Alexander Nevsky
by Sergei M. Eisenstein, Dmitri Vasilyev
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Andrei Abrikosov, Dmitri Orlov (III), Nikolai Cherkasov, Nikolai Okhlopkov, Vasili NovikovDirector: Dmitri Vasilyev, Sergei M. Eisenstein
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Russian (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Black & White, Classical, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: Academy Ratio, 1.33:1
Running Time: 108 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1998-10-21
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Image Entertainment
Movie Reviews of Alexander Nevsky
Movie Review: Eisenstein's first sound film is propaganda, in the best sense
Summary: 4 Stars
Eisenstein's first sound film retells the battle of the ice of 1242, when the Russians under Alexander Nevsky defeated the Livonian knights, eager to bring Russia under Roman Catholicism. Made in 1938, Nevsky can be seen as a piece of propaganda: the Germanic knights, with their sinister (and somewhat goofy) helmets are obvious stand-ins for the Nazis. The butchery by the knights when they enter a Russian town seems a prophetic warning of the massacres of World War II. The film ends with a warning: those who came to Russia with the sword will die by the sword. Made in delicate black and white (somewhat reminiscent of a daguerreotype), it also marked Eisenstein's return to official favor. By the late 1920s, Stalin wanted Soviet filmmakers to stop experimentation and made movies that would be more populist and palatable to the Russian public. Eisenstein responded with his more accessible film. Nevsky's strong point is in its second half, which features the battle itself, and it is justly seen as a milestone in movie history: never before (and probably never after) a battle would be so vivid in the screen. Another strong point is Prokofiev's beautiful, haunting soundtrack (using a composer to score a movie was completely unusual at the time). One of its weaker points: the comic relief (in the form of two simpleton Russian warriors trying to woo a beautiful Russian peasant) is really jarring.
Summary of Alexander Nevsky
Sergei Eisenstein's landmark tale of Russia thwarting the German invasion of the 13th century was wildly popular and quite intentional, given the prevailing Nazi geopolitical advancement and destruction at the time. It can still be viewed as a masterful use of imagery and music, with the Battle on the Ice sequence as the obvious highlight. Unfortunately, the rest of the film pales in comparison. A great score by Prokofiev was effectively integrated by the Russian filmmaker, but stands on its own merit as well. --Bill DesowitzDirector Sergei Eisenstein's epic "Alexander Nevsky" features some of the most beautiful imagery ever put on film, a majestic music score by Prokifiev and a dazzling, climactic battle on a frozen lake.
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