Like all of Ms. Riefenstahl's work this is a disturbingly effective piece of propaganda. When I look at the low scores that some people have given this film I understand. If you are looking for meaning and social redemption, then this film deserves less than a one. However, Ms. Riefenstahl shows us here, as in her later propaganda, how Hitler and his brownshirts seduced the German people. Hitler was elected by the German people who sought a solution to the Great Depression, reparations, and the slight they felt after an ignominious defeat in World War One. When we see the effectiveness of modern spin machines at shaping public policy we must look at this documentary with eyes wide open. Here Hitler is neither a clown nor a caricature but a messianic messenger that is freely embraced. Look closely and feel the seductive embrace of fascism. Look again and look at yourself in the mirror. The spell is seductive and mesmerizing. The German people lost and were butchered as surely as they butchered their victims. The world may not survive another conflagration like World Word II. Look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are above the mesmerizing spell of the roaring crowd. Ask yourself if you are willing to defy the crowd.
Review of Der Sieg des Glaubens
