It is however not a triumph of filmmaking; it is a triumph of budget. None of the ideas or techniques were new it is simply that no one had previously thrown enough money and resources at propaganda on this scale before.

You can say the same for Star Wars though. Sometimes techniques are like actors - they aren’t appreciated or able to shine until they can be supported by a big production and a director who knows how to use them. No-one praises The Godfather because they think it was Marlon Brando’s first movie.