Triumph of the Will and the narratives of history

The timing of this documentary viewing feels quite appropriate given the upcoming release of "Fury", yet another Hollywood WWII film focused on the European front. History shows us that the winning side is the one that gets to tell the story, and the story of American heroism in WWII is a tried and true model for filmmaking. On the other hand, "Triumph of the Will" shows us another possible narrative that was cut short - Hitler's bid to right the wrongs committed to Germany after WWI. From the very title, "Triumph of the Will" this film espouses the values of National Socialist party of Germany, inspiring Aryans everywhere to grit their teeth and buckle down in order to recover in a way that is uniquely German, and specifically Aryan. The most important part of it all, as the film makes quite clear, is the almost divine leadership and direction of Adolph Hitler. Taking a step back, we can see that the film's propaganda relies on a few important characteristics. The speech of Rudolph Hess emphatically states that "The Party is Hitler! Hitler is Germany, as Germany is Hitler!". Hitler is shown in the film as the singular symbol for the German identity emphasized by the Nazi party. Some of the film's images connect Hitler to a sense of deep-rooted German culture such as old architecture or the parade of farmers in traditional dress. On the other hand, Hitler is also shown to have mobilized both boys and adult men in a widespread effort to promote the future of Germany through hard work. The symbol of Hitler and the connections made to a truly German identity carry a narrative from the past into the future, crucial to the ideology of the Nazi party as a restorer of German greatness and promoter of unity. One of the film's other important devices is the scale of choreography involved. To watch this film you would think that 100% of Germany is behind Hitler. This was not so, as the Nazi Party had not achieved majority control of Germany at the time. Yet the images of vast numbers of Germans rallying in a disciplined fashion sent a couple very strong messages: if you're with us, you've made the right choice, if you're not, you should be concerned.