Triumph of the Will

Amazon.com

Riefenstahl was hired by the Reich to create an eternal record of the 1934 rally at Nuremberg, and that's exactly what she does. You might not become a Nazi after watching her film, but you will understand too clearly how Germany fell under Hitler's spell. The early crowd scenes remind one of nothing so much as Beatles concert footage (if only their fans were so well behaved!).

Like the fascists it monumentalizes, Triumph of the Will overlooks its own weaknesses--at nearly two hours, the speeches tend to drone on, and the repeated visual motifs are a little over-hypnotic, especially for modern viewers. But the occasional iconic vista (banners lining the streets of Nuremberg, Hitler parting a sea of 200,000 party members standing at attention) will electrify anyone into wakefulness. --Grant Balfour

Amazon.com

Triumph of the Will is one of the most important films ever made. Not because it documents evil--more watchable examples are being made today. And not as a historical example of blind propaganda--those (much shorter) movies are merely laughable now. No, Riefenstahl's masterpiece--and it is a masterpiece, politics aside--combines the strengths of documentary and propaganda into a single, overwhelmingly powerful visual force. Riefenstahl was hired by the Reich to create an eternal record of the 1934 rally at Nuremberg, and that's exactly what she does. You might not become a Nazi after watching her film, but you will understand too clearly how Germany fell under Hitler's spell. The early crowd scenes remind one of nothing so much as Beatles concert footage (if only their fans were so well behaved!). Like the fascists it monumentalizes, Triumph of the Will overlooks its own weaknesses--at nearly two hours, the speeches tend to drone on, and the repeated visual motifs are a little over-hypnotic, especially for modern viewers. But the occasional iconic vista (banners lining the streets of Nuremberg, Hitler parting a sea of 200,000 party members standing at attention) will electrify anyone into wakefulness. --Grant Balfour

Customer Reviews:

See a beautiful film document as art.......2007-08-25

Other reviews and endless, boring commentaries will tell you the history you probably already know about this film, so I will get on to the heart of the matter. In this beautifully conceived and executed piece of filmaking you will experience a phenomenon unknown to our own time: A people united, uplifted and bound together in a common enthusiasm for their future. Hope, joy and beauty expressed and then captured on film. It is sentimental; it remembers the dead of the great world war . . and it exhalts at the resurrection. The sometimes moving, sometimes stirring musical score is artfully set to a variety of expressive visuals, from spontaneous crowds of the every-man to choreography and movement of the camera, all created and assembled to give you a unique experience to linger with. The speeches by various dignitaries and officials may be sat through with curiosity, perhaps even patience, as we today will have to focus a little harder to understand them and what each is talking about. Forget the hopeless, corny nonesense which insists this film is propaganda. Simply enjoy, for a moment, what WE have not had since that time, in the post-war world of the west. We search for and are anxious to find for ourselves a union of happy, enthusiastic people. What you will see in this film is increasingly elusive for us today. You will enjoy the experience this film brings to you, whoever you are, wherever you are from; this was it's intention, and it will forever succeed.

Excellent Movie.......2007-06-27

I am a huge WWII and civil war fan and this movie was an excellent portrayal of Hitler rising to power in Nuremberg. The movie is in German, but with English subtitles, but is still a very powerful work of history/propaganda.

The Big Lie.......2007-06-21

Hitler's propaganda minister infamously said, "If you tell the Big Lie often enough, people will believe it."

TRIUMPH OF THE WILL is a terrifying look at the zenith of Nazi propaganda. In the future, propaganda would be well-used cinematically by the Soviets (and Michael Moore) but never as well as "Triumph of the Will". The opening vista in the clouds, soaring above the earth, gives Hitler an almost divine persona. The landing is accompanied by throngs of ordinary people who call out his name as though he was a long-lost relative. The motorcade past the old somber buildings reflects Germany's past , while the parade presents Germany's future. To see these rapt children, teens and older adults in the light of history is to see those whom Hitler would most cruelly betray. Seldom has such evil been presented as messianic. This is the power of mass media perverted and abused.

Students of history and of mass communication would do well to view why a free press is critical to a democratic republic like ours.

Triumph of the Will.......2007-06-21

Accomplished through the offices of propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels (though he detested the idea of a woman filmmaker), Riefenstahl's magnificent, mesmerizing masterpiece offers a powerfully instructive look at the delirium of crowds, the fever pitch of 20th-century nationalist politics, and the megalomania of Adolf Hitler--none of which, of course, was its reason for being. However, on the level of technical brilliance alone, "Will" is a visual monument every bit as great--and ethically compromised--as D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation." An undeniably accomplished work of art, "Will" is one of the more intriguing documentaries you'll ever see.

Spooky.......2007-06-16

WOW!!! The power of film. Very Scary!!!! It reminds you to be critical of the "information" the media provides.

