Triumph of the Will Thread? (1 Viewer)

[SD_Brian]

I wholeheartedly agree with Roger Ebert's Great Movies assessment of Triumph of the Will:

It is one of the most historically important documentaries ever made, yes, but one of the best? It is a terrible film, paralyzingly dull, simpleminded, overlong and not even "manipulative," because it is too clumsy to manipulate anyone but a true believer. It is not a "great movie" in the sense that the other films in this group are great, but it is "great" in the reputation it has and the shadow it casts.

I remember seeing it for the first time in a film studies class and the professor actually left out an entire reel because the movie was so long and boring, yet he still insisted to the class that it was the best documentary ever made.

 

[schan1269]

Now this stupid thing is $59.99 on Amazon.

 

[David_B_K]

I wholeheartedly agree with Roger Ebert's Great Movies assessment of Triumph of the Will:I remember seeing it for the first time in a film studies class and the professor actually left out an entire reel because the movie was so long and boring, yet he still insisted to the class that it was the best documentary ever made.

I tried to watch it once, and found it too boring as well; and I'm a history buff who thrives on documantaries and books that others find dry and boring. Just lots of sequences of nazis marching and goose-stepping all over the place. I think it is a good source for a few shots if one were assembling a new documentary on Hitler and the nazis. I should probably revisit it someday.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

I asked Interfilmart for a link for ordering, and got instead a Paypal invoice for $117.86 with an assurance that they'd ship to Australia. A bit different than $59.99 from Amazon (which is actually a link to Interfilmart).
Very confusing .. I'll wait instead for Synapse.....

 

[Lromero1396]

I asked Interfilmart for a link for ordering, and got instead a Paypal invoice for $117.86 with an assurance that they'd ship to Australia. A bit different than $59.99 from Amazon (which is actually a link to Interfilmart).
Very confusing .. I'll wait instead for Synapse.....

I will also. A $100 release is way out of my price range right now and the Synapse release will have gone through an RAH-approved digital restoration. In addition, the OAR of 1.19:1 will finally be on display for what I believe is the first time on home video. I'm not a fan of ratios narrower than 1.33:1, but this is still exciting.

 

[Robert Harris]

I will also. A $100 release is way out of my price range right now and the Synapse release will have gone through an RAH-approved digital restoration. In addition, the OAR of 1.19:1 will finally be on display for what I believe is the first time on home video. I'm not a fan of ratios narrower than 1.33:1, but this is still exciting.

To be clear for some who may not be familiar with 1.19, it has more information, generally on all sides, than 1.33. It may sound as though it's cropped on the sides, but that would not be the case. There is more vertical info. And when working from new 35mm 2k image harvests, there is generally more information on all sides. I'll try to post an example. It's quite revealing.RAH

 

[Ed Lachmann]

I'm somewhat off topic here, but that bit of information directly from Mosfilm really has me wondering when and if they will cut some sort of deal to allow Bondurchuk's masterful WAR AND PEACE to finally come to blu-ray in its complete form. That would be a dream come true for many of us who adore it and it's really about time.

 

[Lromero1396]

I'm somewhat off topic here, but that bit of information directly from Mosfilm really has me wondering when and if they will cut some sort of deal to allow Bondurchuk's masterful WAR AND PEACE to finally come to blu-ray in its complete form. That would be a dream come true for many of us who adore it and it's really about time.

I hope Criterion gets ahold of the rights to that one.

 

[Dubstar]

Now this stupid thing is $59.99 on Amazon.

really? I still don't see it listed over at Amazon...

 

[schan1269]

search...

Triump of the Will restored limited edition (without the "restored limited edition" it is the 9th thing on the page)

Part of the search stupidity. You won't find it searching for "BD" or "Blu Ray" as these morons spelled it "Bluray".

 

[Ken Volok]

Triumph of the Will works only as a clollecyion of shots ranging from pedantic to brilliant with occasional editing flourishes. Olympia, freed from ideological constraints and infused with humanity instead of zombies is a far better film.

Another commentator noted their reaction to Birth of a Nation. At this point in history I sincerely belive BoN's worth is mostly if not entirely academic. Griffith and other filmmakers were already employing the strategies that this film allegedly pioneers. In the end , it's main academic worth is it's before-then length and production history, and soceo-cultural impact. It is not the great work of art that Intolerance or even a Corner in the Wheat is.

Long, boring as I would describe both Troumph of the Will and Birth of a Nation, even if the content of the films wasn't also repugnant.

 

[Michael Elliott]

I wholeheartedly agree with Roger Ebert's Great Movies assessment of Triumph of the Will:
I remember seeing it for the first time in a film studies class and the professor actually left out an entire reel because the movie was so long and boring, yet he still insisted to the class that it was the best documentary ever made.

I too agree with Ebert. This movie is just way too damn boring to make my list of "great" movies. The controversy is what keeps this movie alive. OLYMPIA is much more entertaining and to me much better looking on the technical side.

OLYMPIA and INTOLERANCE are sadly "forgotten" due to the controversy around the two other pictures.

 

[Ken Volok]

It can literally be said that most audiences contemporary to the film were often captive, not the same as captivated.

BoN and part of ToW were screened in my UCSB film classes, BoN in fact twice for historiography class! I feel I've suffered enough for Griffith's art to get a comp Intolerance blu.

 

[Dubstar]

search...

Triump of the Will restored limited edition (without the "restored limited edition" it is the 9th thing on the page)

Part of the search stupidity. You won't find it searching for "BD" or "Blu Ray" as these morons spelled it "Bluray".

nope still not seeing it ...

 

[Mike Frezon]

I found it by searching bluray triumph of the will

It was the only return I got.

 

[Lromero1396]

It can literally be said that most audiences contemporary to the film were often captive, not the same as captivated.

BoN and part of ToW were screened in my UCSB film classes, BoN in fact twice for historiography class! I feel I've suffered enough for Griffith's art to get a comp Intolerance blu.

Especially considering the exorbitant price point.

I actually haven't seen any of the four films discussed in the last few posts since I'm waiting for affordable quality editions of Triumph and Olympia to be released.

 

[Mark-W]

Anyone know about the quality of this version of INTOLERANCE coming to Blu-ray in a few weeks?
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00EVU3SO0/thedigitalbit-20

I too agree with Ebert. This movie is just way too damn boring to make my list of "great" movies. The controversy is what keeps this movie alive. OLYMPIA is much more entertaining and to me much better looking on the technical side.

OLYMPIA and INTOLERANCE are sadly "forgotten" due to the controversy around the two other pictures.

It can literally be said that most audiences contemporary to the film were often captive, not the same as captivated.

BoN and part of ToW were screened in my UCSB film classes, BoN in fact twice for historiography class! I feel I've suffered enough for Griffith's art to get a comp Intolerance blu.

 

[SD_Brian]

I saw a digital screening of the Cohen Media restoration of Intolerance at Grauman's Egyptian theater in September. It looked fantastic! Can't wait for the BD.

 

[AndrewR]

They now list "Olympia" as coming out in 2014 on their website.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

F antastic! 'Olympia' is a colossal movie and Leni was able to work around the innate racism of the era and gave a great visual record of Jessie Owens and his achievements. I have the two-disc DVD edition which is pretty good but Blu ray should be spectacular.