Propaganda Films And Propaganda

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Propaganda is information that is meant to influence people, sometimes using untruthful or greatly exaggerated ideas. Over the past century there have been many ways to promote propaganda. With the invention of mass media and films, propaganda can influence to a degree no other art form could. Propaganda can take on the form of a documentary or a fictional film. Both styles use techniques to insult the adversary, or hide the truth from the viewer Film techniques used in regular cinema are used in propaganda to the advantage of the filmmakers and their ideas. Propaganda is defined to be “ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause” by Merriam- Webster dictionary. Propaganda is everywhere …show more content…
Starting in 1930, Nazi Germany produced a few films about the regiment and the living conditions of the Jews. One of the better known German propaganda films is Triumph of the Will, directed by Leni Riefenstahl. A documentary about Hitler’s stay in Nuremberg, Germany. The film begins with Hitler descending from the sky in a small airplane. He rides in a car out in the open in front of cheering crowds, all ecstatic to see him. His trip is separated into four days. Throughout those days, Hitler gives speeches to different groups of people. Hitler appears to be more than a hero to his people. The film ends with a speech and soldiers filmed from a low angle and the sky in the background. According to Ken Kelman, the film tricks the viewer, “Disorientation is achieved by leaving some crucial aspect of reality” out of the frame; mainly by showing only the upper parts of things and people; giving them “nothing to stand on”” (3). The cameras are purposely angled to show building and structures in the town. The camera is animated, it zooms onto swastikas and flags. It confuses the viewers by shifting quickly between close-ups and long shots (Kelman, 3). Kelman writes that the ending symbolizes the soldiers walking up to the sky, where in the beginning Hitler came from (4). The film uses low angles to makes people look bigger, birds eye view angles to show the mass amount of people in the audience. Unlike other Nazi propaganda, …show more content…
On the other side of the spectrum, films made to criticize Germany and fascism in general were also made. Charlie Chaplin, notably wrote directed and stared in The Great Dictator. It was a film that garnered controversy before filming even began, but Chaplin was committed to releasing the film. Chaplin was known to criticize what he disliked with films, Dan James, a script writer of the Great Dictator, wrote “He believed in human freedom and human dignity ... [He] was anti-capitalist, anti-organization” (Cole, 143). The film mocked the Third Reich, with Chaplin’s style of slapstick humor. In the film Chaplin plays a caricature of Hitler called Adenoid Hynkel and a Jewish barber who resembles Hynkel. The character of Hynkel is portrayed as a busy man; who wants to be the emperor of the world. When meeting with Benzino Napaloni, a parody of Mussolini, Hynkel tries to look intimating, but makes a fool of himself. At the end of the film, Chaplin gives a deep speech out of character (140, Cole). In The Great Dictator, Chaplin mocks the Nazis with slapstick humor. But the propaganda part of the film rests on the speech in the end; where Chaplin breaks character and gives a powerful speech to an audience telling them to fight for liberty and democracy. Ann imated films can also use comedy to influence like Der Fuehrer's Face and Herr Meets Hare. Since filmmakers can make any film they want their ideas are can
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