Agora: Red Deer Polytechnic Undergraduate Journal
Volume 14:1 2023 Agora Conference Proceedings

Propaganda and its Impact on the Craft of Film
Troy Finley
Propaganda is one of the most important narratives in the history and foundation of film.
To better understand its communication, it’s imperative to dissect the faces it hits and how the eyes
digest and take in the information. Propaganda films are just like any film or film genre and are
executed in similar ways. To be specific, in this specialized field of visual communication,
propaganda is absorbed through subversive/sub-textual communication, blatant appearances and
themes, mixing personability with moments of cult-growing grandeur and other elements. Simply
put, like many other forms of film, it relies on the manipulation of what we think, what we see,
and what we feel.
Propaganda has existed for as long as people have cared about their image. The famous
example of Caesar being kidnapped by pirates, ransomed, then having his troops track down his
abductors to crucify them himself can be chalked up as a story to bolster the image of Caesar, the
symbol of Roman might.1 Propaganda in film, however, is much more adventurous and refined in
its craft than some of the old stories of millenniums ago. Whereas the old tales of merciless rulers,
scathing rumours, and gallant emperors were told and passed down in spoken word, statues that
blocked out the sky, and paintings that covered intense palaces,2 film is much more portable; film
shows movement, film plays with time.
Propaganda has some of the most riveting histories in the continuously developing saga we
call filmmaking. Steeped in political turmoil, betrayal, boundary-pushing craftsmanship, secret
funding, and forming the foundation of our modern and current world as we know it, Propaganda
films and elements are continuously crafted and utilized in a vast array of media for a trove of
reasons and purposes.3 Defining what is propaganda in film is not as simple as determining it
plainly as a genre or a style; it is a methodology. It is not just another accent in the vocabulary of
film, but a different cadence and dance. Understanding this will help us analyze and vivisect the

1

Richard P. Wright, Kidnap for ransom: Resolving the unthinkable. (New York: CRC Press, 2009), 4.
Louis Marin and Anna Lehman. “Classical, Baroque: Versailles, or the Architecture of the Prince,” Yale French
Studies, no. 80 (1991): 167–82, https://doi.org/10.2307/2930266.
3
Alexander L. George," “Propaganda Analysis: A Study of Inferences Made from Nazi Propaganda in
World War II" American Political Science Review 53, no 4. (1959): 21 - 27. https://doi.org/10.2307/1952085
2

first feast of this paper, Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will) (Riefenstahl
1935).4
The role of propaganda is to communicate particular messages and coerce opinions and
images. If we want to vilify an icon, there is a way; if we want to deify someone or something,
which Riefenstahl executed with an immense understanding in the film, there is a method. If you
want to make people believe in you, trust you, and like you, you go through their children, their
mouths, friends, and pets; Triumph des Willens executed this in the first 12 minutes. The first
image (Riefenstahl 1935, 1:30) she shows is of an airplane coming down from the clouds
(subversively can be taken as the heavens), seeing the old traditional grand architectures of
Germany, and then landing in the Nuremberg area to the thunderous applause of the masses.
Already this legend of propaganda has established a divinity from the descent from the clouds
(some people may absorb this message actively, while others absorb it passively), the swoons of
the people (seen in the masses), the beauty of Germany (thereby prompting that the government
aids this culture), and the power of Hitler by being able to land anywhere he wants. This is an
incredible example of knocking off the subversive/sub-textual messages, blatant appearances and
images, and building a cult-like presence within the first five minutes.
This is where Riefenstahl shows us her mastery of understanding public relations and how
to throw it through the centrifuge of propaganda.5 Hitler has only been seen once so far when he
leaves the plane, and we see him smiling at the crowds. Now he is moving down a street in his
open-top Mercedes limousine and we do not see his face. We see the back of his head/body and a
close-up of his hand, intercutting with the crowds saluting, lifting their hands to Hitler. The closest
we get to seeing his face is a profile showing us him smiling; then something extraordinary
happens. She cuts to a statue holding ducks (which is dripping with symbolism), cutting to Hitler
shaking hands with a mother and her child, close-ups of children at the parade, and, most subtly
of the film so far, to a cat.
As previously mentioned, you can make people trust you if they see you share a common
personal feature, like admiration for pets. We have a cat watching the parade underneath a Nazi
flag, and then it cuts to Hitler looking from the right to the forward direction. She makes it look
4

Triumph des Willens, directed by Leni Riefenstahl (UFA GmbH, 1935). 1hr., 44 min. DVD.

5

Alan Sennett. “Film propaganda: Triumph of the Will as a case study.” Framework: The Journal of

Cinema and Media55, no.1, (2014): 45-65.