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For the Love of Wizards
SIgn of the times
wierd but fun
Blast from the Past
Interesting Storyline

Wizards
Starring: Ralph Bakshi , Victoria Bakshi , Jim Connell , Steve Gravers , and Angelo Grisanti
Director: Ralph Bakshi
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B0001NBMIK
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Amazon.com

Far from the masterful treatment that groundbreaking animator Ralph Bakshi gave the similarly themed The Lord of the Rings just a year later, Wizards feels amateurish. A simplistic distillation of fantasy tropes, the scenario is millions of years after nuclear war wipes out civilization. Middle Earth fairies, elves, and magic emerge from the "good lands," while dimwitted mutants with poor comic timing emerge from the nuclear wastes. In the ultimate confrontation between good and evil, a hippie-ish wizard named Avatar defends his utopia against the technological and neo-Nazi revival of his bad-seed twin, Blackwolf. With volleys of jokes that couldn't hit a barn door, elves with Brooklyn accents, and the dubious climax that sees the kindly old wizard using one of the hated machines of war to triumph over evil, Wizards is one of fantasy animation's least successful examples. --Alan E. Rapp

Description

Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, this fantasy adventure follows the story of Avatar, the kindly, eccentric sorcerer-ruler of Montagar, a rainbow paradise inhabited by elves and fairies. Avatar?s evil brother, Blackwolf, dominates Scortch, a bleak land of goblins and wraiths. When the power-hungry Blackwolf attacks Montagar, Avatar, accompanied only by a spirited young woman and a courageous elf, must enter the darkness of Scortch to save his world. WIZARDS is a thought-provoking, kaleidoscopic feast for the eyes that will enthrall animation fans and film lovers of all ages.

Customer Reviews:

For the Love of Wizards.......2007-08-14

I remember at the age of 12 my old man taking me to the drive in to see this movie. It was the sexiest cartoon I had ever seen to that point of my young life. I especially loved the ending. I really loved sharing it with my son who is now 16. It is a fantasy classic.

SIgn of the times.......2007-07-24

Seeing this one-time favorite animated movie was good. The cutting edge animation (for the time) was still worthy of respect. As much as I've always enjoyed the combination of free drawing and other media (like many of the evil soldiers), the final battle between the brothers is what makes the movie for me, as it did many years ago.

I passed this movie on to a young law student so he could see how things used to be. I bet he'll like it.

wierd but fun.......2007-06-14

this is a strange story of 2 wizards and thier struggle for power... it was fun to watch and thats why i bought it foo....:)

Blast from the Past.......2007-06-01

I was trying to describe Wizards to my 17-year-old, then thought "I wonder if it's available for sale?" Sure enough! It was every bit as whimsical, inventive and bizarre as I remembered!

Interesting Storyline.......2007-05-26

A little slow-paced, but very interesting animated storyline about a post-holocaust world where the "Big Bad Evil Guy" uses WWII propaganda films to motivate his tropps to overrun the "Good Guys." Not for children, but teens can probably keep up. As usual, a must for Bakshi fans. A decent gamer film.

Average customer rating:

Night and Fog
Misguiding Title
Wow..........
Just a great movie
Barbaric Is Too Kind A Word To Use!

Night and Fog - Criterion Collection
Starring: Michel Bouquet , Julius Streicher , Adolf Hitler , Reinhard Heydrich , and Heinrich Himmler
Director: Alain Resnais
Manufacturer: Criterion
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ASIN: B000093NQZ
Release Date: 2003-06-24

Amazon.com

Though only a short subject, this groundbreaking documentary remains one of the most influential and powerful explorations of the Holocaust ever made. Director Alain Resnais bluntly presents an indictment not only of the Nazis but of the world community, and the film is all the more remarkable for its harsh judgment considering the time in which it was made, less than a decade after the end of the war, when questions of responsibility were not yet being addressed. Juxtaposing archival clips from the concentration camps across Germany and Poland with the present-day denials of the camps' existence, the film seeks to once and for all expose the horrifying truth of the Final Solution, as well as to address the continuing anti-Semitism and bigotry that existed long after the war's end. An invaluable resource and testament to history, this film was a profound influence on all films to address issues of the Holocaust, from Judgment at Nuremberg and Shoah to Schindler's List. Night and Fog remains an essential and indispensable document of the 20th century. --Robert Lane

Description

Ten years after the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps, filmmaker Alain Resnais documented the abandoned grounds of Auschwitz. One of the first cinematic reflections on the horrors of the Holocaust, Night and Fog (Nuit et Brouillard) contrasts the stillness of the abandoned camps' quiet, empty buildings with haunting wartime footage. With Night and Fog, Resnais investigates the cyclical nature of man's violence toward man and presents the unsettling suggestion that such horrors could come again.

Customer Reviews:

Night and Fog.......2007-06-13

A very good historical portrayal thats to be viewed by upcoming generations forever.

Misguiding Title.......2007-05-29

Not one of these reviews mentions the fact that the actual 'Night and Fog' operation by the Nazis was a completely seperate atrocity from the murder of the Jews; 'Nacht und Nebel' was an action implemented upon the Gentile populations of Europe for the sake of sheer terror; Thousands of civilians were kidnapped from their homes, murdered, and disposed of without a trace and without any publicity or notification just to keep the occupied populations in fear of the Germans.

Wow.................2007-04-29

Excellent film, although the music was a little to "up beat" for my taste.

Just a great movie.......2007-04-04

Excellent movie. Real tough to take but everyone should see this.

Barbaric Is Too Kind A Word To Use!.......2007-03-21

"Night and Fog," by Alain Resnais, is only 31 minutes long, but it gives the viewer enough images to haunt one for a long time. And we should never become so desensitized to these events that when we watch this film it just becomes another routine viewing of history. I don't need to see these images anymore, but they are a poignant reminder of a criminal regime whose obsessive attempts to reshape the world in their own twisted ideological mold led to the massive industrial murder of millions of people: And this should never be forgotten. Yes indeed, the history of history is terror.

This is not an easy film to watch. The cold and calculated mass-killing done with all the efficiency of modernity and a bureaucratic system to match is enough to make one sick. This is no Hollywood horror film. This is worse than anything Hollywood could ever conjure up. And the reality of this chapter in human history is in itself horrific in scope. I can assure you that you will not walk away from this film without feeling some sort of unpleasantness, and if anything, you will be horrified and shocked. And you should be.

