20 Most Controversial Movies Of All Time

4. Triumph Of The Will

Triumph of the Will, much like Birth of a Nation, is a film praised for its cinematic prowess, but derided by many for its content. Whereas Birth put forth objectionable racial content, Leni Riefenstahl€™'s 1934 work chronicles the Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg, ripe with images showing Adolf Hitler'€™s leadership and the glory of the Third Reich.

Riefenstahl€™'s work is controversial for two reasons. The first is the struggle between admiring a film€™'s merits while damning its message. Upon its release, the film won multiple awards inside and outside of Germany, and Riefenstahl was praised for her innovative uses of cinematography, but the film was still viewed as Nazi propaganda, and once Hitler€™'s true ambitions became clearer, Triumph of the Will was labeled as a glorification piece for a mass murderer and his thugs.

The second reason for controversy is the longstanding debate over whether or not Triumph of the Will actually even is propaganda, or if it could be viewed as a legitimate documentary. Riefenstahl herself took the latter view, but critics and film scholars have debated the topic for years.

Can a film that paints such a grand picture of such evil men possibly be considered anything but propaganda? Or is it possible for a filmmaker to capture the feeling and optimism of an age without endorsing its message?