Alexander Nevsky
A 1938 Soviet poster
Directed by	Sergei 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
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Alexander Nevsky (Александр Невский) is a 1938 historical drama film directed by Sergei Eisenstein and Dmitry Vasiliev and produced by Mosfilm, based on the life of Alexander Nevsky. With Nikolai Cherkasov in the title role and a score by Sergei Prokofiev, Alexander Nevsky was Eisenstein's most popular sound film. Image File history File linksMetadata Belskiy. ... Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн) (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a revolutionary Soviet Russian film director and film theorist noted in particular for his silent films Strike, Battleship Potemkin and Oktober. ... Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн) (January 23, 1898–February 11, 1948) was a Russian director noted for his films Battleship Potemkin and Oktober, both based loosely on a true story and presented in a realistic fashion, causing an immeasurable influence on early documentary directors owing to his innovative... Cherkasov as Ivan the Terrible in Eisensteins film. ... Nikolay Pavlovich Okhlopkov (1900-1967) was the most brilliant of Meyerholds disciples. ... Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Russian: , Sergej Sergejevič Prokofijev; April 27 (April 151 O.S.), 1891–March 5, 1953) was a Russian and Soviet composer who mastered numerous musical genres and came to be admired as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Soviet republics Area  - Total  - % water 1st before collapse 22,402,200 km² Approx. ... Alexander Nevsky was a Russian statesman and military hero. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The historical drama is a film genre in which stories are based upon historical events and famous persons. ... Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн) (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a revolutionary Soviet Russian film director and film theorist noted in particular for his silent films Strike, Battleship Potemkin and Oktober. ... Mosfilm logo was the Statue of the Worker and Kolkhoznitsa at VDNKh Mosfilm film studio (in Cyrillic, Мосфи́льм) is often described as the largest and oldest in Russia and in Europe. ... For other uses, see Alexander Nevsky (disambiguation). ... Cherkasov as Ivan the Terrible in Eisensteins film. ... Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Russian: , Sergej Sergejevič Prokofijev; April 27 (April 151 O.S.), 1891–March 5, 1953) was a Russian and Soviet composer who mastered numerous musical genres and came to be admired as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. ...

Synopsis

The film depicts the 13th century conflict between the Teutonic Knights of the Holy Roman Empire 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 Chudskoe, the outnumbered Novgorodians defeat the Germanic invaders. (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... For the state, see Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights. ... This article is about the medieval empire. ... Russians (Русские - Russkie) are an ethnic group of East Slavic people, which live primarily in Russia and neighboring countries. ... Velikiy Novgorod (Russian: ) is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia, situated on the M10(E95) federal highway connecting Moscow and St. ... Pskov (Russian: , ancient Russian spelling Пльсковъ (Plescow)) is an ancient city, located in the north-west of Russia about 20 km east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. ... For other uses, see Alexander Nevsky (disambiguation). ... The Novgorod Republic was an early republic that existed in the North-West territory of modern day Russia, in Novgorod lands between 1136 and 1478. ... Combatants Novgorod Republic Teutonic Knights, Danish knights, militia of Dorpat Commanders Prince Alexander Nevsky Master Dietrich von Grüningen, Prince-Bishop Hermann Strength 4000-5,000 1,500-2500 Casualties Light around 400 knights killed and 90 captured, a number of infantry killed A monument in Pskov Oblast marking the... Lake Peipus (Estonian: , Russian: (Chud Lake), German: ) is a large fresh water lake, on the border between Estonia and Russia in Northern Europe. ...

