Alexander Nevsky
Александр Невский
Soviet Union • 1938
Directors
#87Criterion Collection →Synopsis
Eisenstein drew on history, Russian folk narratives, and the techniques of Walt Disney to create this broadly painted epic of Russian resilience. This story of Teutonic knights vanquished by Prince Alexander Nevsky’s tactical brilliance resonated deeply with a Soviet Union concerned with the rise of Nazi Germany. Widely imitated, most notably by Laurence Olivier’s Battle of Agincourt re-creation for HENRY V, the Battle on the Ice scene remains one of the most famous audio-visual experiments in film history, perfectly blending action with the rousing score of Sergei Prokofiev.
Synopsis
Eisenstein drew on history, Russian folk narratives, and the techniques of Walt Disney to create this broadly painted epic of Russian resilience. This story of Teutonic knights vanquished by Prince Alexander Nevsky’s tactical brilliance resonated deeply with a Soviet Union concerned with the rise of Nazi Germany. Widely imitated, most notably by Laurence Olivier’s Battle of Agincourt re-creation for HENRY V, the Battle on the Ice scene remains one of the most famous audio-visual experiments in film history, perfectly blending action with the rousing score of Sergei Prokofiev.
Part of Box Set
Credits
Crew
DirectorSergei Eisenstein, Dmitriy Vasilev
WriterSergei Eisenstein, Pyotr Pavlenko
CinematographerEduard Tisse
ComposerSergei Prokofiev
EditorSergei Eisenstein, Esfir Tobak
Cast
Nikolai Cherkasovas Alexander Nevsky
Nikolai Okhlopkovas Vasili Buslai
Andrei Abrikosovas Gavrilo Oleksich