Alexander Nevsky

2. ALEXANDER NEVSKY (1938-USSR). Directed by SERGEI Eisenstein, music by Prokoiev. This spectacular historical pageant depicts the invasion Of Russia by evil Teutonic knights in 1241, and their defeat by noble Prince Alexander on ice-covered Lake Peipus. The film reaches its climax with the memorable Battle on the ice, which ironically, was shot during a July heat wave. A huge, flat field, covered with a mixture Of glass, alabaster, chalk and salt, duplicated the atmosphere Of the frozen lake. EisensteinÕs brilliant montage techniques, coupled with Prokoiev’s famous music score, create the chilling tension preceding the battle; the battle itself, one Of the most exciting ever filmed, blends highly expressive visual compositions and musical phrases to capture all Of the suspense, horror, moments Of calm, and prolonged assaults Of combat. Eisenstein intended the film as a strong attack on the expansionist policies Of Nazi Germany. The Soviet-German pact Of 1940 resulted in the temporary shelving Of the film, but its previous release had already helped to unify the popular resistance against the Nazis. In Russian with English subtitles. 108 minutes. Eisenstein