Alexander Nevsky (1938)

Sergei Eisenstein's "Alexander Nevsky"

In 1938, the Soviet Union had a very strained relationship with Germany. Germany was ramping up its war preparation efforts and the Soviets had to be ready. Sergei Eisenstein, almost 10 years after making his last picture, was given a choice of several historical subjects to film by Soviet film tsar Boris Shumyatsky. Eisenstein chose the mostly unknown 13th century story of the Russian victory over German knights of the Teutonic order, led by warrior prince Alexander Nevsky. This historical event would serve as the first sound film that Eisenstein ever made. It's subject would also prove important. The victory over German invaders would become an important story to tell at a time when war was impending and the Russian country would need to come together to stand against those who would inevitably invade. 

The film opens with a reminder that Russia has been at war plenty of times. The most recent of these wars in the film was the victory over Mongolian invaders. The opening shots of the film features a bright and sunny landscape of skeletons and battered war remnants. This not only signifies that 13th century Russia had just had its full share of war and bloodshed, but also that 20th century Russia had as well, with World War I. We are then shown Mongolians traveling the landscape and happening upon Russian peasants. It is interesting the way Eisenstein portrays the two contrasting cultures. While the Mongolians are shown looking dirty and shifty, the Russian people are shown to look beautiful and glowing with clear faces and bright fair hair. This seemed to resemble the same techniques used by Nazi Germany's propaganda films at the time, in which everyone who was not German was portrayed as visually dirty and unappealing to look at - while Germans were blonde and beautiful. The portrayals of the differing cultures in Alexander Nevsky firmly cements its nationalist perspective. 

However, it is not the Mongolians that Prince Nevsky is concerned with, as he commands them to keep moving south - rather he warns of a far more viscous and concerning foe - the Catholic Germans. The film not only presents itself as very Russian nationalist, but also anti-Catholic. This becomes very apparent during the scene in which the Teutonic knights take over the Russian city of Pskov. Catholic imagery is very apparent and on display during this scene. However, it is not the Catholic imagery that underlines this point. Rather, it is the Catholic imagery in congruency with the acts of savagery displayed by its wearers. One such image presented on the screen is that of men garnished in robes bearing the cross of Christ throwing Russian babies into the fire. These acts of violence and barbarism in direct visual correlation with the image of the cross and Catholic symbols creates a very specific perspective about the religion itself and those who practice it. This is not an unfamiliar point of view for Eisenstein. In Battleship Potemkin, we see the Catholic priest become a symbol of oppressive authority and in Old and New, we see the followers of the Catholic troops be visually compared to sheep. The film firmly establishes not only the Germans as the definitive enemy, but also the Catholic ideology as equally intertwined in the violence. 

Another element of Alexander Nevsky that seems to run through the work of Eisenstein is his disdain of the upper class. While Russian peasants are calling on Nevsky to unite their forces to defend against the evil German invaders, many of the members of the Russian upper-class are pleading for abandonment. They believe in the 'every man for himself' mentality, and want to abandon their fellow citizens. This does not go over well - Nevsky strips them of their possessions and arrests them for being traitors to the Russian people. The disdain for the selfish bourgeois class is another evident factor in Eisenstein's work due to his continued Communist ideology.

The Russian prince Alexander Nevsky is summoned by the Russian people to lead them against these vicious invaders. His confidence and strength make him the perfect leader. He is portrayed without fault and without fear. However, even though he is viewed upon this pedestal, it is the Russian people who come out as the heroes of the film. As much as Nevsky is the protagonist and centerpiece of the film, it is the Russian people that are shown as being the defenders of the Russian lands. Even Nevsky's battle strategy of trapping the German wedge around Russian forces from all sides came from one of the Russian civilians. This civilian was telling a story around the fire of a rabbit being chased by a fox - the rabbit led the fox through thick brush only for the fox to become trapped by it. The rabbit then comes behind the stuck fox and molests it from behind. This story by the Russian countryman gave Nevsky the idea to trap the German army and penetrate from behind. It is also the Russian peasants and countrymen who are shown doing all the fighting. Even if Nevsky leads his men into battle, it is the side characters and the masses that become the primary focus of the fighting sequences. And in the end, it is the Russian people banding together that saves the country. This notion is a common one in Eisenstein's work due to his Soviet Communist sensibilities. 

