The first five are: 1. Wrecking of the Battleship Maine, Burial
of the Maine Victims (1898) Thomas Edison. An "actuality" widely
shown to raise public ire and support for the Spanish-American
War. 2. Fall of the Romanov Dynasty (1927) Esfir Shub. The first
acknowledged compilation film, it traces Russian history from
1913 to 1917, using "home movie" footage of the family of the
last Russian czar mixed with images of starving peasants. Useful
propaganda for the Soviets. 3. Triumph of the Will (1935) Leni
Reifenstahl, Carl Ruttmann. A huge, staged Nazi Party rally on
film. Useful propaganda for Hitler. 4. Why We Fight(1942) Frank
Capra. The whole series, especially the Oscar-winning Prelude to
War, made the case for America entering World War II. Originally
intended for the troops, it became useful civilian propaganda in
theaters. 5. Night and Fog (1955) Alain Resnais. The world's
first look inside the Nazi death camps, combining color and
black-and-white film with newsreels, Allied footage and stills
to tell a