Holden Caulfield
21st April 2009, 12:34
(Disclaimer, don't expect great things from this, its pretty boring)
What is revealed about the nature of fascist regimes in ‘Triumph of the Will’, ‘Salo’ and ‘Downfall’ and what characteristics of fascism are obscured or neglected in these films?
‘Triumph of the Will’, ‘Salo’ and ‘Downfall’ share a common feature of all focusing on fascist regimes, albeit from differing angles and using different narrative devices. Through the study of the texts we shall highlight features in the films which have denotations and connotations of ‘real life’ fascist regimes, their nature and their core aspects. We shall also discuss which features of fascism are not present in these films, and draw conclusions on the credibility of each films depiction of fascism.
A hierarchical structure is an integral part of the fascist ideology, and this is represented in each of our texts. In ’Triumph...’ the entire mise-en-scène of the parade ground scenes has connotations of a hierarchy, the majority of people stand in ranks before raised area where the political leaders are seated, and from where the Fuhrer orates. During one of Hitler’s speeches he states that “the people justified the leadership”, the use of ‘justified’ implies a lack of democratic process, and the existence of a dictatorship (perhaps by tacit consent). The chant from the crowd of “ein volk, ein reich, ein Fuhrer” again highlights the totalitarian, almost monarchical, nature of fascist regimes and brings to mind the (apocryphal) quote “I am the state” attributed to Louis XIV.
The roles of the ‘tormentors’ in ‘Salo‘ are that of President, Bishop, Duke and Magistrate, this is a parody of how hierarchical structures are fundamentally exploitative and their relation to fascism. Throughout the film the strict control of the 4 men constantly keeps our attention on the hierarchical nature of fascism and how in Italy the status-quo (industrialists, the political elite, etc) embraced the ideology. The obedience to orders is most obviously portrayed when one young soldiers states “sorry we are only obeying orders”, this apology hints he is acting against his conscience, prioritising orders over one’s own will is a feature strong in fascism, the most chilling testament to this being the holocaust. In ‘Downfall’ the top brass of the military are seen fearing to question the orders of Hitler, even when they know them to be based on fallacy, this behaviour, as well as ‘Downfall’ in itself, can be seen as the logical conclusion for hierarchical fascist regimes.
Fascism often moves around a ‘cult of the leader’, this is portrayed excellently in ‘Downfall’: At several points in the film figures are seen begging Hitler to deliver them from their suffering, the figures, such as a nurse and Mrs Goebbels, have been instilled with the idea that one man can change the world. The role of women in all three films is depicted as secondary to that of males, in all films the authority figures are male, in all films women are seen as needing to look to men for guidance, and in all films the social-conservative nature of fascism is clearly seen.
Another central pillar of fascist regimes is their militaristic nature, this both ties in with the role of fascism as ‘the reserve army of capitalism’ and its focus on expansionism. Apart from the obvious military parades exhibited in ‘Triumph...’ we see militarism of both the work force and the youth; with men taking drill with shovels and scene of Hitler Youth boys fighting in uniform. The armed forced helped to bring fascism to power in Germany, and the vast drilled parades of ‘Triumph...’ are a primary display of the central role the military continued to play in the regime. This is again highlighted in both ‘Triumph...’ and ‘Downfall’ as the officials are seen wearing military uniform, rather than the suits of conventional capitalist politicians.
Fascism has ideological roots in ‘racial Darwinism’, and the (manipulated/misinterpreted) works of Nietzsche, we see this represented in the way characters in our texts appear to despise that which they consider ‘weak’. This theme reoccurs in ‘Downfall’, Hitler talks of the ‘laws of nature’, saying if Germany loses the war then the German people have been deemed too weak to survive and should perish. Another example being when Hitler states “compassion is a primal sin, compassion is for the weak”. In ‘Salo’ one of the tormentors declares “weak things should be destroyed” over dinner; however the full relation of fascism to Nietzsche and Darwin cannot be fully discussed in this essay due to external constraints. A speech in ‘Triumph...’ best shows the racial aspect of fascist regimes; “a people which does not hold with the purity of its race will perish”, this focus on racial issues rather than material class issues is perhaps the defining nature of fascism.
As one would expect from a system built upon the destruction of the left-wing labour movement, fascist regimes are inherently oppressive, in ‘Triumph...’ this can only be inferred (due to it nature as a propaganda piece) from the messages of anti-bolshevism within the film. Such comments as “there can be no permanent revolution which does not end in anarchy” found in the film, although only subtly anti-Bolshevik can be followed to the conclusion of the massacre of Bolsheviks in Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Franco’s Spain and other fascist regimes.
