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Features: DVD, Subtitled
Features some of the most beautiful imagery every put on film, a majestic music score by Prokofiev and a dazzling, climactic battle of a frozen lake.
Editor's Note
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 Withdrawn from release after the signing of the Hitler-Stalin pact in 1939, it returned to Russian theaters in 1941, following the commencement of hostilities.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.
Plot Summary
Prince Alexander Nevsky rallies his forces to prevent the Teutonic Knights of Germany from overtaking Russia in 1250. This classic epic is generally considered an allegory meant to raise Soviet fervor against the soon-to-invade Nazi troops.
| Features | Source: Image Entertainment, Inc. |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
|  | Studio: Image |
| Release Date: 12/1/1998 |
| Running Time: 107 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1938 | | Catalog ID: 4575 | | UPC: 00014381457520 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: Russian | | Available Audio Tracks: Russian | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: B&W |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | Premiere
Recommended 05/01/1995 p.134 |
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| Customer Reviews | ![]() | | Cinematography |  5 | | Plot |  4 | | Acting | 4 | | Overall Satisfaction | 5 |
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5 of 5 Classic from the Past Thursday, January 17, 2002
James A. Turney Jr. from Redlands, California
When I received this film, I was surprised to find out, that it was a re-digitized version of the original 1939 movie, and not a new one from 1998. This is not clearly stated, with regards to the vendor's description. It is, however, a great black and white film, which at least, belongs in every cinematographer's library; and Prokofiev's score stands alone in originality, and musical integrity. Was this review helpful?  
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