VHS cover

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Political subtext

Alexander Nevsky was made during the Stalinist era, when the Soviet Union was at odds with Nazi Germany. Stalin directly requested that Eisenstein make a film that would warn the Soviet people of German aggression.^{[citation needed]} The film contains many elements of propaganda that reflect the political situation of the 1930s, and portrays Nevsky as a fisherman and a proletarian hero. The helmets worn by the Teutonic soldiers resemble larger versions of German soldier helmets from the 20th century, while "in the first draft of the Alexander Nevsky script, swastikas even appeared in the invaders' helmets."^[1] The film also shows Nevsky making peace with the Mongols, his old enemies, in order to face the Teutonic Knights, hinting at the necessity of making peace with the Western powers to deal with Nazi Germany. This peace with an Asiatic threat is also be a reference to Stalin's policy of not escalating war with Japan because of the threat of Nazi Germany. See Nomonhan Incident. Josef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Georgian: , Ioseb Besarionis Dze Jughashvili; Russian: , Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili) (December 18 [O.S. December 6] 1878[1] – March 5, 1953), better known by his adopted name, Joseph Stalin (alternatively transliterated Josef Stalin), was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Unions Central Committee from... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн) (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a revolutionary Soviet Russian film director and film theorist noted in particular for his silent films Strike, Battleship Potemkin and Oktober. ... 1967 Chinese propaganda poster from the Cultural Revolution. ... German Stahlhelme from the Second World War Stahlhelm (plural, Stahlhelme) is German for steel helmet. The Imperial German Army began to replace the traditional leather Pickelhaube (spiked helmet) with the Stahlhelm during the First World War in 1916. ... Honorary guard of Mongolia. ... Occident redirects here. ... Combatants Soviet Union Mongolian Peoples Republic Empire of Japan Manchukuo Commanders Georgy Zhukov Michitaro Komatsubara Strength 57,000 30,000 (initially), 60,000 (as positions reinforced) Casualties Archival research 7,974 killed, 15,251 wounded[1] Japanese government claim 8,440 killed, 8,766 wounded Soviet claim 60,000...

Unfortunately for Eisenstein, the film explicitly mocked treaty-making with the Germans, and 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, and the film began to be shown in many Soviet cinemas. Scenes from the film were also incorporated in the American propaganda film The Battle of Russia. Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн) (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a revolutionary Soviet Russian film director and film theorist noted in particular for his silent films Strike, Battleship Potemkin and Oktober. ... Molotov signs the German-Soviet non-aggression pact. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Combatants Germany Romania Finland Italy Hungary Slovakia  Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Fedor von Bock Gerd von Rundstedt Heinz Guderian Günther von Kluge Franz Halder Ion Antonescu C.G.E. Mannerheim Giovanni Messe, CSIR Italo Garibaldi, ARMIR Iosef Stalin Kliment Voroshilov Semyon Timoshenko Fyodor Kuznetsov... The Battle of Russia was the fifth film of Frank Capras Why We Fight propaganda film series. ...

Although the film is visually impressive, its soundtrack suffers from less-than-satisfactory sound quality, because Stalin's distrust of Eisenstein's intellectual motivations^{[citation needed]} led to the premature confiscation, review, and approval of the film while its soundtrack was still in the process of being edited. This is particularly unfortunate because of the memorable musical score that Sergei Prokofiev wrote for the film. Those wishing to hear the full dynamic and tonal range of the music formerly had to make do with Prokofiev's cantata, which greatly compresses and recomposes the original score. In recent years, however, the practice has developed of screening the film with the accompaniment of a live orchestra and chorus. Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн) (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a revolutionary Soviet Russian film director and film theorist noted in particular for his silent films Strike, Battleship Potemkin and Oktober. ... Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Russian: , Sergej Sergejevič Prokofijev; April 27 (April 151 O.S.), 1891–March 5, 1953) was a Russian and Soviet composer who mastered numerous musical genres and came to be admired as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. ... Alexander Nevsky the score for the film Alexander Nevsky, written by Sergei Prokofiev. ...

Style

Alexander Nevsky is less experimental in its narrative structure than Eisenstein's 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 at the time.^[2] Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн) (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a revolutionary Soviet Russian film director and film theorist noted in particular for his silent films Strike, Battleship Potemkin and Oktober. ...