‘Downfall’ depicts the hanged corpses of men labelled as ‘Bolshevik supporters’, we also see scenes of men being rounded up and shot for the same ‘crime’. This act, at the falling point of the fascism, harks the viewer back again to the conditions of the rise of fascism, and its nature as a fail-safe for the capitalist system used to avert revolution. The brutality triggered by anti-communism soon turns into brutality as a means of control, in ‘Downfall’ we also see ‘defeatists’ and dissenters gunned down, this brutality is in the very nature of fascism and taken to its most extreme ends resulted in the crimes of the holocaust.
The depiction of brutality and oppression in Salo, although taken to extremes, still pays homage to the role of fascism, we see a young man shot by the 4 men, as he rises to meet them he makes the ‘communist fist’. This last act of dissent seems to throw the four, as they hesitate one realises that this gesture brings them to realise humanity they cannot control. However unrealistic or unpalatable the brutality in Salo is, it has reminds the audience that human evil grows out of systematic evil, these ‘well to do’ pillars of society commit these atrocities in a ‘civil’ manner, this systematic dehumanisation is also part of the nature of fascism: “Fascism is not defined by the number of its victims, but by the way it kills them”.
A criticism of the oppression exhibited in ‘Salo’ is that it is taken to such extreme and base levels that it makes unrealistic demons out of the fascists. To make the enemy seem like an inhuman monster perhaps obscures the real message (of the brutality of fascism) behind a plot akin to a ‘Slasher’ or Horror film. The audience cannot realistically equate the brutality of the 4 men to the corruption and oppression of fascism (and to a degree capitalism), and this weakens its message, a cautionary message that deserves to be delivered to mass audience.
A feature of fascism that is obscured by two of the three films, is the humanity of those who are part of fascist regimes, only in ‘Downfall’ do we see a clear message that people are not evil, and that reality does not exist ‘in black and white’. The audience can sympathise with the actions of Generals Mohnke, Weilding and the SS Doctor/Colonel: These three men exhibit empathy for their fellow human beings and, at great risk to themselves, try to work against the system to aid them. For example the Doctor refuses to leave his hospital as it contains many wounded and sick people; this compassion is shown by a member of the SS, a group demonised after the war, and gives the audience a new perspective on the traditional view of Nazis being evil, savage, ‘Huns’. The comradeship of the Generals towards their men shows a deep compassion, and a reluctance to be part of such a rigid system, which was evidentially apparent in fascist regimes. From a scene in ‘Salo’ one can briefly see a similar concept: When a young soldier is ordered to ‘scare away’ the servants with his gun, the camera focuses on his eyes as they meet those of a servant girl, and the audience can see an expression of guilt on his face, showing the humanity of those who are implicit in inhumane acts or structures.
The films obscure some of the true nature of fascist regimes; firstly the nature of the rise of fascism is not shown in any of the three films. The context of the rise of fascism is integral to its nature and its very existence as the dominant ideology, the films lack an objective look at the politics surrounding fascism and instead concentrate on personal stories, or are merely propaganda. Another criticism is that resistance to fascism is not depicted effectively in our chosen texts, apart from minor focus on several political dissenters being shot in ‘Downfall...’ and ‘Salo’ we do not ‘hear’ of the suffering and resistance of those opposed to fascism. All but two of the victims in ‘Salo’ seem unconvincingly subservient to their tormentors.
All three films do give us insights into the nature of fascism regimes, ‘Triumph...’ gives a primary representation of how they viewed themselves, ‘Downfall’ shows us the failings of a totalitarian, dictatorial system, and ‘Salo’ (almost) parodies the excess inherent in a fascist system. The three films also show a good cross section of the nature of fascism, and their limits to this can only be expected: One could not realistically assume 3 films (created to generate profit, to entertain, or to inform) could fully represent fascist regimes, their context in history, and their inner workings to their full extent.
Bibliography
De Grand, Alexander (1982) ‘Italian Fascism: Its Origins and Development’ London: University of Nebraska Press
Hayes, Paul (1973) ‘Fascism’ London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Trotsky, Leon, ‘Fascism: what is it and how to fight it’
(http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1944/1944-fas.htm)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sartre John Paul, (22 June 1953) ‘Les Animaux malades de la rage’ Libération
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Downfall, Film. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Germany: Momentum Pictures 2004),
Salo, o le 120 giornate di Sodoma, Film. Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini (Italy: United Artists 1976)
Triumph of the Will, Film. Directed by Leni Riefenstahl, (Germany: Universum Film AG 1935)
What is revealed about the nature of fascist regimes in ‘Triumph of the Will’, ‘Salo’ and ‘Downfall’ and what characteristics of fascism are obscured or neglected in these films?
