Victory of Faith (Der Sieg des Glaubens)
by Leni Riefenstahl
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DVD details
Actor: Adolf Hitler, Ernst Roehm, Hermann Goering, Joseph Goebbels, Rudolf HessDirector: Leni Riefenstahl
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: German (Unknown); German (Original Language); Italian (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, NTSC, Subtitled
Running Time: 70 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-11-09
Studio: A & M productions
DVD Reviews of Victory of Faith (Der Sieg des Glaubens)
DVD Review: Fascinating Film ,,, DISAPPOINTING DVD TREATMENT
Summary: 2 Stars
Victory of Faith is certainly a fascinating film, especially for students of Riefenstahl's filmmaking techniques or for students of the period. Since this film was thought lost, and was unavailable to so long, even seeing it at all is like finding treasure.
Unfortunately, the treatment that the DVD presentation received at the hands of the DVD makers is sloppy at best and absolutely maddening at worst.
Most maddening is the fact that they have their name ("A&M") in a bar at the upper left of the screen for the entire first 7 to 8 minutes of the film, and ---as if that weren't bad enough--- they have the words ("Copyright 2003") in a bar --at the same time!-- at the bottom left, during the same ENTIRE first 7 to 8 minutes of the film. That's two notices at the same time for the entire 7-8 minutes.
This is especially offputting because it is the first 8 minutes of the film (the Nuremberg "prologue") which is the most beautiful, lyrical part of the film. It is during those 8 minutes that Riefenstahl can wax poetic as we see the sights of Nuremberg and the preparations for the rally.
The film print which was discovered in Britain reportedly had this first sequence missing, and it says on the box that the DVD is presenting the British print of the film.
Evidently, therefore, the DVD producers had to specially obtain this first sequence from another source, and edit it into their presentation (which is appreciated). HOWEVER, in doing so they have added two thick black strips on the screen in two different places, continually and at the same time, (which, in the aggregate, probably amount to almost 1/4 of the screen space) giving their name and copyright notice.
This is infuriating and inexcusable! (I wish I could show you a frame capture). It is completely distracting.
Obviously, they put it in two places on the screen and very prominently in large type in order to keep someone from creating a "letterboxing" copy which excludes their notices. But it is unfortunate that they did not just "ghost" it in at the bottom, as cable TV stations routinely do with their logos nowadays. But, no, this is much more than that. It is two large thick strips on the screen, both of which remain distractingly present throughout the entire prologue.
I have never been so disappointed in a content-related decision by a DVD manufacturer. The most beautiful part of the film (and the part where Riefenstahl can show her editing technique off the most easily) is really pretty much RUINED for the viewer.
Yes, you can get an idea of what's going on, but there is the constant distraction of not ONE, but TWO continual copyright notices. This is a shameful treatment of the film!
Secondly, as if that weren't enough, there is another problem. There are no chapter divisions during the film. The 61 minute film is one big "chapter" on the DVD. Therefore, if you as a viewer or film student wish to navigate to a sequence near the end, you must fast-forward through the program in order to get there. Since Victory of Faith (Der Sieg Des Glaubens) was clearly divided up into sequences, it seems lazy and uncaring in the extreme of the DVD producers not to have at least put chapter divisions at those clear sequences.
A third problem is that the opening credits of the film (just the credits, mind you) are obviously taken from a very bad slow-play VHS copy with poor sync. The picture is fuzzy and jumpy and losing framing. It looks as if someone took an old camcorder and shot the titles off of a movie screen (which they may indeed have done!). Perhaps this was the best that could be done if the title sequence does not survive in better quality, but it's a real shame, as it starts the whole presentation off with a poor quality image (although the overall image quality gets better).
What is so maddening about all of this is that we KNOW that beautiful, pristine footage of this film exists because it was used in the documentary THE WONDERFUL HORRIBLE LIFE OF LENI REIFENSTAHL (MACH DER BILDER). There, the image quality of Victory of Faith is beautiful and glowing. Here, on this DVD, the image quality overall is "okay", but not nearly of the quality of the clips in WONDERFUL HORRIBLE LIFE. Plus, there are the problems with the extreme overbearing copyright notice, lack of proper chaptering, and extremely poor quality title sequence.
All in all, if you really need to see this film, this copy is "acceptable", but don't be expecting the quality of Synapse's TRIUMPH OF THE WILL (which was beautifully restored and presented), and don't be expecting the quality of the clips seen in WONDERFUL HORRIBLE LIFE. And be prepared to have the prologue ruined for you, as a viewer, by the blatant and extreme huge copyright notices.
I don't understand the DVD company going to the trouble to obtain, author to DVD, and market a rare film, and then treating it so SHAMEFULLY in it's presentation.
Overall, I'd give the film itself four stars, but this DVD presentation 1/2 star.
Bottom Line: mixed emotions. It is wonderful to be able to see this long-lost film which many of us thought we'd never see, and to have it in DVD form which can be reviewed and repeatedly studied; yet it is absolutely maddening to see it given so shabby a presentation on this particular DVD release.
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