Alexander Nevsky cover art

Alexander Nevsky Details

1938 Certificate PG
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 788 members

Nikolai Cherkassov stars as the legenday Alexander Nevsky in Sergei Eisenstein's masterpiece of propaganda, made with the assistance of Stalin, to stir up Soviet audiences in anticipation of a Nazi invasion. Withdrawn from release after the signing of the Hitler-Stalin pact in 1939, it returned to Russian theaters in 1941, .. Read more

Starring Nikolai Cherkassov, Dmitri Orlov, Nikolai Okhlopkov
Director Sergei Eisenstein, D.I. Vessiliev
Genres Drama, World Cinema

Sign up Alexander Nevsky DVD

Buy From: £14.93

loading loading...

Alexander Nevsky cover art

Alexander Nevsky

Nikolai Cherkassov stars as the legenday Alexander Nevsky in Sergei Eisenstein's masterpiece of propaganda, made with the assistance of Stalin, to stir up Soviet audiences in anticipation of a Nazi invasion. Withdrawn from release after the signing of the Hitler-Stalin pact in 1939, it returned to Russian theaters in 1941, following the commencement of hostilities. The film is set in 13th-century Russia, as the religious brotherhood of the Teutonic Knights runs rampant throughout the land. Following the brutal sack of the city of Pskov, the people of Novgorod must decide if they will fight the invaders or, like other cities, bribe them to obtain peace. Opting to fight, they call on their greatest military leader, Alexander Nevsky, who is still recuperating with his troops from defeating the Swedish army. The historic battle on the frozen surface of Lake Peipus, pitting the peasant army of Nevsky against the better-equipped German force, is one of the most impressive spectacles in film history, a visual symphony of mutual slaughter as powerful now as on the day of its release. Because of Eisenstein's use of linkage--seamless Hollywood-style editing rather than intellectual montage--and Prokofiev's evocative, rhythmically inventive score, ALEXANDER NEVSKY might be the most accessible of his films.

Starring Nikolai Cherkassov, Dmitri Orlov, Nikolai Okhlopkov
Director Sergei Eisenstein, D.I. Vessiliev
Studio EUREKA ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 1 hr 47 mins
Certificate Certificate PG
Genres Drama, World Cinema
Language DVD: Russian
Released DVD: 17 Apr 2000
Production year: 1938
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (4) of Alexander Nevsky

    View all
  • 4 stars out of 5

    The Soviet equivalent to Laurence Olivier's Henry V, this historical epic was to serve as propaganda against Hitler's Reich. However, just as Eisenstein completed the story of the Teutonic invasion of Russia in the 13th century, Stalin and Hitler signed a non-aggression pact, so the film was hastily withdrawn. Then, when Hitler broke the treaty, Stalin ordered the film into release. It is famous for two things — the battle on the frozen lake, filmed in high summer, and Sergei Prokofiev's moving score. Both are worthy of their reputations, but this is offset by some turgid story-telling and excessively theatrical acting.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006
  • 4 stars out of 4

    A splendid historical pageant which shows the director at his most inventively pictorial and climaxes in a superb battle sequence using music instead of natural sound.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
    • Posted 02 Mar 2006

  • Most helpful member's review of Alexander Nevsky

    View all
  • 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    Worth seeing for the film or Soviet History buff

    Much of Alexander Nevsky is interesting only from a historical point of view. For about 2/3rds of the film, you might be left a bit cold if you aren't a film-history buff with an interest in Eisenstein, or a Soviet history buff who wants to see how Stalinist-era films used historical topics to make contemporary political points.

    But once the "Battle on the ice" sequence starts, this is one of the most thrilling films ever made. The combination of Eisenstein's direction and editing with Prokofiev's score is utterly electrifying. Personally, I consider it one of the best uses of music in the entire history of cinema. For that sequence alone, this is a film that every movie buff should watch at least once.

      • Jacobw from London
      • Posted 19 Jan 2004 15:32

  • Most recent members' review of Alexander Nevsky

    View all
  • 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Flawed Classic

    Eisenstein shot Alexander Nevsky on the eve of the second world war in 1938, as the German army threatened to invade Russia. The political subtext, then, throughout the film is thinly veiled. It features the famous ice battle scene that takes up a good deal of the film and contains expositions of his famous 'vertical montage' technique whereby the editing of the images and the music coincide with scientific precision. The framing and cinematography are worth the rental price alone.

    Having said that, the print leaves little to be desired, whilst the picture s are clear enough the reproduction of the sound is poor, making Prokofiev's score sound like its been recorded on a Bontempi organ and the translated subtitles are awful.

    I could not help but think this film deserved a more sympathetic rendering by a more knowledgable restorer

      • A customer from essex
      • Posted 17 Dec 2005 19:19

  • More like this

    View all
    Showing 1 to 4 of 20

    loading

Find cinemas


Rating breakdown

788 Member ratings
  • 100
84
  • 90
62
  • 80
139
  • 70
139
  • 60
142
  • 50
83
  • 40
54
  • 30
37
  • 20
33
  • 10
15

Related user collection

Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop

    • Alexander Nevsky

    • Alexander Nevsky
    • DVD: £14.93
      Free Delivery
    • RRP £19.79 (you save: 25%)
      • Nikolai Cherkassov stars as the legenday Alexander Nevsky in Sergei Eisenstein's masterpiece of propaganda, made with the assistance of Stalin, to stir up Soviet audiences in anticipation of a Nazi ...