Alexander Nevsky movie discussion

That’s a legendary film from the 1930s. I caught a clip of it once—years ago, actually. I was recently reading up on the director again, and since people claim his entire filmography is top-tier, I'm wondering: where can I actually track this down? Or even just stream it?🙄

I've heard the score is absolutely phenomenal, too.

Maybe I'm asking for too much?🙄

...he recently made an appearance on a satellite broadcast over on the American-German channel, Arte

Peter Reyes12 said:...he was recently on a satellite broadcast for Arte, that French-German channel

Honestly, I'd love to catch this movie too. Word is—it's a masterpiece.

The cinematic legacy of Sergei Eisenstein spans from 1898 to 1948, most notably defined by his legendary 1925 masterpiece, "Battleship Potemkin." His work "Alexander Nevsky" stands as a sweeping historical epic featuring incredibly visceral battle sequences at Lake Peipus in 1242. Filmed in 1937, the movie is saturated with patriotic sentiment and heavy propaganda, serving as a chilling precursor to the events that would unfold just four years later when Germany invaded the USSR. It depicts the atrocities committed by the Teutonic Knights—crusaders acting under the banner of the Catholic Church against Russian civilians—including the burning of villages and that haunting scene where a priest, appearing somewhat like a bishop, murders an infant. Ultimately, the film concludes with Alexander Nevsky delivering this warning to the captured survivors of the Teutonic Order:
"He who comes to Russia as a guest is welcome, but he who comes to Russia with a sword against a sword shall perish by the sword."
I recently watched a documentary about German prisoners of war from the Battle of Stalingrad. When they were finally released back to Germany in the mid-1950s, one survivor recounted how a Red Army officer approached them. After delivering a speech to the captives, he released them to return home to Germany using those exact same words:

"In Russia, you are always welcome as guests, but he who comes to Russia with a sword against a sword shall perish by the sword."

neondrifter2 said:I’ve heard the score for this film is absolutely phenomenal.

It really shouldn't come as a surprise that the music for Alexander Nevsky is so legendary...

PROKOFIEV, Sergei Sergeevich (1891-1953),
tragically passed away virtually unnoticed by the public, given that he died on the very same day as Stalin!

P.S.
The battle actually took place at the Battle of Lake Chud on April 12, 1242, where the eastward push of the Teutonic Knights—acting under the Pope's banner—was finally halted, effectively establishing the border at Narva!

neondrifter2 said:That movie is an absolute classic from the 30s. I remember catching a clip of it once. I was listening to some stuff about the director recently—people say his other work is just as incredible—and it got me thinking: where can I actually find this thing? Like, where could I go to watch it?🙄

I heard the soundtrack is pretty legendary too.

Maybe I'm overthinking it?🙄

Oh man, I saw that one on TV maybe 20 years ago, and it really stuck with me. Honestly, I've forgotten so many movies lately that actually feel like true art—you know, the kind that hits you deep and leaves you staring at a wall thinking about it for days.

You could probably grab a copy online somewhere. I haven't checked, but I guess you can buy pretty much anything on the internet these days.

Peter Reyes12 said:Sergei Eisenstein (1898-1948)—director of the legendary "Battleship Potemkin" (1925). Alexander Nevsky is a historical epic filmed in 1937 featuring massive battle scenes at Lake Peipus—it’s loaded with patriotic messaging and propaganda. It even foreshadows the German invasion of the USSR four years later: those atrocities committed by Teutonic knights under the Catholic Church against civilians, the burning of villages (specifically that scene where a priest—looks like a bishop?—kills an infant)... and finally, Nevsky’s message to the captured Teutonic knights:
"Those who come to Russia as guests are welcome, but those who come with a sword against a sword shall perish."
I recently watched a documentary about German prisoners from the Battle of Stalingrad—when they were finally released back home in the mid-fifties—and a survivor recounts how a Red Army officer gave a speech and sent them back to Germany using those exact words:

"You are always welcome in Russia as guests, but those who come to Russia with a sword against a sword shall perish."...