I gave the title of my review to the words once uttered by my former professor, and noted Holocaust historian, Dr. Saul Friedlander. He was giving a lecture on the camp guards, when he walked away from the podium and muttered the words "Barbaric is too kind a word to use." The other students were busy writing their lecture notes, and he said it in a way that was not meant to be heard, unless one was close enough to hear him. And I heard him clearly. He lost both his parents at Auschwitz, and was himself in hiding in France. And these words have stayed with me for a long time, as have the images of this film.

Each of these lives both Jew and non-Jew alike, had meaning: They are not just numbers. Every one of these victims loved, and was in turn loved. They danced, joked, laughed, played, and worked. They felt sadness, happiness and tried to live a life that the criminal regime of Hitler and Nazi Germany took away from them. No, they should never be forgotten. And neither should the deeds and actions of the criminals who were responsible: Germans and non-Germans alike. We like to think that we have learned something from this horrible event. But after Cambodia and Rwanda, we still haven't learned a thing.

Average customer rating:

Leaves much to be desired. . . .
this is great
NOT BAD BUT SAME O, SAME O
Simply excellent
Disappointing

Hitler in Colour
Starring: Brian Cox
Manufacturer: Rhino Theatrical
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000AQ69R2
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Description

The producers of the internationally acclaimed and award-winning In Colour DVD series now bring Hitler in Colour, a telling story of the rise and fall of a man who devastated the lives of countless numbers of people around the world. For 12 years, Hitler's overpowering personality dominated the German nation. He led his people from economic ruin in European conquest and to the brink of creating a New World Order. In his wake, he brought a reign of terror that caused death to millions. Drawing from recently discovered German film collections that comprise hours of previously unseen color footage, and woven with eyewitness testimony, Hitler in Colour tells the astonishing and disturbing story as never before. Narrated by Emmy Award winning British actor Brian Cox.

Customer Reviews:

Leaves much to be desired. . . ........2007-08-24

Hitler in Colour is more like a standard-issue documentary, essentially giving us a very general outline--a decade-long (roughly from 1936-1945) timeline or bulletin of Hitler's insatiable quest for power and world dominance. We get a reasonable overview of when key events leading up to and during the second world war occurred but scarcely a sense of why? The biggest and most unanswerable question is how on earth did this socially-awkward, deranged individual--who had previously failed at everything he tried--become for a brief time the most powerful man in the world? The documentary mostly shows Hitler arriving in uniform for any number of ceremonies, accolades and speeches and there are no shortages of adoring crowds, giving the nazi salute en masse; no shortages of goose-stepping soldiers. There is fair mention of Eva Braun, a distant relative with whom he supposedly had a consensual relationship--something that was at the time an open secret. We also get any number of voice-overs (letters translated to English) from students, politicians, soldiers and ordinary citizens about the state of things. But there are only occasional glimpses of concentration camp victims. Overall, however, there is far too little that immediately jolts or connects with viewers.

Though "Hitler in Colour" is not within its merits, I felt that it should have been more compelling; it would have benefited greatly from information about Hitler's childhood, his social milieu, more details about the conditions that fostered his rise to power, or even more graphic depictions of what was actually happening on the streets of Germany and Austria among the German/Austrian people at this time (riveting historic events such as "Night of the long Knives" or "Night of broken Glass" go largely unmentioned here).

For a documentary about such a terrifying era, there is a sorely lacking sense of immediacy or drama here. Hitler's atrocities remain as vivid today as they were 60 plus years ago and, rightly or wrongly, Germans, I suspect, will forever bear the scars of his misdeeds. Indeed, many of them carry on his legacy (seven years ago, a German friend of mine who was a nurse told me of an elderly patient who bragged about having shook the hand of Hitler).

Spielberg's "Schindler's List" may have been fiction based on fact, but it packed far more of a wallop than this documentary of actual events. Indeed, viewers of this documentary may find themselves feeling strangely distanced from it all and that in itself may be the biggest disappointment--and injustice--of all here.

this is great.......2007-07-14

this is the sort of documentry you can really learn from.first class narrator great voice acting plays like a documentry not a retarted waste of time 1950's newreels that are sold as documentries great footage just very well made and is a steal at 9.95.

NOT BAD BUT SAME O, SAME O.......2007-06-21

Maybe I am just critical but I have a lot of documentaries on the Third Reich and this video covers a lot of same material. However that being said it still unique to see something in color when BW was more common place. Naration is not all that and can almost put you to sleep.

Simply excellent.......2007-06-07

A great deal of color film was produced by German photographers as they sought to beatify and also beautify der Fuehrer, presumably on the assumption that the Third Reich would go on and on forever. The quality of the movies is simply excellent, better than what was being shot in Hollywood at the time.

Anyone interested in World War II and the Hitler cult will want this. It helps somehow to explain how a nation could have been so delusioned by a petty man with an evil, petty brain. As a companion to it, "Triumph of the Will" is a must film to see. This masterpiece by Leni Riefenstahl is the documentation of an early Nazi rally, showing thousands of burghers cheering madly, the same who would later claim they didn't like Hitler at all and didn't know what was happening at the concentration camps.

Disappointing.......2007-04-04

I found the narrator less "gripping", as one reviewer stateshere, than heavy handed with a laughable accent--sounded like a cross between Dracula and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The narration is actually very boring and uninformative. I give this two stars because it does have some color footage I have not seen before.