‘Triumph of the Will’, ‘Salo’ and ‘Downfall’ share a common feature of all focusing on fascist regimes, albeit from differing angles and using different narrative devices. Through the study of the texts we shall highlight features in the films which have denotations and connotations of ‘real life’ fascist regimes, their nature and their core aspects. We shall also discuss which features of fascism are not present in these films, and draw conclusions on the credibility of each films depiction of fascism.
A hierarchical structure is an integral part of the fascist ideology, and this is represented in each of our texts. In ’Triumph...’ the entire mise-en-scène of the parade ground scenes has connotations of a hierarchy, the majority of people stand in ranks before raised area where the political leaders are seated, and from where the Fuhrer orates. During one of Hitler’s speeches he states that “the people justified the leadership”, the use of ‘justified’ implies a lack of democratic process, and the existence of a dictatorship (perhaps by tacit consent). The chant from the crowd of “ein volk, ein reich, ein Fuhrer” again highlights the totalitarian, almost monarchical, nature of fascist regimes and brings to mind the (apocryphal) quote “I am the state” attributed to Louis XIV.
The roles of the ‘tormentors’ in ‘Salo‘ are that of President, Bishop, Duke and Magistrate, this is a parody of how hierarchical structures are fundamentally exploitative and their relation to fascism. Throughout the film the strict control of the 4 men constantly keeps our attention on the hierarchical nature of fascism and how in Italy the status-quo (industrialists, the political elite, etc) embraced the ideology. The obedience to orders is most obviously portrayed when one young soldiers states “sorry we are only obeying orders”, this apology hints he is acting against his conscience, prioritising orders over one’s own will is a feature strong in fascism, the most chilling testament to this being the holocaust. In ‘Downfall’ the top brass of the military are seen fearing to question the orders of Hitler, even when they know them to be based on fallacy, this behaviour, as well as ‘Downfall’ in itself, can be seen as the logical conclusion for hierarchical fascist regimes.
Fascism often moves around a ‘cult of the leader’, this is portrayed excellently in ‘Downfall’: At several points in the film figures are seen begging Hitler to deliver them from their suffering, the figures, such as a nurse and Mrs Goebbels, have been instilled with the idea that one man can change the world. The role of women in all three films is depicted as secondary to that of males, in all films the authority figures are male, in all films women are seen as needing to look to men for guidance, and in all films the social-conservative nature of fascism is clearly seen.
Another central pillar of fascist regimes is their militaristic nature, this both ties in with the role of fascism as ‘the reserve army of capitalism’ and its focus on expansionism. Apart from the obvious military parades exhibited in ‘Triumph...’ we see militarism of both the work force and the youth; with men taking drill with shovels and scene of Hitler Youth boys fighting in uniform. The armed forced helped to bring fascism to power in Germany, and the vast drilled parades of ‘Triumph...’ are a primary display of the central role the military continued to play in the regime. This is again highlighted in both ‘Triumph...’ and ‘Downfall’ as the officials are seen wearing military uniform, rather than the suits of conventional capitalist politicians.
Fascism has ideological roots in ‘racial Darwinism’, and the (manipulated/misinterpreted) works of Nietzsche, we see this represented in the way characters in our texts appear to despise that which they consider ‘weak’. This theme reoccurs in ‘Downfall’, Hitler talks of the ‘laws of nature’, saying if Germany loses the war then the German people have been deemed too weak to survive and should perish. Another example being when Hitler states “compassion is a primal sin, compassion is for the weak”. In ‘Salo’ one of the tormentors declares “weak things should be destroyed” over dinner; however the full relation of fascism to Nietzsche and Darwin cannot be fully discussed in this essay due to external constraints. A speech in ‘Triumph...’ best shows the racial aspect of fascist regimes; “a people which does not hold with the purity of its race will perish”, this focus on racial issues rather than material class issues is perhaps the defining nature of fascism.
As one would expect from a system built upon the destruction of the left-wing labour movement, fascist regimes are inherently oppressive, in ‘Triumph...’ this can only be inferred (due to it nature as a propaganda piece) from the messages of anti-bolshevism within the film. Such comments as “there can be no permanent revolution which does not end in anarchy” found in the film, although only subtly anti-Bolshevik can be followed to the conclusion of the massacre of Bolsheviks in Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Franco’s Spain and other fascist regimes.