👍

Thanks for the info! 👍 I need to track this movie down.🙂 I've heard bits and pieces about it elsewhere.

Peter Reyes12 said:It’s hardly surprising the score for Alexander Nevsky was so epic...

PROKOFIEV, Sergei Sergeevich (1891-1953),
died—unremarkably, if you ask me—on the exact same day as Stalin.

P.S.
The battle took place at Lake Chud on April 12, 1242—when they finally halted the Teutonic Knights' push toward the East under Papal protection, effectively setting the border at Narva.

I read somewhere that those Teutonic Knights were lured onto a section of the lake where the ice was dangerously thin...🙄 😲

Caught a bit of that film on Arte. I’m not sure if I actually liked it, but it was definitely impressive, in an epic kind of way...

I’ve got a copy of Alexander Nevsky on VHS. It’s decent quality, just has some odd subtitles. If anyone wants it, hit me up at: toto_tito_tati@yahoo.com

neondrifter2 said:Where can I track this movie down? Or just watch it?🙄

Maybe I'm asking for too much?🙄

You’re asking for a lot, sure, but nothing you’ve requested is impossible.😉
Honestly, I’m a little jealous of how easy this is for you. I’ve spent years hunting down certain classics, yet here you are, stumbling upon them like someone who just found a lost treasure chest in their backyard.

You could actually catch a screening this Thursday, February 10th, 2005, at 7:00 PM at the local independent theater over in the Tuškanac district. And the best part? It’s free admission.🙂





🙂

If you consider yourself a bit of a cinephile, the site listed above is a goldmine.😉

steelstag4 said:You're asking for a lot, but nothing impossible 😉
I honestly don't know how you get so lucky—I spend years hunting down certain films, yet for you, it’s like they just fall right into your lap...

Quite the coincidence. He hit the nail on the head with that question, so I'm bumping this thread while Eisenstein's cycle is still playing at the local arthouse cinema. 👋

Watched a movie yesterday at the local theater and, to put it mildly—it was a mess. It’s not even because the pro-India propaganda is so blatant; it’s just objectively bad filmmaking. People can argue about the era or the historical context all they want, but some things are just poorly executed beyond repair. And please, don't give me the "well, it's from the 1930s" excuse. That doesn't fly.
I will say I got a few good laughs out of it. Specifically, those shots of snow-covered boats that pop up for a few seconds repeatedly without any real purpose. Even that villainous caricature didn't leave me indifferent. The ending, though? Pure comedy. First, Alexander Nevsky delivers his famous line about Russia and swords, and then they write the exact same thing on screen again. Hilarious.
(Also, Alexander wearing a helmet and swimming goggles... he wasn't exactly the rugged man you'd expect him to be. Maybe if this had been part of a queer film festival, it would have made sense... but I'm not using that as my metric, just saying.)
The battle on the ice is decent enough—that contrast between the sky, the ice, and the soldiers is simple and effective.
But hey, that's just my humble opinion. At least Stalin liked it... 🙄

Maybe try reading up on some Hitchcockian montage theory; then you might actually find something to laugh about.

George Washington isn't actually the best example of that. From a directorial standpoint—specifically regarding the editing—it’s quite weak.
A much stronger example would be Old and New, which was also part of that cycle. You can clearly see its influence extending far beyond cinema, impacting music videos and the broader landscape of visual arts.

In my view, Washington is by far his weakest film.

Man, you took the words right out of my mouth! 👍

Besides, what does theory even matter if I—even as a layman—found certain parts ridiculous when the director clearly intended them to be serious? It just means his "montage theory" isn't holding much water. At least, that’s my take on this specific movie.

It’s entirely possible the movie is a dud—admittedly, I haven't sat through it myself. And frankly, I don't believe you need some fancy film degree just to enjoy a flick. It just reminded me of this one girl from my college days who, after watching a certain triumph of willpower, turned to me and said, "This director seriously has no clue how to edit. She's cutting like a maniac." Something along those lines.