Night and Fog vs Triumph of the Will free essay sample

â€Å"Triumph of the Will† and â€Å"Night and Fog,† portray Hitler’s vision for Germany, and the findings of Allied liberators of concentration camps in the beginning of World War II. A comparison of the films present two very different views of what Hitler deemed necessary for Germany. They each displayed propaganda in a way they’re eye-catching simply because of the raw footage. It took everything that we knew about pre WWII and corrected it, so that we knew the truth about how the people of Germany felt, and what they saw in those exact moments.The task of viewing these films was quite difficult, and although both films seem to be a highly emotional and factual, I believe that â€Å"Night and Fog† was a more superior piece of propaganda. I will support my response by explaining the differences in how the films were portrayed, the images presented, and the tools used to catch the viewer’s undivided attention. Alain Resnaiss Nuit et Bruillard (Night and Fog) combine horrific and peaceful images, poetic narration, and mournful music that viewers develop an sympathetic attitude. Overall, this film is very traumatizing.There are some images in this film that will be burned into my mind for as long as I live. I have seen many holocaust films, but no one was as near as dramatic and realistic as Night and Fog. This is what I believe makes a good piece of propaganda. Our minds are murky and dull. We tend to only remember the important situations in our lives. Yet we shut out the importance of our own history and pretend it never happened. It is very sad to know that human beings were treated and slaughtered just because of an act of superiority. Riefenstahl created the propaganda film in Triumph of the Will. When editing this film, Hitler is portrayed as a very powerful leader that everyone in Germany was so thankful to have. It seems like he was liked by all, but also portrayed a mysterious side. Hitler descends from the clouds as if a savior from heaven. The film shows transfixed German crowds saluting him and screaming with joy, then a quick shot of Hitler, then again, back and forth. If Hitler is not on the screen, he is always an assumed to be present. The object of the masss gaze, the erotic object of the mesmerized, ecstatic women in the crowds.By making it seem as though even the statues and cats stopped to gaze at his wonders. It’s hard to believe than one person is loved by so many; it is almost as if it were to be too good to be true, and it was. It’s hard to see any realism in this film, like it was scripted instead. As said previously, a convincing piece of propaganda shows the viewer hope, but also reality, and in the film, it looks anything but realistic. In Night and Fog it was an appropriate design the way the switched from color to black and white. I got two different meanings from this. ) We live today in our present environment in a world filled with color. We dont go through hunger, torture and our dignities arent taken from us. The black and white represents to me other people around the world which still today are going through similar times as these victims in this film went through. 2) The theme in on which the comparison is about the past and the present was very clear. The same pathways which were filled with the blood of the victims were now all buried under the ground. The color represented the present and the black and white represented the past.By declaring that in Triumph of the Will everything is genuine and that not a single scene is staged, Riefenstahl becomes not just a propagandist, but a liar. The Party Convention was staged in that sense the entire film was staged just as the entire convention was staged. Riefenstahl may claim that she simply filmed things that actually occurred, but this also is dishonest. â€Å"Night and Fog† presents facts and images to tell the story of the camps and how they were run like an efficient factory whose motives are torture and death.Instead of speaking for the victims and survivors of the camps, the film allows viewers to have their own responses by asking questions and studying the record. The narration is delivered in a harsh, dry tone filled with skepticism and irony. The viewers are constantly told that words cannot describe what happened. They remind the viewer that there is no description or picture that can reveal the true horror of the Holocaust. Besides the narrated parts, nothing was staged in the pictures and images shown. There was no sugar coating to make it appear better than it was. This allows a better piece of propaganda because you know it’s real and it was one of the most horrific acts in history. Another ironic element is the lovely music. There is a flute playing in a very high pitch, upbeat sound, while the horrid images are in the background. This was the most confusing part of Night and Fog for me. It was hard to decipher what they were trying to portray. It was very eerie and gave a sickening feeling. I came to a conclusion that the music showed how the people expected the camps to be, but the pictures showed the reality. The only music in the Triumph at Will was the clapping of many hands, welcoming drums, and joyful cries of the unexpecting German population. Since this film was all footage, and no narration, music was not needed to set the mood. Resnais filmed color footage of the empty, overgrown concentration camps with historical black and white images really captured by attention and made me completely believe everything that was said and occurred in the Holocaust because of the actual footage, the faces of millions who have died, and the insane pictures of the pain and suffering that they went through.It is very hard to believe Triumph at Will and how one man can do so much. In a way, it appear â€Å"corny† because of him coming out of the clouds and become the savior of Germany. So in conclusion, when it comes to convincing propaganda, Hitler’s journey into Germany does not compare to the incomprehensible suffering of the heaps of corpses, silenced forever.