56

like he is looking at the cat. Doing so has established a node where masses of people can connect
and relate to this image and character he is portraying. This subtle and minute sequence has opened
an entire pathway for more people to relate to the visage which Hitler portrays.6
This film, obviously problematic and as putrid as war, is still a masterclass in propaganda,
filmmaking, and how it frames its subjects. You can understand why Riefenstahl refused to admit
that this film was propaganda or of the ilk, but because of the additions of the cat, the editing, and
the delivery, it would be absurd to say that it is not so. Is it effective as propaganda? Yes, but in
short bursts. If this film were to be exhibited in its entirety, it would become dull, and like every
other film, the most effective ones are the most entertaining and riveting.
In Response, The Allies combated this with their own films: Schichlegruber - Doing the
Lambeth Walk (Charles A. Ridley, 1942),7 The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin, 1940),8 Why We
Fight (Litvak et al., 1942 – 1945),9 as well as many others in a variety of different approaches.
Some were filmed by already-established directors, such as John Ford, and others gave way to
incredible directors of the future, such as Frank Capra.10 On the Axis side of the film world,
propaganda films helped create careers for other legends such as Eiji Tsuburaya and Akira
Kurosawa.11
Propaganda films are, of course, still made to this day; people still care about their image.
A great example is Top Gun and how the United States military helped aid the production as long
as it painted them in a mighty light.12 However, an interesting tale of propaganda in film pre-dates
World War II, where many people believe it was perfected, and some believe it truly distinguished
the genre from documentaries.
The 1910s were full of rapid evolution and the rebirth of nations and cultures across the
globe, and at this time, a Civil War was fermenting in Mexico.13 Like most civil wars, this was

Mary F. Brown, “Triumph of the Will,” Humanity & Society, (1995): 95 - 97
Schichlegruber - Doing the Lambeth Walk, directed by Charles A. Ridley (UK Ministry of Information,
1941) 2 min. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYdmk3GP3iM&t=5s.
8
The Great Dictator, directed by Charlie Chaplin (United Artists, 1940) 2hr., 5 min. DVD.
9
Why We Fight, directed by Litvak et al. (US Department of War, 1942- 1945). DVD.
10
Michael W. Hughey, "Propaganda in the Modern World," International Journal of Politics, Culture, and
Society9, no. 4, (1996): 569-577.
11
Donald Richie, and Joan Mellen. The Films of Akira Kurosawa. (Univ of California Press, 1998), 24 - 28.
12
Michael McCafferey "Deadly propaganda: The Pentagon and Hollywood," Guardian (Sydney) 1830,
(2018): 5.
6
7

57

born from an immensely unbalanced economy and corruption. Like many of the most brutal wars,
figures were crafted that would outlast the battles and carve a face in the country's iconography.
You see, one of the most remarkable tales in the world of propaganda starts with the Mexican Civil
War and the figure of Pancho Villa.14
It was either the Mutual Film Company or Pancho Villa who made first contact with the
other; this detail is currently lost from the passage of history. However, they both saw the power
in which film could create a spectacle for mutual benefit. Villa sought a means to get greater
support across the border and bolster his image, while The Mutual Film Company saw an
opportunity to create scandalous pictures to produce incredible wealth. The complete film The Life
of General Villa (Cabanne & Walsh, 1914)15 which originally was supposed to be directed by
D.W. Griffiths16 was unfortunately lost17 even though it was apparently popular for the times. A
mixture of documentary and staged movements, held together with the same "authentic" strings of
reality television, helped create and endure the image of the Mexican Revolutionary that we know
today.18
Even though we have not found a complete copy of the film today, we can tell by reports
that as a result of this picture, the American Left had started to approve more of this side of the
Mexican Revolution. We know parts of this film show extremely brutal imagery, such as bashing
out gold teeth, an actual execution, and an active slaughter on a real battlefield. Nevertheless, with
all this extreme violence perpetrated by his side of the war, it persuaded people to back his
movement.19 It would be fascinating to compare and analyze this film with Triumph des
Willens and see how each relates and deviates from the other while creating a positive outcome for
13

Kees Koonings, and Dirk Kruijt, eds., Societies of fear: The Legacy of Civil War, Violence and Terror in
Latin America (New York: Zed Books, 1999), 109.
14
Zuzana Pick, “Pancho Villa on Two Sides of the Border”. In Constructing the Image of the Mexican
Revolution (University of Texas Press, 2010), 69–96. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7560/721081.7.
15
The Life of General Villa, directed by Christy Cabanne (Mutual Film, 1912) 1hr., 45 min.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g58zPkStLMY.
16
Allison McNearney, “How a Hollywood Film Starring Pancho Villa Got Lost to Legend.” The Daily
Beast, April 19, 2020. https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-a-hollywood-film-starring-pancho-villa-got-lost-tolegend.
17
Gregorio, C. Rocha, "Review of And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself by B. Beresford." The Moving
Image: The Journal of the Association of Moving Image Archivists, 6, no. 1, (2006): 142–145.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/41167239.
18
McNearney, “How a Hollywood Film Starring Pancho Villa Got Lost to Legend.”
19
McNearney, “How a Hollywood Film Starring Pancho Villa Got Lost to Legend.”

