Triumph of the Will
The reception in other countries was not always as enthusiastic. British documentarian Paul Rotha called it tedious, while others were repelled by its pro-Nazi sentiments. During World War II, Frank Capra helped to create a direct response, through the film series called "Why We Fight", a series of newsreels commissioned by the United States government that spliced in footage from "Triumph of the Will", but recontextualized it so that it promoted the cause of the Allies instead. Capra later remarked that "Triumph of the Will" "fired no gun, dropped no bombs. But as a psychological weapon aimed at destroying the will to resist, it was just as lethal." Clips from "Triumph of the Will" were also used in an Allied propaganda short called "General Adolph Takes Over", set to the British dance tune "The Lambeth Walk". The legions of marching soldiers, as well as Hitler giving his Nazi salute, were made to look like wind-up dolls, dancing to the music. The Danish resistance used to take over cinemas and force the projectionist to show "Swinging the Lambeth Walk" (as it was also known); Erik Barrow has said: "The extraordinary risks were apparently felt justified by a moment of savage anti-Hitler ridicule." Also during World War II, the poet Dylan Thomas wrote a screenplay for and narrated "These Are The Men", a propaganda piece using "Triumph of the Will" footage to discredit Nazi leadership.