‘Downfall’ depicts the hanged corpses of men labelled as ‘Bolshevik supporters’, we also see scenes of men being rounded up and shot for the same ‘crime’. This act, at the falling point of the fascism, harks the viewer back again to the conditions of the rise of fascism, and its nature as a fail-safe for the capitalist system used to avert revolution. The brutality triggered by anti-communism soon turns into brutality as a means of control, in ‘Downfall’ we also see ‘defeatists’ and dissenters gunned down, this brutality is in the very nature of fascism and taken to its most extreme ends resulted in the crimes of the holocaust.
The depiction of brutality and oppression in Salo, although taken to extremes, still pays homage to the role of fascism, we see a young man shot by the 4 men, as he rises to meet them he makes the ‘communist fist’. This last act of dissent seems to throw the four, as they hesitate one realises that this gesture brings them to realise humanity they cannot control. However unrealistic or unpalatable the brutality in Salo is, it has reminds the audience that human evil grows out of systematic evil, these ‘well to do’ pillars of society commit these atrocities in a ‘civil’ manner, this systematic dehumanisation is also part of the nature of fascism: “Fascism is not defined by the number of its victims, but by the way it kills them”.
A criticism of the oppression exhibited in ‘Salo’ is that it is taken to such extreme and base levels that it makes unrealistic demons out of the fascists. To make the enemy seem like an inhuman monster perhaps obscures the real message (of the brutality of fascism) behind a plot akin to a ‘Slasher’ or Horror film. The audience cannot realistically equate the brutality of the 4 men to the corruption and oppression of fascism (and to a degree capitalism), and this weakens its message, a cautionary message that deserves to be delivered to mass audience.
A feature of fascism that is obscured by two of the three films, is the humanity of those who are part of fascist regimes, only in ‘Downfall’ do we see a clear message that people are not evil, and that reality does not exist ‘in black and white’. The audience can sympathise with the actions of Generals Mohnke, Weilding and the SS Doctor/Colonel: These three men exhibit empathy for their fellow human beings and, at great risk to themselves, try to work against the system to aid them. For example the Doctor refuses to leave his hospital as it contains many wounded and sick people; this compassion is shown by a member of the SS, a group demonised after the war, and gives the audience a new perspective on the traditional view of Nazis being evil, savage, ‘Huns’. The comradeship of the Generals towards their men shows a deep compassion, and a reluctance to be part of such a rigid system, which was evidentially apparent in fascist regimes. From a scene in ‘Salo’ one can briefly see a similar concept: When a young soldier is ordered to ‘scare away’ the servants with his gun, the camera focuses on his eyes as they meet those of a servant girl, and the audience can see an expression of guilt on his face, showing the humanity of those who are implicit in inhumane acts or structures.
The films obscure some of the true nature of fascist regimes; firstly the nature of the rise of fascism is not shown in any of the three films. The context of the rise of fascism is integral to its nature and its very existence as the dominant ideology, the films lack an objective look at the politics surrounding fascism and instead concentrate on personal stories, or are merely propaganda. Another criticism is that resistance to fascism is not depicted effectively in our chosen texts, apart from minor focus on several political dissenters being shot in ‘Downfall...’ and ‘Salo’ we do not ‘hear’ of the suffering and resistance of those opposed to fascism. All but two of the victims in ‘Salo’ seem unconvincingly subservient to their tormentors.
All three films do give us insights into the nature of fascism regimes, ‘Triumph...’ gives a primary representation of how they viewed themselves, ‘Downfall’ shows us the failings of a totalitarian, dictatorial system, and ‘Salo’ (almost) parodies the excess inherent in a fascist system. The three films also show a good cross section of the nature of fascism, and their limits to this can only be expected: One could not realistically assume 3 films (created to generate profit, to entertain, or to inform) could fully represent fascist regimes, their context in history, and their inner workings to their full extent.
Bibliography
De Grand, Alexander (1982) ‘Italian Fascism: Its Origins and Development’ London: University of Nebraska Press
Hayes, Paul (1973) ‘Fascism’ London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Trotsky, Leon, ‘Fascism: what is it and how to fight it’
(http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1944/1944-fas.htm)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sartre John Paul, (22 June 1953) ‘Les Animaux malades de la rage’ Libération
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Downfall, Film. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Germany: Momentum Pictures 2004),
Salo, o le 120 giornate di Sodoma, Film. Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini (Italy: United Artists 1976)
Triumph of the Will, Film. Directed by Leni Riefenstahl, (Germany: Universum Film AG 1935)