Horst in Translation ([email protected]) This is a movie that is 80 years old already. To put it in perspective, this was done 2 years after Hitler's rise to power, 1 year before the Olympics in Berlin and 4 years before World War II. It is a black-and-white movie that runs for slightly under half an hour and, for the most part, shows us the German armed forces in (fake) combat action and during parades. Of course, during these parades all the high-rank Nazi politicians are there as well, not just Hitler himself.It is not a particularly interesting movie to watch, really only significant to see how things were back then from a documentary perspective. Quality is fairly low, even for the 1930s. The film's director is centenarian Leni Riefenstahl, who did some more Nazi propaganda movies, such as the infamous "Triumph of the Will". There is quite some irony between the music and the scenes depicted. Especially the whistling parts make it seem fairly ridiculous at times. All in all, only worth a watch for those with a deep interest in German history of the 20th century.

Michael_Elliott Tag der Freiheit - Unsere Wehrmacht (1935) *** (out of 4)When Leni Riefenstahl made TRIUMPH OF THE WILL, apparently Adolf Hitler felt that it didn't show off the German Army enough so this short was made. This here was meant to show off how strong the German Army was but of course what happened over the next several years has tainted the film and even Riefenstahl's legacy.There's no question that this here is a visual masterpiece, although it's certainly not on the same level as TRIUMPH OF THE WILL. With that being said, I think this film is a lot more entertaining to watch since it's just 17-minutes. What we've basically got here are clips of the German soldiers doing their daily routine but it's the masterful camerawork that really sells the film. I really loved how Riefenstahl shot the movie with the camera down low, looking up towards people and making them appear much bigger. The way the sun is high above them beating down just added a surreal touch.Of course, it's impossible to watch this film without looking at these soldiers and wondering what horrors they committed during WWII. You can't help but think which one of them were killed in battle. Which one of them worked at the camps where millions of Jews were killed. The ugliness hangs its head all over the film.

Atavisten This is nothing but a prowess of the powerful German army right after the NSDAP seized power. It has quite a misleading title as there is not a image of freedom in sight, maybe that was directed at the Reichsparteitag day? Anyway, you get to see soldiers marching, cannons firing and cavalry galloping through "lakes". All made to look quite menacing and threatening, successfully so. There are machine-gunners who jump off quick driving cars (dont know how much this is sped up..) and setting up their machine guns in no time that was very impressive. Also there is some pictures of Nazi flags and the Führer with his associates, serving to glorify the party. All in all its very impersonal, we see a machinery at the party's disposal, nothing about freedom.Oh, and those airplanes flying in sun-cross formation was very impressive, real or not.

bandow5 I saw this movie and felt the power of the German Armed Forces. It is something to think that in just 4 years, they were at war.