ET 4: BIRTH OF A NATION AND TRIUMPH OF THE WILL

In the production of the films “Birth of a Nation” and “Triumph of the Will”, it was obviously intended for the producers to influence the audience of both films to side with the protagonist(s) and also develop similar beliefs as theirs. However, there are specific talking points in terms of realism, structure, melodrama and propaganda in relation to both films.

Like I said in my first paragraph, both stories revolve around influencing the audience, or in this case – brainwashing. They both portray the good in themselves (protagonists) and how they are depicted as saviors of the current time at the time or even – the solution to the troubled times of war. In my opinion, it is done much better in the film “Triumph of the Will” as everything that was recorded, actually happened. You could practically call it a documentary of Hitler’s visit to Nuremberg. However, in the film “Birth of a Nation”, the black people were obviously white people disguised with make-up on which questions their credibility on the generalization of black people. The biasness on the Caucasians was also apparent and it stuck out like a sore thumb. The realism of both films clearly depicted the biasness and the “good” of the protagonists.

In terms of structure though, both films had brilliant techniques that capitalized on the shots of the scenes. In the film “Birth of a Nation”, they had many long shots of the Klu Klux Klan dressed in white whilst riding on their also dressed in white – horses. This is obviously to sway the audience into thinking the Klu Klux Klan are heroes. In one of the scenes I remembered, was a close-up shot on a little girl crying amidst the chaos, which I felt made me feel pity for the terrorized family. However, after replaying scenes of the blacks being hit on the head and making a mockery out of them, my sympathy for the whites faded almost instantly. In the film “Triumph of the Will”, they had a considerable amount of Bird’s eye view angles on the Nazi followers and also many low-angle shots of Hitler when he was giving his speeches. I suppose both angles were used to portray the belief and power of the army and how they were more than capable of winning battles.

Both films also showed melodramatic qualities. In fact, both films were practically made as melodramas! Firstly, when the Klu Klux Klan were riding on their horses on their way to “saving the day”, the music that played in the background made them feel as if they were heroes. The music also changed when they shot the blacks terrorizing the house. In the film “Triumph of the Will”, in the very first shot of Hitler’s airplane in the sky through the clouds, the music playing made him look like a God descending from the skies as he emerged from the plane after landing. Secondly, in both films, the majority of the public seemed so happy when the protagonist(s) was present. An example would be when the Klu Klux Klan in “Birth of a Nation” paraded through the white public and when Hitler in “Triumph of the Will” landed as the German citizens cheered and raised their arms in respect for him.

Both films also had a clear depictions of them being propaganda. In the film “Birth of a Nation”, it had a scene where black people were seen taking off their shoes and drinking in public. It could not have been any clearer how the film had the intention of practically destroying the image of every black citizen. Conversely, the film “Triumph of the Will” had a different approach. In the film, there were hundreds and thousands of Nazi followers, which had much more impact in terms of credibility. The massive amount of supporters demonstrated the power and control of their leader – Adolf Hitler.

In conclusion, after watching both films, I am beginning to suspect the hidden meaning in every film or movie I watch. The fact that everything I see could influence my current or future decisions scare me. Maybe, reality as we know it could be a manifestation of many hidden meanings. If so, I am also beginning to understand Leni Riefenstahl’s quote of how “reality doesn’t interest me”.