Alexander Newski

Eisenstein's "Alexander Nevsky" was made mostly for propaganda purposes in 1938. It was a reminder to all Russians of their dastardly neighbors (the Nazis) to their west. The film plays on this comparison and several others to a lesser degree. The evil Germanic Teutonic Knights just happen to be of the Christian faith and their religious leaders make for very effective villians. Although Nikolai Cherkasov as Nevsky and Nikolai Okhlopkov as his right-hand man, Vasili, are commanding in their roles, this movie is mainly noted for the final climactic battle between good (the Russians) and pure evil (the Germans). Eisenstein purposely covers the Germans with over-sized helmets so that they're totally devoid of any human facial expressions. On the contrary, the Russian peasants who comprise most of Nevsky's army are portrayed with a variety of emotions and their humanity is not only recognizable but refreshing and appealing to the viewer. When the Teutonic Knights make their charge on the Russian position, the action is fast and furious and it would be difficult to find any other film which stages its action scenes as well as Eisenstein does here. Although a bit dated in the print that I saw (the sound was certainly a bit off) this movie is a must-see for anyone interested in foreign films and especially the Russian cinema during the days of Stalin. The Germans might have thought twice about attacking Russia in 1941 if they had seen this film beforehand. The message was clear back then. In the words of Alexander Nevsky himself: "Do not enter Russia with a sword in your hand." Well, you can't say they weren't warned.