The film was the first of Eisenstein's dramatic films to use sound. (A 1933 documentary, Que Viva Mexico!, had also used sound.) The film's score was composed by Sergei Prokofiev, who later reworked the score into a concert cantata. Prokofiev viewed the film's rough cut as the first step in composing its inimitable score. The strong and technically innovative collaboration between Eisenstein and Prokofiev in the editing process resulted in a match of music and imagery that remains a standard for filmmakers. The film climaxes in the half-hour battle on the ice, propelled by Prokofiev's ominous, rousing, triumphant musical narrative, a sequence that has served as a model for epic movie battles ever since (e.g., in Spartacus or the Star Wars saga, especially in the Hoth battle of The Empire Strikes Back). Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн) (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a revolutionary Soviet Russian film director and film theorist noted in particular for his silent films Strike, Battleship Potemkin and Oktober. ... Musical composition is a phrase used in a number of contexts, the most commonly used being a piece of music. ... Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Russian: , Sergej Sergejevič Prokofijev; April 27 (April 151 O.S.), 1891–March 5, 1953) was a Russian and Soviet composer who mastered numerous musical genres and came to be admired as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. ... A cantata (Italian, sung) is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment and generally containing more than one movement. ... Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн) (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a revolutionary Soviet Russian film director and film theorist noted in particular for his silent films Strike, Battleship Potemkin and Oktober. ... The Battle on the Ice (German: Schlacht auf dem Peipussee, Russian: Ледовое побоище - Battle of Chud Lake), also called the Battle of the Lake Peipus, took place in 1242. ... Spartacus is a 1960 film directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on the novel of the same name by Howard Fast about the historical life of Spartacus and the Third Servile War. ... This article is about the series. ... Movie poster Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is the sequel to the first released Star Wars movie, and the second film released in the original trilogy. ...

Pop culture references

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

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 agent 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. For the member of the Irish folk band The Clancy Brothers, see Tom Clancy (singer) and for the American Celticist, see Thomas Owen Clancy. ... Red Storm Rising is a 1986 techno-thriller novel by Tom Clancy and Larry Bond about a Third World War in Europe between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces, set around the mid-1980s, probably in 1986 or 1987. ... This article is about the military alliance. ... This article is about the KGB of the Soviet Union. ... This article is about Russian citadels. ... West Germany was the informal but almost universally used name for the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 until 1990, during which years the Federal Republic did not yet include East Germany. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Several films have scenes strongly influenced by the Battle of Lake Peipus, including Doctor Zhivago (1965), Mulan (1998), and King Arthur (2004). However, the most striking homage appears during the culminating battle in the Ken Russell Harry Palmer sleuth story Billion Dollar Brain (1967). Doctor Zhivago (Russian: Доктор Живаго) is a 1965 film directed by David Lean and loosely based on the famous novel of the same name by Boris Pasternak. ... This article is about the film Mulan. For the legendary person, see Hua Mulan. ... A movie poster for King Arthur. ... Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell, known as Ken Russell (born July 3, 1927), is an English film director, particularly well-known for his films about famous composers and his controversial, often outrageous pioneering work in film. ... Harry Palmer is a fictional secret agent who is the central character in a number of films based on the three of the first four spy novels by Len Deighton. ... Billion-Dollar Brain (1966, ISBN 0099857103) is a spy novel by Len Deighton. ...

Animator Ralph Bakshi's 1977 film Wizards rotoscoped--ie, animated over-- footage of the ice-battle scene from Nevsky to create parts of Blackwolf's evil mutant army. An animator is an artist who creates multiple images called frames that form an illusion of movement called animation when rapidly displayed. ... Ralph Bakshi (October 29, 1938) is an American director of animated and occasionally live-action films. ... Wizards (originally titled War Wizards[1][2]) is an animated post-apocalyptic science fiction/fantasy film about the battle between two wizards, a good wizard representing the forces of magic and an evil wizard representing the forces of technology. ... Rotoscoping is a technique where animators trace live action movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films. ...

In John Milius's 1984 film Red Dawn, a marquee advertising a showing of Alexander Nevsky can be seen as the Wolverines make their way through Calumet for the first time since the attack. John Milius (born April 11, 1944 in St. ... This article is about the year. ... For other uses, see Red dawn (disambiguation). ...

