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Triumph of the Will is a powerful propaganda tool because it carefully crafts an image of a unified people that have been successfully revitalized. The opening scene depicting Hitler's arrival has various biblical parallels. The angle from which this scene is shot, from above, provides a divine point of view. It’s almost as if some kind of divine power is shining down into this scene. Furthermore, this opener is part of what casts Hitler as a hero: he is some sort of divine ruler meant to avenge the Reich from the turmoil of the 1920s. These biblical parallels may also be a way of glorifying and uplifting a mythic past. Additionally, the way in which the crowd is shot provides the illusion of unity. The images are generally compressed to provide the illusion that people are closer together than they really are, that more people are actually present. This compression also pushes the idea that everyone is in this together and may highlight the lack of options in society at the time: it is a tightly packed crowd, even if you want to escape, you really don’t have a path out. Going along with the crowd is essentially the only option. This is also established by the repeated phrase “One people, One Führer, one Reich.”A return to traditional values is pushed through the usage of traditional folk music throughout the backing track as well as “the theme of female idealization of Führer established in the earlier airport and motorcade sequences (The Mass Psychology of Fascism Cinema). An interesting idea presented in The Mass Psychology of Fascism Cinema is the usage of Hitler Youth to push gender ideals throughout the film. “This section begins with a giant close-up of a blaring bugle that fills the screen, followed by a cut to another circular shape, a round drum being pounded. FInally, we cut to a boy beating the drum with two sphere-heated batons. From these close-ups of rounded (cunnic) and straight (phallic) shape, the camera pulls back to include a wide shot… to see the hero’s arrival…As Hitler enters, Riefenstahl cuts to a shot of phallic trumpets bellowing. With these scenes, not only does Riefenstahl push heteronormativity, but also highlights the masculinity of Hitler. A return to gender roles would require a stroke, virile, leader, a surrounding Hitler with phallic imagery conveying that he has these traits. The bugle being overpowered by drums (phallic imagery) demonstrates women's return to a more submissive role within society and their personal lives. Hitler Youth are one other thing used within the field to express the unit of the nation and establish the lack of deviation from the norm. Fascism in the Reich was an “expression of the irrational character structure of the average human being whose primary biological needs and impulses have been suppressed” (The Mass Psychology of Fascism Cinema). Riefenstahl presents fascism simply as a new beginning, as a unifying force.

Although some may not be fully aware of the fact that they live in a country controlled by a fascist or authoritarian government, there will always be a sizable amount of people who believe they can gain power or fame or whatever else through helping such a regime meet its goals. Leni Riefenstahl is one such person, despite the fact that she denied any involvement in the Nazi propaganda machine outside of her directing of “Triumph of the Will”. Since propaganda makes up such a strong part of any authoritarian regime, especially so in Nazi Germany, Riefenstahl’s guilt is shown by her creation of one of the best made propaganda films of all time in favor of a fascist government, and one which worshiped its leader like a god.

Riefenstahl made sure that her film would capture the attention of millions both inside and outside Germany, she ensured this by making use of a great variation of camera angles, settings, and film technology which at the time, had never been used in the ways that she did. For example, large, grand scenes that showed perhaps tens of thousands of people showing their loyalty to Hitler or bearing witness to massive displays of military power had a profound impact on the ordinary citizen watching the film, let alone the impact such an event would have on someone who was there in person. For those outside of German race or culture, a film like “Triumph of the Will” would only amplify their fears for what would happen to them in the years to come afterwards. Simply because there weren’t any mentions of the Nazis’ opinions towards those different from them in the film, doesn’t mean that one couldn’t infer that the man leading nationalist rallies full of ethnic Germans who treated him like a god on Earth might have had some biases.

So overall, Leni Riefenstahl took advantage of her talent for filmmaking in order to gain something from the Nazi government. Although she is not solely responsible, she obviously greatly contributed to the massive use of propaganda by the Nazis in order to sway the German people in their favor, and was clearly aware of the effect that her film would have on audiences, and should be held responsible for it. Even though she claims to only have done her own job, the impact that her film had on Germans cannot be overlooked.

Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will is one of the most powerful propaganda films in our history. The film’s effectiveness comes from Riefenstahl’s ability to create a sense of awe and power around Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. It makes Hitler appear as a larger-than-life figure. One example of this is the scene where Hitler arrives in Nuremberg. The way Riefenstahl films his arrival in the first scene of the film, when he gets out of the plane and is welcomed by thousands of supporters makes him look like someone to be worshiped. This kind of flim helped make normal Germans believe in Hitler’s leadership and the Nazi cause.

