Aleksandr Nevskiy (1938)

Directors:

Sergei M. Eisenstein
Dmitri Vasilyev

Writers:

Sergei M. Eisenstein (writer)
Pyotr Pavlenko (writer)

Release Date:

22 March 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | War

Plot:

The story of how a great Russian prince led a ragtag army to battle an invading force of Teutonic Knights.

Plot Keywords:

Knight | Prince | Battle | Russia | Invasion

Cast

Nikolai Cherkasov	...	Aleksandr Nevsky (as N. Cherkasov)
Nikolai Okhlopkov	...	Vasili Buslai (as N. Okhlopkov)
Andrei Abrikosov	...	Gavrilo Oleksich (as A. Abrikosov)
Dmitri Orlov	...	Ignat - the Master Armorer (as D. Orlov)
Vasili Novikov	...	Pavsha - Governor of Pskov (as V. Novikov)
Nikolai Arsky	...	Domash Tverdislavich - a Novgorod Boyar (as N. Arsky)
Varvara Massalitinova	...	Amelfa Timoferevna - Buslai's Mother (as V. Massalitova)
Vera Ivashova	...	Olga Danilovna - a Maid of Novgorod (as V. Ivashova)
Aleksandra Danilova	...	Vasilisa - a Maid of Pskov (as A. Danilova)
Vladimir Yershov	...	Von Balk - Grand Master of the Teutonic Order (as V. Yershov)
Sergei Blinnikov	...	Tverdilo - Traitorous Mayor of Pskov (as S. Blinnikov)
Ivan Lagutin	...	Anani - a Monk (as I. Lagutin)
Lev Fenin	...	The Archbishop (as L. Fenin)
Naum Rogozhin	...	The Black-Hooded Monk (as N. Rogozhin)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nikolai Aparin	...	Mikhalka (uncredited)
A. Gulkovski	...	Teutonic Knight (uncredited)
Leonid Iudov	...	Savka (uncredited)
Ivan Klyukvin	...	Pskov Warrior (uncredited)
Lyan-Kun	...	Hubilay (uncredited)
Fyodor Odinokov	...	(uncredited)
Pavel Pashkov	...	Mikula (uncredited)
Nikolai Vitovtov	...	Teutonic Knight (uncredited)

Directed by
Sergei M. Eisenstein		(as S. Eisenstein)
Dmitri Vasilyev		(as D. Vasilyev)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sergei M. Eisenstein		writer (as S. Eisenstein)
Pyotr Pavlenko		writer (as P. Pavlenko)

Original Music by
Sergei Prokofiev		(as S. Prokofiev)

Cinematography by
Eduard Tisse		(as E. Tisse)

Film Editing by
Sergei M. Eisenstein		(uncredited)
Esfir Tobak		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Iosif Shpinel

Art Direction by
Sergei M. Eisenstein		(uncredited)
Nikolai Solovyov		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Sergei M. Eisenstein		(uncredited)
Konstantin Yeliseyev		(uncredited)

Production Management
Igor Vakar	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Valentina Kuznetsova	....	assistant director
Boris Ivanov	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Nikolai Maslov	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
A. Artsikhovsky	....	artistic consultant

Sound Department
Vladimir Bogdankevich	....	sound engineer (as V. Bogdankevich)
Neil Cedar	....	foley recordist: 1990 revision
Tony Faulkner	....	sound recordist (1990 revision)
Ken Hahn	....	sound re-recording mixer: 1990 revision
Valeri Popov	....	sound
Boris Volsky	....	sound
Rick Wessler	....	foley artist: 1990 revision

Special Effects by
L. Posorov	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
A. Astafyev	....	assistant camera
Nikolai Bolshakov	....	assistant camera
Sergei Uralov	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
N. Lamarov	....	costume maker
N. Makarov	....	costume maker

Music Department
William David Brohn	....	orchestra director, 1990 revision
Vladimir Lugovskoi	....	lyricist
Yuri Temirkanov	....	conductor (1995 digital re-recording) (as Yu. Temirkanov)

Other crew
Sonya Friedman	....	english subtitler, 1990 revision
K. Kalmykov	....	military consultant
Julian Leigh	....	subtitler (1938 US release)
Elena S. Telesheva	....	actor direction consultant

Production Companies

• Mosfilm

Distributors

• Amkino Corporation (1939) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Panthéon Distribution (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Artkino Pictures (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (new subtitles) (reissue)
• Janus Films (1970) (USA) (theatrical) (new subtitles) (reissue)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Moskwood Media (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Moskwood Media (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sovexportfilm (19??) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Empresa Hispanoamericana de Video (EHV) (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Top1Video (19??) (USA) (VHS) (Russian language only)

Also Known As:

Александр Невский (Soviet Union: Russian title)
Aleqsandre Neveli (Soviet Union: Georgian title)
Alexander Nevsky (USA)

Runtime:

112 min | France:90 min

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Portugal:M/6 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Moscow, Russia

Company:

Mosfilm

Trivia:

Propaganda 1 Pro-communism/ Russia: the call for peasants to rise up and defeat the invaders; the involvement of a woman (Vasilisa) in the army and at the forefront of the struggle; the banishment of the moneyed men (the bourgeoisie) from the town as the peasants arrive; the forgiveness of the Russian people to the foot soldiers of the Teutonic knights (as these foot soldiers were forced to serve the knights).

Goofs:

Factual errors: The cross displayed on the shields borne by the Teutonic knights is different in shape and colour to the actual one on their coat of arms.

Quotes:

Pavsha - Governor of Pskov: [He has been hung by the Germans from the top of a tower] Go to Pereyaslavl! Summon Alexander! Dead Pskov calls out to you, Alexander!
[He dies]

Movie Connections:

Edited into The Secret Glory (2001)

Top ten favorites. Alexander Nevsky

Alexander Nevsky (1938) is a brilliant piece of cinematic propaganda. The people of Russia are threatened by two major enemies, the Mongols and the Teutonic Knights of the Holy Roman Empire. In ordered to unite the warring, rival Princes in the Russian Realm, Nevsky takes charge and fights the lesser of two evils (The Teutonics). This influential film was copied many times over and it still holds up to this day. The soundtrack by composer Prokiev and Eisentstein's direction are a sight and sound to behold Many years later, John Milius used many of the movies scenes, set pieces and costumes from this film and incorporated them into Conan.

One of my favorite lines from Conan was taken from this movie. "It's not the strength of the iron in a weapon but the strength of the person that wields it is what matters." The comparisons are unmistakable. The armor that James Earl Jones and the Leader of the Teutonic Knights wear are virtually identical. A true tribute paid from one director to another.

I give Alexander Nevsky one of my highest recommendations. The movie plays like the final Act of Richard III. The presence of Prince Alexander on the screen is truly amazing.