 

The centerpiece and most historically significant element of the film is definitely the thirty minute "Battle on Ice" sequence. Prince Nevsky has brought the people of Russia together, laid out a framework for victory, and has led them to the location for where the battle will commence. His plan is to trap the German forces and attack them from behind - inevitably leading them onto the great frozen lake, where they will break the ice and sink into the freezing waters below. The battle sequences themselves are very influential to film history and have even influenced battle sequences in other films, like Laurence Olivier's Henry V, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, and Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus. The battle itself is very anticipated due to the increased tension Eisenstein creates. The shots of the oncoming forces moving slowly over the horizon creates this anticipation. We see them in the distance moving slowly but surely forward closer and closer to the frame - this gives us a sense of suspense. This suspense and anticipation explodes when the two forces collide. What follows is madness. The battle starts off as pure chaos. This chaos and disorientation is achieved by Eisenstein using so many moving bodies in the frame, rapid editing, and even moving the bodies at a faster rate per frame than normal. The viewer cannot plant their attention on one single thing, causing a sense of confusion in the chaos. There is also a POV-esque shot from Nevsky - as the camera assumes his point of view and looks left and right at the fast-moving battle, never actually able to see anything other than out-of-focus moving bodies. After the initial disorientation, Eisenstein finally shows us some things we can concentrate our focus on - namely individual Russian characters we have come to know up to this point. We are able to follow their individual actions as they maneuver their way through the battle, one after the other. Once the Russian forces being to gain the upper hand and descend on the enemy fleet from behind, Eisenstein begins to slow time down. Where once everything was happening too fast to comprehend the madness, now the viewer can clearly see what is happening; the soldiers are moving congruently with our ability to perceive their actions. This technique ensures that we are able to not only follow what's happening, but we visually see our Russian protagonists overcoming their enemies. This makes the viewer more grounded in the events, able to grab hold of individual actions. Because of this, the viewer does not feel as disoriented as before and feels more comfortable. This comfortability echoes the Russian soldier's confidence in victory. 

Another way Eisenstein employs Russian nationalism in the film is through his use of masking the enemy German soldiers. While the Russian soldiers are either partially or fully showing their faces, the German forces' faces are completely covered. This not only dehumanizes the German soldiers - making them faceless enemies - but it also provides the viewer with a visual understanding of who they are meant to root for in the midst of so many moving pieces. Some of the helmets worn by the German soldiers also seem to resemble Stahlhelms wore by the Germans in World War I. Not only is this a comparison to the Germans enemies of the first World War, but the Catholic priest on the side of the Germans appears to be adorning a symbol that resembles the Nazi swastika on his headdress.

The Russian forces are able to defeat the German forces and force them onto the ice to their death. The message that ran at the end of the film seemed to be a call to arms for the contemporary Russian viewers: "He who comes with a sword shall die by the sword. So stands Russia." The film was meant to ready the people for the inevitable German invasion. The film itself was a crowd-pleaser and opened to great success. It was circulated through Russia at the end of 1938 to help establish the readiness for conflict. It was then circulated internationally in 1939 and was critically lauded. The circulation ceased in August of 1939, however, due to the non-aggression treaty the Soviets and the Nazis signed. That was reversed again in 1942 when the Nazis invaded Russia. Stalin wanted the film to re-circulate in order to re-instigate the need for German opposition. Even if the film is considered propaganda to many due to its nationalistic perspective, many film critics and historians see Eisenstein's work as remarkable with his trademark innovative use of visual language.