Alexander Nevsky (film)

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Alexander Nevsky
A 1938 Soviet poster
Directed by	Sergei M. Eisenstein Dmitri Vasilyev
Written by	Sergei M. Eisenstein Pyotr Pavlenko
Starring	Nikolai Cherkasov Nikolai Okhlopkov Andrei Abrikosov
Music by	Sergei Prokofiev
Release date(s)	December 1, 1938 March 22, 1939
Running time	112 min
Country	USSR
Language	Russian
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Alexander Nevsky (Александр Невский) is a film directed by Sergei Eisenstein and Dmitry Vasiliev, produced by Mosfilm and released in 1938 with Nikolai Cherkasov in the title role.

1 Synopsis
2 Political subtext
3 Style
4 Pop culture references
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The film depicts the 13th century conflict between the Teutonic Knights and the Russian people of Novgorod. It follows the knights as they invade Pskov and massacre its population. Alexander Nevsky then rallies the people of Novgorod and at a battle on the surface of the frozen Lake Peipus, the outnumbered Novgorodians defeat the Germanic invaders.

VHS cover

[edit] Political subtext

Alexander Nevsky was made during the Stalinist era, when the Soviet Union was at odds with Nazi Germany. Stalin himself directly requested Eisenstein to make a film that would warn the Soviet people of German aggression.^{[citation needed]} The film contains many elements that reflect the then current global political situation. The helmets worn by the Teutonic soldiers look much like larger German soldier helmets from the period. Swastikas can be seen decorating many of the Teutons. The film also shows Nevsky making peace with his old enemies the Mongols in order to face the knights, hinting at the necessity of making peace with the Western powers to deal with Nazi Germany.

Unfortunately the film was released a few months before Stalin agreed to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which provided for non-aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union. The film was therefore suppressed and not shown in theaters. This changed dramatically in 1941 after the German attack on the Soviet Union: the film began to be shown in many Soviet cinemas.

Although the film is visually impressive, even stunning, it suffers from a less-than-satisfactory soundtrack, perhaps because the Soviets were still relatively new at making sound films. This is particularly unfortunate because of the memorable musical score that Sergei Prokofiev wrote for the film. Those wishing to hear the full range of the music should listen to one of the recordings of Prokofiev's cantata.

[edit] Style

Alexander Nevsky is less experimental in its narrative structure than his previous films: it tells one story with a single narrative arc and focuses on one main character. The special effects and cinematography were some of the most advanced ever.^{[citation needed]}

The film was the first of Eisenstein's to use sound. The film's score was composed by Sergei Prokofiev, who later reworked the score into a concert cantata. Eisenstein developed dramatic new methods of mixing music and visuals.^{[citation needed]} The entire film culminates in the half hour battle scene set to Prokofiev's pounding score, a scene that set the model for most epic battle scenes to have come since.

[edit] Pop culture references

The Simpsons episode "G.I. (Annoyed Grunt)" used a song from the soundtrack of this movie in a parody U.S. Army recruitment ad.

The Tom Clancy novel Red Storm Rising depicted two American intelligence officers watching Alexander Nevsky (pirating the Soviet state television satellite feed) on the eve of World War III. The officers took note of the film's improved sound track as well as its anti-German sentiment and strong sense of Russian (as opposed to Soviet) nationalism. The next day, as part of a plot to split the NATO alliance politically, KGB agents detonated a bomb in the Kremlin and arrested a West German "sleeper" on charges of terrorism. While airing Nevsky immediately prior to the bombing may have been intended to inflame the Soviet population in favor of war with the West, the timing of the two events led the Americans to suspect the plot.

The battle on the frozen lake has been recreated in several films, incluidng Doctor Zhivago (1965) and King Arthur (2004).