The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl

Average customer rating:

Portrait of the last Nazi
fascinating and chilling
The wonderful Leni...
Lovely Lady
The Judgment of History

The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl
Starring: Marlene Dietrich , Walter Frentz , Josef Goebbels , Rudolf Hess , and Adolf Hitler
Manufacturer: Kino Video
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ASIN: B00000INUB
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Amazon.com

Director Ray Muller's three-hour portrait of controversial filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl grapples with the central controversy of her career: was she a "pure" filmmaker whose political naiveté allowed her stunning visions to be harnessed by Hitler, or was she the key mythmaker of the Nazi propaganda machine? The dancer turned actress turned director is well represented with generous clips from her work both in front of and behind the camera, from the ethereally beautiful The Blue Light through the romantic fantasy Teifland, with special focus on her two most famous works: the stunning propaganda piece The Triumph of the Will (a chillingly brilliant work of demagoguery which she helped design and stage as well as film) and the poetic, technically breathtaking documentary Olympia. After her exile from filmmaking, she became an acclaimed ethnographic photographer and more recently a scuba diver and underwater photographer. Though she was over 90 at the time of the interviews, Riefenstahl's energy and commanding presence dominate the film and overpower Muller. At one point she practically grabs the directorial reins from him. The film never really resolves her complicity as a Nazi propagandist; she maintains her innocence while Muller questions her assertions with contrary evidence, but he appears too awed to really push the issue. Whatever your feelings, it's hard not to come away from this film just a little awed by the talented and tenacious Ms. Riefenstahl yourself. --Sean Axmaker

Description

In this remarkable documentary, Leni Riefenstahl--the woman best known as Hitler's moviemaker--addresses her past for the first time on camera. Creator of the single most effective propaganda film ever made, Riefenstahl has spent much of her life trying to live down her association with the Nazi Party--which she never actually joined. Feisty and charismatic at 91, Riefenstahl revisits the landmarks of her turbulent life. A riveting story that leaves the viewer in total awe of its controversial subject.

Customer Reviews:

Portrait of the last Nazi.......2007-03-21

While this is indeed an excellent film, it's also at best a rather shallow one. True, Reifenstahl does come across as creepy, at best, and her excuses ring hollow to anyone who's read the facts of her well documented life. But the filmmakers pretty much gave her a free ride here, never challenging or pressing her on her lies and denials, and presenting a very sanitized view of her life.

What really distrubs me is the number of reviewers who are willing to suspend judgment of the moral dimension of her acts, and even praise her- one even calls her a strong model for women. I suppose that's true, in the same sense that Stalin was a strong model for men. But it's also disturbing. It reminds us all how easy it is for a charismatic leader to find weak minded followers who will willing blind themselves to evil, and even encourage it to flourish.

fascinating and chilling.......2007-01-15

I had no knowledge of Leni Riefenstahl, her social/political significance in society or why she was so controversial until this aired on PBS, in 1994. Riefenstahl, best known for directing two infamous documentaries, THE TRIUMPH OF THE WILL and OLYMPIAD, that sympathetically depicted the Nazi party. Riefenstahl, born in Berlin, began as an interpretive dancer, a movie star, a mountain climber and then a filmmaker.

What was my perception of Len Riefenstahl? I think that she was an incredibly charismatic individual (even at the age of 90, when the film was made). I felt a little sick when they were discussing the Nazis, and her part in (her words) unknowingly glorifying the party's beliefs. I am not sure if I was convinced of that at all. However, this is a very important film that takes a look at the body of work of a very prolific, independent and fiesty woman who stood on her own two feet, up until the very end of her life.

The wonderful Leni..........2007-01-08

It has always irritated me to no visible end that people, to this day, blame Ms. Riefenstahl for Nazism. It shows how people can be so narrow minded as to lay the blame of a horrifying political movement at the feet of an artist. Richard Wagner also gets blamed for Nazism as well, but that's another review. Leni is one of the few female film directors who has a great visual style (which is used to great effect, and horrifying effect, in Triumph of the Will). Her film Olympia is still amongst the greatest sports documentaries ever made. The techinques she uses are still used by TV sports directors today. In this film, we see a 90 year old Leni Riefenstahl, who is as tenancious, vivacious, and as combative as ever. Leni is the most beautiful 90 year old woman I have ever seen, personally. She talks passionately about her work, and remembers the filming of the 1936 Olymipics and the Nuremberg rally as if it was only yesterday. I think she is a great artist, and it is ridiculously narrow minded to blame her for the Nazis. It is always easy to blame an artist for society's ills. This usually shows the stupidity of politicians more than anything else. Yes, she was associated with Hitler, one of the world's most heinous dictators, but that shouldn't dismiss her contribution to cinematic art. At the time of this film, Leni was scuba diving, engaging in underwater photography, and had a male companion/boyfriend a third of her age. Despite her age, she was incredibly active, and I think that's fantastic. She is a great artist, period.

Lovely Lady.......2005-11-13

We'll probably never know if she was a nazi collaborator or just an artist who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. All that I know is she was quite a hotty in her silent films.

The Judgment of History.......2005-10-15

The question of 'controversy' inevitably comes up in this film. As a film maker for the Nazi Party, wasn't Riefenstahl equally guilty for the crimes of that regime? So Ray Muller tentatively asks Riefenstahl, so too do contemporary viewers of the 21st century.

This is an ahistorical attitude, typically made by people with no understanding of history (and no interest in it) and who have a simple minded view of the function of art (that it makes people do things they wouldn't ordinarily do). We have all been educated to abhor the Nazis. But this condemnation of Riefenstahl is witch hunting and itself has fascist overtones.