Movie-concerts

In the 1990s a new print became available, which was cleaned up somewhat. A number of symphony orchestras gave performanances of Prokofiev's cantata, synchronized with a showing of the new print. The New York Philharmonic,^[3], the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra are four such ensembles. The concerts were quite popular, because Prokofiev's music is badly degraded by the original soundtrack recording, which suffers from extreme distortion and limited frequency response, as well as cuts to the original score to fit scenes that had already shot. The cantata not only restored cuts but considerably expanded parts of the score. A cantata (Italian, sung) is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment and generally containing more than one movement. ... The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active symphony orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842. ... The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) was founded in 1914. ... The San Francisco Symphony (SFS) is a leading orchestra based in San Francisco, California. ... The Philadelphia Orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of the Big Five symphony orchestras in the United States and usually considered among the finest in the world. ... For other uses, see Distortion (disambiguation). ... Frequency response is the measure of any systems response to frequency, but is usually used in connection with electronic amplifiers and similar systems, particularly in relation to audio signals. ...

New edition of the film

In 1995, a new edition of the film was issued on VHS, for which Prokofiev's score was entirely re-recorded in hi-fi digital stereo, although the dialogue portions of the soundtrack were left unchanged. This enabled a new generation to experience Eisenstein's film and Prokofiev's score in high fidelity, rather than having to settle for the badly recorded musical portion that had existed since the film's original release. Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed The Video Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS, is a recording and playing standard. ... High Fidelity is also the title of a book by Nick Hornby and a film directed by Stephen Frears, based upon Hornbys book. ... For other uses, see Digital (disambiguation). ... Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн) (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a revolutionary Soviet Russian film director and film theorist noted in particular for his silent films Strike, Battleship Potemkin and Oktober. ...

See also

• Middle Ages in film

El Cid (1961) starring Charlton Heston, a movie with direct heritage to the Romantics, it helped mold popular perceptions of the Middle Ages in the middle 20th century. ...

References

1. ^ Unspecified (1998) and one two elobrated swastikas even do appear on the Teutonic bishop's miter. Eisenstein's Symphonic Vision. In Alexander Nevsky [DVD liner notes]. Chatsworth: Image Entertainment.
2. ^ A. Tommassini, "MUSIC IN REVIEW; Alexander Nevsky" New York Times October 21, 2006. "To fortify popular sentiment against the Germans, Soviet officials asked Eisenstein to make a film commemorating the victory of the Russian prince Alexander Nevsky over the marauding Knights of the Teutonic Order from Germany in 1242."
3. ^ A. Tommassini, "MUSIC IN REVIEW; Alexander Nevsky" New York Times October 21, 2006. "the home of the New York Philharmonic has been temporarily turned into a movie house to present screenings of Sergei Eisenstein's 1938 epic, Alexander Nevsky."

The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

External links

• Alexander Nevsky at the Internet Movie Database
• Criterion Collection essay by J. Hoberman
• Article from Three Oranges, the Journal of the Serge Prokofiev Foundation, on the radio version of the Nevsky soundtrack.
• Complete film at Google Video

v • d • e Cinema of Russia
Cinema of the Russian Empire (Pre-1917) • Cinema of the Soviet Union (1917-1990)
	Films A-Z • Films of the Russian Empire • Films of the Soviet Union • Animation • Festivals • Schools • Studios Actors • Cinematographers • Composers • Directors • Editors • Producers • Screenwriters Films by year: •Russian Empire films (Pre 1917) • Soviet films (1917-1991) • Russian films (1991-) The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Google Video logo Google Video is a free video sharing and video search engine service from Google that allows anyone to upload video clips to Googles web servers as well as make their own media available free of charge; some videos are also offered for sale through the Google... The Russian Empire (1896-1917) The first films seen in Russia were via the Lumiere Brothers, in Moscow and St. ... The first films seen in the Russian Empire were via the Lumière brothers, in Moscow and St. ... Soviet Cinema should not be used as a synonym for Russian Cinema. Although Russian language films predominated, several of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union contributed films reflecting elements of their pre-Soviet culture, language and history, although sometimes censored by the Central Government. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Cinema of the Soviet Union This is chronological list of films produced in Soviet Union pre 1989. ... At present this A-Z list includes films produced in the Soviet Union. ...

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