1. Write a paragraph that contains the following contents:
One statement and/or question related to at least one of the following key terms: Ideology; National cinema; Four economic models for national cinemas; Propaganda; Fascist aesthetic
One statement and/or question responding to at least one of the two screenings: Triumph of the Will (1935); Olympia (1938)
2. Reply to other two posts,
:Post 1: The four economic models for national cinemas are market, mixed, state sponsored, and artisanal/radical. Market films are commercial products, mixed are commercial products with government intervention. State sponsored films are produced through public finding, and sometimes because of this agendas are implemented through these films. Radical films have very little government interference and usually have minimal resources because of an oppositional approach to these governments. I would say that in looking at the different economic models of national cinemas, radical filmmaking looks to be the most interesting and the one that I lean at the most from these models. Having the artistic freedom and not having to pursue the implementation of other ideologies and agendas into a film you are making is a great albeit rare thing to be able to have. Limited resources are an obstacle that seems much more easy to overcome compared to government interference and agendas, as well as trying to make a commercial product that might not be your vision in order to be marketable for mass audiences. When looking at Triumph of the Will, it becomes clear to understand what Leni Riefenstahl was attempting to do with the figure that is Adolf Hitler. It is important to note of the many camera angles and shots implemented in the film in order to portray Hitler as an important and godlike figure, and this type of approach is easily recognizable as planned out ahead of time. Using the camera angles to have audience reactions of happiness and contentment only further solidified the thought of Hitler being an all around great leader because of the thought that the mass audiences of Germany seemed happy with him. Analyzing the use of angles has helped me further understand Riefenstahl’s thought process in being able to create a glorified image of Hitler through the camera for the film. In using different views from these angles, she is able to have multiple perspectives in using audience reactions, wide shots to establish how much of an audience Hitler has command over, and his position as the leader of the country. Triumph of the Will uses the concept of propaganda and as media intended to persuade, the film intends to persuade the German people to believe in their leader as the one above all that will usher them in a great new age. The film also tries to implement the idea of all as one, pushing Hitler’s ideologies onto the people. As audiences see that Hitler’s army is made up of youth from different sides of the country, they are persuaded to believe that he is the leader that has been able to unite the country through his leadership and belief systems. Hitler being the absolute for others to follow is also an idea persuaded by the use of shots with people looking up to him with content, portraying him as a model figure. I believe that this film would influence mass audiences as it tries very hard to establish these ideas about Hitler and his reign, likely influencing Germany’s perspective of him.Post 2: The fascist aesthetic is the idea of creating films in a way of portraying the fascist leader as god-like or amazing. Particularly, this was a common practice in fascist propaganda to give audiences (particularly citizens of the nation) belief and trust in their government. This was very apparent with Nazi Germany and other fascist nations like Italy. With Nazie Germany, there would be the towering of Hitler over everyone else, the happiness of the Nazi party, reinforcement of Nazi ideology, and more. The fascist aesthetic was used to convince the people that what Nazi Germany was fighting for was good and meant to unify the people together towards a purpose. Particularly, during this time Nazi Germany was going to war with the rest of the world to fight for its power. Films with a fascist aesthetic were meant to rally the people behind the fascist leaders’ desires and to inspire men and women to help in the war effort. Triumph of the Will creates a spectacle of Hitler that encapsulates audiences through its cinematography. From what the class watched in person, there were plenty of close-ups and medium closeups of Hitler recognizing the crowd and shots of the army in full. The visuals create this grand sensation that something big is happening and that Hitler’s presence is good for the country of Germany. The way the film takes shot of Hitler makes him look big and mighty. There are many moments that he is smiling and looking over the people waving to them, while they cheer out to his name. These shots create a sense of higher authority radiating from Hitler and paints him as in control of everything. The lack of dialogue and sound are meant to not promote Nazi ideology but serve in favor of the propaganda in the film. All these aspects of the film work together to promote Nazi ideology and create propaganda in Germany. The film is said not to be this, but with all the shots and the way the film was created, it is hard to see otherwise.Propaganda goes hand in hand with Triumph of the Will and what it was accomplishing. Propaganda is the spreading of information to the people of a nation to persuade them to support the government. Triumph of the Will was created to document Hitler and the Nazi movement, but the way it was filmed, it put the government and people in power in a good light. In the film, there was only soldiers marching, talking, people cheering, and Hitler waving. Without all the bad things that were happening being shown in the film, it only showed how the Nazi’s were helping the nation. Propaganda persuades people with the use of images, fact, and inference. This film uses image to show Hitler with the people, fact to show the state of the army, and inference to assume the country was thriving and doing well. If audiences saw this film, they could assume Nazi Germany was good for the country. Hitler is painted as a powerful figure who helps make people happy, and the way the film is constructed potrays this propaganda.
