Alexander Nevsky

Alexander Nevsky acted as a call to action for the Russians and a warning to other nations, particularly towards Germany, with whom the Soviets were a reluctant ally at the time. One can see why Stalin rushed the film back into theaters when Operation Barbarossa occurred and Stalingrad came under siege. The heroes of Alexander Nevsky are clear – Nevsky stands like Superman, his chest puffed out towards the camera – and the villains are obviously evil, throwing Russian babies into fires and hanging innocent people from their own homes. The film would have been perfect for inspiring the citizens of such a beleaguered time and place.

In looking past the more propagandistic elements, one finds a sometimes thrilling example of Eisenstein’s cinematic technique, especially during a sequence in which the titular character calls the city of Novgorod to arms, the music, composed in grand operatic tradition by Prokofiev, matches each cut, swelling to a musical/visual crescendo that would stir even the most cynical of citizens to patriotism. A further example that has stood the test of time, due to the number of films of the same ilk that almost blatantly copied the scene, is the battle on the ice (The Battle of Hastings from Olivier’s Henry Vis the clear descendant). The battle is ferocious and frantic, and sacrifices are made for the good of the motherland, again scored by the low rumblings of Russian choirs. The whole film is an interesting experiment in taking film to the emotional heights of opera through the exchange of musical and cinematic techniques.

Alexander Nevsky is an essential Eisenstein viewing experience; however, the sections that don’t feature what I described above tend to drag on, making the film a slog to get through at times. The film accomplished what it set out to do (pleasing Stalin) and still has the power to thrill even now.