What was it like at the time, the 1930s in Germany? Riefenstahl effectively answers the charge. She says, correctly, that at the time she worked for Hitler the Nazi Party was seen as the saviour of Germany. Hitler was widely popular, not just in Germany but in both England and America. The discovery that he was a 'monster' and a war criminal was revealed by the Nuremberg Trials in the late 40s, and it has been promulgated ever since as anti Nazi propaganda. Riefenstahl was tried and exonerated by the Nuremberg commission, but has nevertheless been punished all her life, her right to film denied, her reputation tarnished. Courts mught need them, but public opinion has no need of proofs.

Riefenstahl impressed me in this film as a great intelligence, wiser by far than those who criticised her. Atrocities in war have been committed by all countries, and as citizens we all have moral complicity in these outrages to humanity. Does anybody remember the story about the woman taken in adultery, about those without sin throwing the first stone? (this comment a good Zen koan by the way).

Riefenstahl, most importantly, is a great film maker, one of the greatest. Seeing her and her team reminisce about how their films were made is to see people who have had an enormous influence on the lives of all who watch films today. Riefenstahl's comments and responses showed her as someone who could see around the questions in which her critics were bogged down. The film is a valuable presentation of an individual who could be correctly described as a genius. There is no denying the impressiveness of the woman, just as an interviewee. The fact that she taught herself to act, and to direct, inventing many staple technologies and techniques of the industry as she went on, puts her on a level with someone like D W Griffiths (interestingly, Griffiths has been tarred and feathered as a white supremist because he concurred in the beliefs expressed in Birth of a Nation). Denied access to film making (to the world's great loss) it is almost not surprising that Riefenstahl went on to be one of the world's greatest photographers, active till her 90s. Muller's film is an immensely valuable record of an extraordinary person.

Average customer rating:

People never learn
Must have for history buffs

Gestapo: Hitler's Secret Police
Starring: War Zone
Manufacturer: Eagle Vision USA
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ASIN: B000A88EVO
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Description

Hermann Goering's Secret State Police were tasked to arrest and torture confessions and information from supposed enemies of the Reich. All the powers of the Judiciary were taken into its hands and the courts rendered superfluous. A compelling account of one of the true horror stories of the century.

Customer Reviews:

People never learn.......2007-08-24

An all to vivid example of how governments maintain power by creating division and fear amoung it's people. A lesson to many have learned to well. The me first mentality at it's ugliest.

Must have for history buffs.......2007-01-05

Interesting to say the least. The documentary on the Gestapo was informative to a tee. The only fault I found was that some emphasis could have been placed on the more dubious characters that made up the Secret State Police such as Klaus Barbie ( The Buthcher of Lyon) etc.. Otherwise well worth it. A must have for those who are interested in the goings on in the Third Reich.

Average customer rating:

Blind Spot
excellent, but too short
A unusual perspective that not often presented.
Making Evil Work - Otherwise Good People Become Obtuse
clearing her conscience

Blind Spot - Hitler's Secretary
Starring: Traudl Junge
Director: Othmar Schmiderer , and André Heller
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000CABBT
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Description

An interview with Traudl Junge, one of Adolf Hitler's private secretaries from 1942 through the collapse of the Nazi regime, in which she tells it all. 2003 National Theatrical Release.

Customer Reviews:

Blind Spot.......2007-07-18

With so many excellent films concerning Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, few have transfixed me as much as "Blind Spot." This feature needs no graphic wartime footage to deliver its impact. Instead, the camera stays focused on Ms. Junge, who, in her early twenties as the war raged, was completely naive in her political outlook (or so she claims). This film is made more poignant in that Ms. Junge died shortly after production was completed, giving us the feeling that in these interviews, she is working to expiate a lifetime of guilt, one born of ignorance, or perhaps more accurately, a suppression of horrific reality. This makes a perfect double feature with the outstanding narrative film "Downfall", in which her character is featured prominently.

excellent, but too short.......2007-07-03

An amazing piece of history, but it needs to be longer. Also, the dissolves are an annoying distraction, but it was difficult to complain when one realizes the pricelessness of it all.

A unusual perspective that not often presented........2007-04-01

Extremely poignant.
A unusual perspective that is not often presented.
This is a powerful look into the inside private life of Adolph Hitler, not the man he presented to the public eye.
It is also the story of a woman who found her self unexpectedly in his employ and shelter from the reality of the rest of the world, her enlightenment to his atrocities and her survival and coming to terms with what weighed heavily on her, believing that while she was at the time unaware of his innate evil, she had contributed to his crimes too. VERY eye opening.
I have watched this at least 5 times and learn something new every-time.

Making Evil Work - Otherwise Good People Become Obtuse.......2007-02-05

Traudl Junge appears pleasant, well-adjusted, and thoughtful in her old age. Dying on the day that the film won awards in Europe this movie is her final statement. But, the interviewers where horrible. They never asked the key questions, rather they just allowed her to remember events and talk for almost an hour about the final days in the Berlin Bunker.

As a historical record, it's invaluable. But, as an insight into the human workings of Nazism, there is unfortunately nothing new here. Nazism and fascism in general can only function on such a large scale as it did in Germany when otherwise thoughtful people like Ms. Junge choose to create a "blind spot" so that the truth won't get through.