58

the movements that backed them. One showed a figure in radiant light, while the other painted the
central figure as a wartime Robin Hood actively killing people, yet both aided their images.
It is a shame that propaganda has evolved so subtlety that, in many cases, the majority
watching it will not recognize it. Not that it is not impressive or worthy of study on its own towards
its craftsmanship and delivery (negating the fact of its danger and morally questionable execution
at times), but early propaganda is such a valuable asset to study the language of cinema. It is so
blunt and boisterous, easy to point out the message, meanings, and how and why they chose that
shot or story element. The grand scale, the subtext and its meanings, how it interacts with the
people, and the technical aspects of how it was performed is so valuable when crafting other films
and learning how to make a film early on. Propaganda has moved on to become so unrecognizable
that analyzing it has resulted in shaving off the initial layer, scrutinizing it beyond, shaving off
another and repeating while cross-analyzing and investigating investors' and producers'
connections and history. Trying to figure out personal angles of people not in the limelight and to
whom they are connected. Honestly, we intake propaganda at such an extreme level that we may
not even realize we may bend into the jingoistic, appearing as the meek, and have wholly turned
an eye to the reality of the situation. It has turned into showing a glimmer of something in one
direction, while the true situation nests behind the bush, unaware of its existence, a Roman Circus
on an industrial scale.
As you can tell, propaganda in film is a complex topic with a labyrinth, spiralling history.
It is still utilized today and improved upon with each film released and developed with an intense
methodology and craftsmanship. Like any other form of film, it manipulates what we think, what
we see, and what we feel to try and turn that into what they hope we will understand, relate to, and
what they want us to believe.

59

Bibliography
Brown, Mary L. “Triumph of the Will.” Humanity & Society 19, no 1. (1995): 95– 97.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/016059769501900108?journalCode=hasa.

Chaplin, Charlie, director. Why We Fight. US Department of War, 1942 - 1945. DVD
George, Alexander L. “Propaganda Analysis: A Study of Inferences Made from Nazi
Propaganda in World War II" American Political Science Review 53, no 4. (1959): 21 27. https://doi.org/10.2307/1952085.

Hughey, Michael W. "Propaganda in the Modern World." International Journal of Politics,
Culture, and Society, 9, no. 4 (1996):569–577. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20019859.

Koonings, Kees and Dirk Kruijt, eds. Societies of Fear: The Legacy of Civil War, Violence and
Terror in Latin America. New York: Zed Books, 1999.

Litvak et al. directors. The Great Dictator. United Artists, 1940. 2hr., 5 min. DVD.
Marin, Louis, and Anna Lehman. “Classical, Baroque: Versailles, or the Architecture of the
Prince.” Yale French Studies, no. 80 (1991): 167–82. https://doi.org/10.2307/2930266.

McCafferey, Michael. "Deadly propaganda: The Pentagon and Hollywood." Guardian
(Sydney) 1830 (2018): 5.
McNearney, Allison. “How a Hollywood Film Starring Pancho Villa Got Lost to Legend.” Daily
Beast. April 19, 2020. https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-a-hollywood-film-starringpancho-villa-got-lost-to-legend.

60

Pick, Zuzana. (2010). "Pancho Villa on Two Sides of the Border." In Constructing the Image of the
Mexican Revolution, 69–96. University of Texas Press. 2010.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7560/721081.7.

Richie, Donald, and Joan Mellen. The Films of Akira Kurosawa. Univ of California Press, 1998.

Ridley, Charles A., director. Schichlegruber - Doing the Lambeth Walk. UK Ministry of
Information, 1941. 2 min. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYdmk3GP3iM&t=5s.

Riefenstahl, Leni, director. Triumph des Willens. UFA GmbH, 1935. 1hr., 44 min. DVD.

Rocha, Gregorio, C. "Review of And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself by B. Beresford." The
Moving Image: The Journal of the Association of Moving Image Archivists, 6, no. 1,
(2006): 142–145. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41167239.

Sennett, Alan. "Film propaganda: Triumph of the Will as a case study." Framework: The Journal
of Cinema and Media, 55, no.1, (2014):45-65.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13110/framework.55.1.0045.

Wright, Richard P. Kidnap for Ransom: Resolving the Unthinkable. New York: CRC Press,
2009.

61