Triumph of the Will (1935)

Triumph of the Will set the template for propaganda cinema with innovative techniques like sweeping aerial shots and synchronized music, influencing over 80% of subsequent political documentaries. Banned in France until 2000, it still generates debate: a 2015 survey showed 74% of historians consider it a masterpiece of manipulation. Riefenstahl's claim of neutrality is contradicted by evidence she edited scenes to maximize Hitler's charisma, raising fundamental ethics about documentary objectivity.