Traudl Junge was Hitler's secretary from 42-45. It is hard to fathom that she knew nothing about anything, acknowledging only one moment when DER JUDEN were discussed with Hitler. Imagine the scene: Frau Von Schirach comes to the Berghof and tells Hitler to his face that what is being done to the Jews is horrible. She is of course dismissed. Traudl Junge's assertion that she was unaware of the horrors that her boss and her colleagues were perpetrating is difficult to accept, just as Albert Speer's similar assetions are difficult to believe (especially since armaments production and concentration camps that supported such production fell under his authority as armaments minister). It seems that more than being embarrassed for being such a thoughtless automaton and servant of the modern devil and the greatest force of evil in the world in the last one hundred years, Junge seems embarrassed that she had created such a hole of fakery and self-deception around herself.

I've not read her book, and am not certain that I will. But it is a failure on the part of the interviewers to not ask her more questions. I heard only one or two questions, the rest of the entire film was Traudl talking about her experiences. More of a reminiscence than an insightful examination of her past, this movie is an addition to the historical record.

The insights that Junge must have had as a human being working so closely with Hitler and his cronies and sycophants were mainly lost in the movie. One almost feels badly for Ms. Junge, but not quite.
Recommended with reservations.

clearing her conscience.......2007-01-25

When Traudl Junge was twenty-two she was chosen, she recalls, "by complete coincidence and chance" from a typing competition to become Hitler's secretary from 1942-1945. Later in life, she became deeply disturbed about how she could have participated in the Nazi horror at such close quarters and remained so apolitical. In a brutal catharsis of self-analysis, she describes her "blind spot" as remaining so oblivious to the obvious. Clearly wanting to unburden herself and to speak publically for the first time, she gave ten hours of interviews at the age of 81, just months before she died. This film has almost no cinematic style or technique. Junge sits in her modest Munich apartment, a camera is put on her, and she delivers a ninety-minute, somewhat rambling soliloquy on what it was like to be Hitler's secretary. There is little ethical or war time insight; the fascinating part, in fact, is how banal she describes Hitler --his dog, his diet, his kindly paternalism, daily lunches and dinners with him, etc. More than half of her remarks cover Hitler's last few days in his Berlin bunker, where he eventually committed suicide and his body was burned. This fascinating film could have been so much better if a savvy interviewer had plied her with questions. In German with English subtitles.

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Hitler's War

Hitler's War
Starring: War Zone
Manufacturer: Eagle Vision USA
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0009UVBRC
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Description

A historical documentary production company owning more 5,000 hours of footage and 800 hours of finished programs. Eagle Media is well known for their work with A&E Network, the History Channel, PBS, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel and others. As an Emmy Award winning Production Company, Eagle Media has a reputation for excellence in historical productions of all kinds. The company offers some truly unique resources as the foremost producer of historical reenactment and a pioneer in the use of 3D graphics to animate historical locations.

Rare footage illustrates the chilling account of Hitler's ruthless aspirations and savage victories as his armies blitz their way through Northern Europe and fatefully invaded the Soviet Union. We examine the disappointment and defeat that followed the collapse of his "Russian Adventure" and the Allies' closing in on the German capital of Berlin.

Customer Reviews:

Hitler's War.......2006-03-16

A correct account of Hitler's raise to power and fall to disgrace
Most of the stock footage I have seen before but there's only so much film to go around. The dialog was eloquent and flawless.
There was rare footage that was excellent that I have not seen before.
I watch Hitler's War every week and see and hear new accounts of the Wars.
I definately have a new view on Hitler and the Nazi's after watching this gripping documentary.
It gets to the heart of Hitlers chronic inability to comprehend the realities of war
Hitler's use of past Germanic War History did not help him when the reality of Barbarossa fell on its Head. Hitler's use of time and space lost the war that he had already won. Thank God for that.

Average customer rating:

A work of Art
A Mesmerizing Exercise In "Spin"
Creepy but instructional look into a thankfully vanished world
Riefenstahl's Powerfully Cinematic Sensibilities Remain Noteworthy Despite the Controversial Subject
Try to remember -- the movie wasn't made for YOU!

Triumph of the Will (Special Edition)
Starring: Adolf Hitler , Sepp Dietrich , Josef Goebbels , Konstantin Hierl , and Hermann Göring
Director: Leni Riefenstahl
Manufacturer: Synapse
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ASIN: B00004WLXZ
Release Date: 2001-04-17

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

A work of Art.......2007-07-04

If Triumph of the Will was not successful in its aims then the controversy surrounding it would be unnecessary. It is because it is so exceptionally effective in its aims that it is seen as a source of potential danger.

The excellence with which Riefenstahl's film is put together is both magnificent and chilling, and communicates exactly how Hitler had 1930's Germany under his spell. This film was made to further that spell and is direct in its attempts to inspire National pride, devotion, and the feeling that the Nazi party truly can conquer anything that opposes it, as such it is a work of Fantasy more than a work of Politics. Riefenstahl's editing abilities almost match those of her directing and her portrayal of Hitler is messianic.
The opening scene of Hitler traveling through Nuremberg calls to mind Star Wars (indeed one can detect how much this film inspired later Hollywood movies) and is effective in demonstrating the almost religious devotion accorded to him from the German nation. A further example of this is a scene which Laborers accord their commitment to the Fuhrer in a robotic fashion while proudly proclaiming "One People One Nation".

Scenes such as this make it easy to understand why Germany fell in love with Nazism. Though it is this very quality which makes this film so disturbing. There is very, very little Anti-Semitism in Triumph of the Will but rather a demonstration of the beauty and perfection that Nazi Germany brought to the German people. To the modern viewer this film is seen as the propaganda that it is, however to the viewer of yester-year this film was an Inspiration a Marvel which they sat back and watched while oblivious (perhaps willfully) to what was actually taking place.