For many Germans, especially those who were not part of the Nazi leadership, Triumph of the Will created a sense of unity and pride. In his essay, The Mass Psychology of Fascist Cinema (1998), Tomasulo explains that fascist cinema is designed to make people feel part of a collective identity. In the Triumph of the Will, the massive rallies of the crowds made people feel they were part of something bigger than themselves. The film’s use of Nazi symbols like the swastika reinforced the idea of belonging to a powerful nation. For many normal Germans, this would have been a source of national pride and unity, making it easier for them to accept Nazi ideas.

However, the film’s message was much different for Germans who were not considered “Aryan,” such as Jews or Romanian people. Triumph of the Will promoted an idealized image of the "perfect" German, and those who did not fit into this image were excluded or shamed. Tomasulo points out that fascist films not only celebrate a certain group but also creates fear and tension toward outsiders. Non-Aryans watching the film would have felt isolated, because the film was made to make them feel like the enemies.

Looking at Riefenstahl’s responsibility in creating the film, it is a difficult issue. She claimed she was "apolitical" and did not support the Nazi ideology. However, her role in making Triumph of the Will cannot be overlooked. The film was not just a work of art, but also a tool for spreading Nazi ideas. In The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993), Riefenstahl talks about how she focused on "artistic technique" and did not think about the political message. But her choices, such as the way she filmed Hitler and the rallies, helped shine light on the Nazi Party and Hitler. Tomasulo argues in his article that filmmakers cannot be neutral when they are working in such a tense political environment. Even if Riefenstahl was not personally a Nazi supporter, she still played a key role in promoting them, and should have taken responsibility.

In conclusion, Triumph of the Will was a highly effective piece of propaganda that influenced many Germans to support the Nazi regime and excluded those who did not fit that description. While Riefenstahl may have claimed to be apolitical, her role in making the film makes her responsible for the promotion of Nazis. She should be remembered as a talented filmmaker, but also as someone whose work helped conduct one of the worst genocides of all time.

“Triumph of the Will” has been deemed one of the most powerful propaganda tools in history, and this is likely because of its powerful imagery and overwhelmingly positive perspective of Nazi Germany. Portraying everyday life as peaceful and calm, and then shifting the focus to the energy of the rallies, where Hitler would address the youth as the builders of the future and speaking with conviction, paints a very desirable and favorable picture and speaks to the zeitgeist of Germany at the time, or the one that Hitler was trying to create.

It is important to recognize Leni Riefenstahl’s role in the power of “Triumph of the Will,” as she is the creator and therefore is the main individual associated with the film. However, while the film holds so much influence in the fostering of positive rhetoric surrounding the Nazi Regime, there should be limits placed on the responsibility that Riefenstahl has for the events leading up to the Holocaust. Of course, she is responsible for the messages that the film portrays, and for even making and editing the film in the first place, but this is a situation where the art should be separated from the artist. Riefenstahl was commissioned to make the film by Hitler himself, and it is pretty difficult to say no to a dictator who has shown so much power in the earlier parts of position. He also exercised some flattery on Riefenstahl, saying that he wanted to make the film because he wanted the film to be made by an “artist.” And so, while she may have done her job a little too well, it is important to understand the context of the time and the job she was paid to do.

Regardless of her political beliefs, Riefenstahl will likely always be remembered for her work on “Triumph of the Will,” which is honestly a good thing; the debate on whether or not she was wrong for what she did allows us to form our own distinct opinions and allows us to reflect on eras in history like Nazi Germany. And while we can form our own opinion on whether or not Riefenstahl was “apolitical” or not, it might just have to be something that we continue to ponder or take her word for, because she seems to have maintained the fact that she had no political affiliations and was just making the art, as she intended.

Several elements of Triumph of the Will, directed by Leni Riefenstahl contributed to its power as a propaganda tool. The film inspired feelings of pride and a sense of belonging for ordinary Germans. Some were likely drawn to the idea of a renewed Germany. The film also reemphasized nationalism. Non-mainstream Germans most likely felt less connected to the ideology. The ideology praised blonde hair and blue eyes. In their eyes, it may come off that the Party's future will only be beneficial to those that fit the Aryan racial profile.