Sieg des Glaubens (1933)

German Release Program for Sieg des Glaubens 

Sieg des Glaubens is divided in to at least seven major sequences. Similar to Triumph des Willens (Riefenstahl's full length film of the 1934 Party Rally) the picture begins with an arrival in Nuremberg (Goebbels et al arrive by train, Hitler by plane). The final sequence is a ceremonial visit to the "Monument of the Dead" in Luitpold Grove by Hitler and Rohm with masses of SS and SA in attendance. 

The film marks the use of composer Herbert Windt by Leni Riefenstahl, who will continue to collaborate on such important projects as Olympia and Triumph des Willens. Riefenstahl's struggle to find men who would work with her is well documented though she was able to secure (in this project and others to come) a crew that included Sepp Allgeier and  Walter Frentz

Film excerpt of Ernst Rohm, leader of the SA  from Sieg des Glaubens

Fighting against the Nazi view of the women's role (to provide children to the Reich and maintain the structure of traditional family values) Riefenstahl no doubt had her work cut out for her. Her primary tools against the entrenched and systematic efforts to obstruct her were her own established talent and most importantly the fact that she was personally selected for the task by Hitler.

In an early sequence of des Glaubens, Hitler greets Goebbels and Vice Chancellor von Papen

Despite the limits of time (Riefenstahl reports having just a few days, though some claim she may well have had weeks to prepare) and such, it is believed that she had up to 25 cameras present and a total of 12,000 meters of footage from which to edit this first of the three Reich Party films she would compose. Although Riefenstahl apparently had access to the various standard newsreel footage, it is quite possible that much of it was unusable given her standards and a vision to create something more artistic.

Editing was completed by Riefenstahl herself in Berlin. The process took three months. 

Goebbels, Hitler and (probably) General Werner von Blomberg have a seat at the des Glaubens premiere in Berlin.

The film, considered lost or destroyed over time, apparently does exist  (in Berlin and at the National Archives in DC) in both a 61 and 53 minute cut respectively. Neither print contains the opening titles. The film may also rest in a national film archive in Munich. This resurrection of the des Glaubens is relatively new, with the first modern academic reviews of the film being published in the late 1980's.

>>> NEXT PAGE >>>