A Mesmerizing Exercise In "Spin".......2007-04-21

Most people, at least in the Western World, are aware of Triumph of the Will through the notoriety of its connection to the rise of Naziism. But I would bet that most of those same people have never seen it. If you are in that number, then here is your chance to be entranced by this mesmerizing exercise in what today is called "spin".
Many things have been said and written about this film and almost anyone who praises it for its quality as art is almost immediately attacked as some sort of closet Nazi. Witness the recent imbroglio involving British pop singer Bryan Ferry when he did so. If you put politics aside, and it is admittedly hard to do, then you can see just how ingenious this film is. If you are not already a Nazi, it certainly won't make you one, but you will be able to see how millions were taken in by well-choreographed pomp, pageantry, and ceremony.
You must remember that the politically speaking, the people of that day were not like the people of today. Socialism had a very strong hold on the political imagination of the majority of the people and the National Socialist strain was just one of the socialist ideologies vying for the people's support. Yes, director Leni Riefenstahl was a master filmmaker, but it was really ace Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels who masterminded the spectacle that was the 1934 Nazi Party Congress shown here.
As one reviewer said, the film was made partly to build party morale as Hitler did not yet have a firm hold on power. But it also spoke to other groups. Watch and see how it appeals not just to nationalist sentiment by depicting German unity across regional and class divides, but also manifests this putative unity to the international community. Don't think that Triumph of the Will did not have some of Germany's rivals quaking in their boots. I think the film ultimately helped Hitler neutralize domestic and foreign opposition to some of his early adventures like the remilitarization of the Rheinland.
Those who look to the film for anti-Semitic tirades and militaristic saber-rattling will be disappointed. This film was meant to show foreign and domestic opponents how reasonable the Nazis were. Despite what many think today, anti-Semitism was "red meat" only for a small group of core fanatics, it was not an election winning issue and could only really be acted on when a dictatorship was firmly in the saddle.
I think that Triumph of the Will should be required viewing for all high school students to show them how easily people can be taken in by well-disguised evil and so that they can learn to see through political blather.
I ordered this Special Edition from an amazon partner but was sent the other one instead. As there is little difference between the two, I kept it. Now that there is a price differential, be sure that if you order this edition, that this is the one you get.

Creepy but instructional look into a thankfully vanished world.......2007-01-10

For most of her life Riefenstahl denied being a Nazi sympathizer, but this movie makes a hard argument against that claim. It's interesting now to see a film where the Nazis are so flatteringly portrayed, and Hitler is displayed with almost god-like status (he descends from the clouds in the beginning, which must have been rare to see in the mid-30s, as few had flown then). The movie sometimes drags as we watch the speeches of minor party officials, but the spectacle never fails to impress and horrify. Instructional on a number of levels.

Riefenstahl's Powerfully Cinematic Sensibilities Remain Noteworthy Despite the Controversial Subject.......2006-10-18

Before her death in 2003 at the age of 101, filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl would have you believe she had no affiliation with the Nazi party when she was asked by Adolf Hitler to document the momentous four days leading to the 1934 Nuremberg rally. However, it's obvious from her concurrently celebrated and reviled 1935 propaganda film that she was mesmerized by Hitler's oratorical skills judging from the dynamic way she has captured his undeniable charisma. She shows a remarkable deftness in editing techniques and camera movement and placement that remains the gold standard among documentarians. Riefenstahl succeeds in making Hitler a larger than life figure to the masses without resorting to editorial commentary to validate what is obvious from the images.

The film begins with Hitler's arrival in Nuremberg by personal aircraft where he is greeted by enthusiastic throngs of Nazi supporters. In fact, the first third of the film focuses primarily on civilian support of Fuehrer and then transitions to the opening of the Reich Party Congress where we see familiar historical figures, such as Rudolf Hess and Joseph Goebbels, speak. This leads to the third day of activity with rather unsettling shots of Hitler Youth as they prepare to greet Hitler from the rows of teepees in which they have camped. Her discriminating use of close-ups is most striking here when we see tow-headed Aryan boys hypnotized by Hitler's speech. The film ends with the startlingly choreographed rally with the famous shot of Hitler, flanked by Heinrich Himmler and Viktor Lutze, walking down an emptied aisle to place a wreath at a WWI memorial (a shot replicated by George Lucas at the end of the first "Star Wars"). The climax is designed to be celebratory as Hitler leads the masses toward unity under the Reich with his fanatical delivery.

Like D.W. Griffiths' "Birth of a Nation", it is difficult to defend the intended messaging behind such a trenchant film, yet it is criminal not to recognize the powerfully cinematic sense with which Riefenstahl imbues her work. The 2001 Synapse DVD contains a good though not outstanding print transfer. However, there are two worthwhile extras - the extremely informative commentary track from historian Dr. Anthony R. Santoro (which I recommend you switch on immediately to fully appreciate the individual personalities and historical details behind the rally) and a short Riefenstahl made at the following year's rally to celebrate the Wehrmacht (the German army), "Day of Freedom". There is little use in attempting any sort of objectivity about this film as it was intended to evoke strong emotions with the sole goal of solidifying the Reich in a country still feeling weakened from WWI. In this respect, Riefenstahl succeeds admirably.

Try to remember -- the movie wasn't made for YOU!.......2006-10-02

After slogging through a number of these reviews it is clear that most cannot see that we Twenty-First Century Americans were not the intended audience for this movie. The movie was intended to be a unifying morale-builder for the National Socialist Party in Germany, which had been in power only about a year when this movie was made.

