Introduction
Both documentaries released at the end of the 60s, Triumph Over Violence and The Rise and Fall of The Third Reich share many common features being based on the same World War II archive materials. The theme is the same – to show the rise and fall of the German Nazi empire. However, due to the ideologies of the states, they explain these chronicles differently. Thus, this study makes it possible to consider these inconsistencies paving the way to a better understanding of each country’s mindset.
Triumph Over Violence (USSR, 1965)
The story begins with children’s drawings and sociological reflections on how different and at the same time similar all people are. “For a Moscow kid, his mother is the most beautiful in the world, just as for a Berlin kid, his mother is the most beautiful in the world,” (Triumph Over Violence 1965). The narrator sums up this phrase just before the viewer sees horrific images of children who died in Nazi concentration camps. Then, the plot switches from one scene to another, not always chronologically. First Hitler is portrayed as a narrow-minded philistine, rehearsing speeches in front of a mirror, then the degradation of the university system with the barbaric burning of books is recorded. Episodes are varied, covering the culture of the Third Reich, Hitler’s visit to the art gallery, and the actresses on the Nazi stage, reflecting on the general state of German society.
The narrative then switches to the numerous swearing-in ceremonies of Adolf Hitler, and the fanaticism of the German people, with an emphasis on how they were brainwashed by Goebbels ‘ propaganda. On top of this is the tragic invasion of Poland with the mass extermination of Jews. “Yesterday these people lived peacefully in their country, and now they are behind the barbed wire” (Triumph Over Violence 1965). Finally, there is a huge emphasis on the feat that the Russian people have accomplished by giving 20 million of their lives.
The first remarkable feature of the movie is the humor with which Mikhail Romm, the director of the movie, narrates it. He is extremely ironic, mentioning such details as 2.5 billion sausages eaten at the NSDAP meeting. Besides, he is making entertaining comments on the actions of German authorities in routine situations that somehow got into the historical chronicles. For example, during the fragment where Hindenburg pays off the footman, Romm says the following: “Hindenburg did not want to appoint Hitler Reich Chancellor… But two billion marks… Now you will see how he parts with 20 pfennigs and understand what two billion marks mean for him… Let’s wait a bit… It is not easy for him to part with such a sum… Oh, at last, he did!” (Triumph Over Violence 1965). This approach makes the movie accessible to the general public.
This irony, however, extends to the former allies of the Soviet Union as well, exposing the propaganda nature of the movie. It accuses the Western powers of having led a carefree lifestyle during the formation of the German dictatorship, and ridicules all the leaders of European countries. Thus, it emphasizes their philistine lives, calling them short-sighted and thereby demonizing other countries for the Soviet audience, promoting the image of corrupting imperialism.
The movie ends with the narrator drawing a parallel between the government of West Germany and Nazi Germany, claiming that it was a continuation of fascism. Then, the footage of the US Marine Corps exercise is exposed as something that threatens the international order. “Again, people are turned into animals, apparently, not without success,” (Triumph Over Violence 1965). Convincing the audience that fascism allegedly continues to exist around the world, the author sets them against the capitalist powers, which corresponds to the goals of the USSR in the conditions of the Cold War.
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (the USA, 1968)
While watching the American movie after Triumph Over Violence, the impression appears that it is the same movie, but released in different versions – American and Soviet. Indeed, there are series of identical archival footage, and both American and Soviet stories investigate how it was possible for Germany, a country of great culture, to become so barbaric. However, Triumph Over Violence only asks these questions, with the main goal of setting the socialist community against fascism and imperialism. The American movie, on the opposite, is characterized by an unemotional, strictly chronological, and profound analysis of the events of World War II and the reasons for these events to happen in German society.
Therefore, the author follows the German people from 1920 to 1945. The understanding of the entire nation choosing this path is immensely significant not only for understanding Germans but for understanding humanity itself (The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich 1968). In pursuit of this goal, the first part of the movie is devoted to the story of Hitler’s rise to power, starting from his childhood and shedding light on his personality, which the Soviet movie leaves uncovered.
In the second part, the same events are presented that were shown in Triumph Over Violence. However, in Kaufman’s work, they are viewed from a historical point of view, thus making this movie more objective. As in Soviet work, there are shots of a torchlight procession in honor of Hitler’s coming to power in 1933. Such fragments as the Fuhrer’s visit to an art gallery, as well as the burning of books, reminiscent of medieval orders are also shown. Noteworthy, though, when describing which books were burned by the Nazis, the Soviet narrator says those were books by Tolstoy, Mayakovsky, and Lenin (Triumph Over Violence 1965), whereas Kaufman names Einstein, Freud, and Wells (The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich 1968). In any case, both movies agree that such an action destroys the ability of students to doubt.
Finally, the most striking difference between the two movies is that Soviet history avoids all questions related to the inappropriate assessment of the actions of the Communists and the party leadership of the USSR. “Among a large number of archival recordings, we will not show all of them, but only those that most impressed us,” (Triumph Over Violence 1965). It is said at the very beginning of the movie and indeed, the picture is not complete. Naturally, the American movie looks much more objective, covering all events impartially. It shows the division of Poland between Stalin and Hitler, which is simply ignored in the Soviet work, as well as the demonstrations of the Communists in Germany, which were often no less aggressive than the Nazis.
Of course, the political attitudes of the state cannot but affect the art, and this is especially evident in the example of the Soviet movie. However, there is another feature in this comparison that seems much more important. It is a general idea that every society consists of human beings, no matter what race and nationality they are. Every person should be free, and every child deserves to be happy. Emphasizing this thesis, the American movie ends as the Soviet movie began – with drawings of children hoping for a bright future.
References
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Directed by Jack Kaufman (ABC, 1968).
Triumph Over Violence. Directed by Mikhail Romm (Mosfilm, 1965).