens) has reigned as the most controversial documentary ever made, a "cinema masterpiece," according to film historian Amos Vogel, "a huge and disturbing film spectacle." Capturing the pageantry of the 1934 Nuremberg congress, TRIUMPH OF THE WILL l downplays political rhetoric in favor of a sensory tableaux that celebrates the nation's resurgence in the aftermath of the crushing post-WWI economic depression. With soaring aerial photography, striking moving camera shots, and the complex choreography of thousands of soldiers, TRIUMPH OF THE WILL depicts a nation rising undefeated from the ashes, working together as a unified whole, and honoring the traditions of a bygone era. Riefenstahl commanded a squad of photographers and oversaw the editing of the film, creating a landmark of documentary cinema, even as it permanently stained the reputation of the filmmaker, who spent a lifetime trying to disassociate herself from the Nazi leadership.