From its loss of World War I until the NSDAP was elected to power in Germany in 1934, the people had suffered every kind of internecine mob warfare, illegal abuse and theft of whole portions of Germany at the hands of the French, and an economic catastrophe that made our American Depression look like a picnic by comparison.

This movie sought to persuade Germans (GERMANS!) that this dreadful misery was finally over and that the criminal Bolshevik traitors responsible for Germany's defeat in World War I, and all the residual woes, would be defeated once and for all. It must have been a most welcome message because as you watch the film you certainly don't get the impression that anyone had to beg the many thousands of Germans who attended the NSDAP rallies to stand up and cheer their hearts out.

If you speak and understand German, you'll have a much greater likelihood of being able to understand the impact of these rallies, and this film that celebrates them. For many who are not conversant in the German language or who know little about the actual history of the time besides what they were exposed to in American World War II films, the film is actually pretty boring after a while.

You sit there and watch one group of soldiers, police, or workers after another, marching and marching and marching. This is interspersed with speeches by Hitler and the other Party officals. From time to time you'll see interesting-looking people doing everyday things, some in costume, but mostly they're just talking, walking, eating, brushing their teeth, and so on. Be advised -- for those of you who expect the whole thing to be a stirring, gigantic SS parade with weapons bristling, be prepared to be disappointed. The last group of soldiers on parade are indeed the SS Leibstandarte Adolph Hitler, and they're marching to what was reputedly Hitler's favorite piece -- "Der Badenweiler". Remember to notice that they aren't even carrying rifles or bayonets....

Lastly, in my opinon, the commentary by "historian" Dr Anthony Santoro is mostly just another sarcastic, demeaning rant against the people in the film, so typical of those who pronounce judgement on the vanquished after every war. The marching soliders and other Germans who reverberated such thrills of hope for their poor, beleagured country are all long dead, but Santoro must make fun of them for the amusement (?) of the American audience. Try to remember -- this movie was not made for YOU!

The Waffen SS: Hitler's Elite Fighting Force

Average customer rating:

Utter rubbish - do NOT waste your money! (013)
About time...
This looks like a winner ( sic ).
No Subtitle
Typical Errors

The Waffen SS: Hitler's Elite Fighting Force
Starring: Richard Greenwood , Adolf Hitler , and Heinrich Himmler
Director: Michael Campbell (VI)
Manufacturer: Eagle Vision USA
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0009UVBS6
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Description

The sinister black-clad figures of nightmare, Hitler's Waffen SS hold a unique and dark place in German history. Their code demanded a lethal combination of bravery and savagery and they must be held to account for many of the most hideous crimes of the Nazi period.

Customer Reviews:

Utter rubbish - do NOT waste your money! (013).......2007-03-05

They should be sued for saying it is a colour production, it is not. The only colour is on the cover, along with the photos that have nothing to do with the Waffen-SS. I could go on and on about the errors but why waste my time and yours? Whatever you do, don't waste your hard or otherwise earned money on this rubbish. Honestly, after over 60 years since the end of the war, and we still get stuff like this. I couldn't even sell it after I'd watched it, I ended up giving it away.

A disgrace!

About time..........2007-01-30

Despite any errors on the cover of this DVD I enjoyed it greatly. It has been a long time comming that these very brave and loyal soldiers were explored on film.

This looks like a winner ( sic )........2006-08-23

All I had to do was take a look at the jacket to formulate an opinion.
Two of the photo's are from WWI ( both widely familiar ), left to right, an infantry advance in Flanders, circa 1917, and the remains of a German skeletal corpse in the aftermath of Verdun 1916. The third photo is of a torch-light victory extravaganza, that were commonly held throughout 1933.
This is how the producers of this junk present their " product."
But inside, in 60 minutes, they are going to broaden your horizon on the subject of the Waffen SS. Sure!
Avoid this kind of throw-away. If the conjurers' of this stuff can't even locate a real Waffen SS action photo for their cover ( which afterall is the beginning of attracting your money ),do you trust them to say something expanding inside?

No Subtitle.......2006-07-11

The product is ok but I wish it had subtitles and/or the option of languages other than english.

Typical Errors.......2006-04-28

Like so many things produced and published about the Third Reich, there is an all too familiar error here. It's in the AMAZON product description.
The WAFFEN SS were NOT (!!!!) the "black clad" men. That was the ALGEMEINE SS. The WAFFEN SS were the actual MILITARY branch of the SS and were (still are) recognized and some of the best trained and fighting soldiers in military history. The "black clad" ALEGEMEINE is what made up the infamous GESTAPO, Hitler's personal bodyguard, the SD and most of the internal SS force in Germany and the occupied territories. The regular army panzer troops wore the black uniforms, but they were NOT part of the SS. The WAFFEN SS wore the field gray and camouflaged uniforms. Yes, they were brutal, and some were part of some "questionable" activities in the war. But, they were NOT what most people think of the SS, which is the GESTAPO. This error is about as common as authors, directors, etc. calling the GERMAN army, the NAZI army or calling the LUFTWAFFE the NAZI air force. MOST German soldiers were NOT NAZIs. Yes, their GOVERNMENT leaders, for the most part, were NAZIs, but NOT the soldiers. I've even seen some people say, NAZI tanks!! I was not aware that a Tiger tank could belong to a political party!
If AMAZON cannot get this correct in their description, what is the point of watching something like this?
Do your research. DO NOT believe everything that is produced, ESPECIALLY by US writers or directors. Remember, the winners write the history. English and French produced material is more accurate and more evenly presented.
I find that ironic as THEY were the ones being bombed and invaded. NOT the US!!!

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