Sergei Eisenstein

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Lore & Background

Eisenstein made *Alexander Nevsky* in association with Dmitri Vasilyev and with a script co-written with Pyotr Pavlenko. They were assigned to ensure that Eisenstein did not stray into 'formalism' and to facilitate shooting on a reasonable timetable. The film depicts the attempted invasion of Novgorod in the 13th century by the Teutonic Knights and their defeat by Prince Alexander Nevsky. While shooting, Eisenstein published an article in *Izvestia* drawing a specific parallel between Nevsky and Stalin. The Kremlin requested an advance screening, and during the process, one reel featuring a brawl among the populace of Novgorod disappeared. Whether it was left behind inadvertently or Stalin objected to it, the filmmakers decided to destroy the reel permanently since it had not received Stalin's explicit approval. The film was released in December 1938 and became a great success: by April 15, 1939, it had been viewed by 23,000,000 people and was the most popular of films made in recent times.

Reader's Guide

Eisenstein's *Alexander Nevsky* is less experimental in narrative structure than his previous films, telling one story with a single narrative arc and focusing on one main character. The film climaxes in the half-hour Battle of the Ice, propelled by Prokofiev's musical narrative. This climactic set piece was the first to be filmed, shot during a blazing hot summer on a location outside Moscow. Cinematographer Eduard Tisse used a filter to suggest winter light, painted trees light blue and dusted them with chalk, created an artificial horizon out of sand, and constructed simulated ice sheets out of asphalt and melted glass supported by floating pontoons. The film was the first of Eisenstein's dramatic films to use sound. The creation of *Alexander Nevsky* was a collaboration: some of the film was shot to Prokofiev's music and some of Prokofiev's music was composed to Eisenstein's footage. After the USSR signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact on August 23, 1939, *Alexander Nevsky* was removed from circulation, but the situation reversed dramatically on June 22, 1941 after the Axis invasion, and the film rapidly returned to Soviet and western screens.

Did You Know?

• Eisenstein made *Alexander Nevsky* as his first completed film in 10 years.
• During an advance screening for Stalin, one reel of the film disappeared and was permanently destroyed because it lacked Stalin's explicit approval.
• The Battle of the Ice sequence was shot during a blazing hot summer, with cinematographer Eduard Tisse using melted glass and asphalt to simulate ice sheets.
• After the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact was signed on August 23, 1939, *Alexander Nevsky* was removed from circulation, but returned to screens after the Axis invasion on June 22, 1941.
• In 1978, the film was included in the world's 100 best motion pictures according to an opinion poll by Italian publisher Arnoldo Mondadori Editore.

Production Under Political Scrutiny

Eisenstein made *Alexander Nevsky* as his first completed film in a full decade, working during the Stalin era at a moment of acute tension between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. The production ran through Goskino's Mosfilm unit, but Eisenstein was far from a solo operation. Dmitri Vasilyev was attached to the project, and Pyotr Pavlenko co-wrote the script from his own literary scenario titled *Rus*. Their explicit mandate was to prevent Eisenstein from drifting into formalism and to keep the shoot on a realistic timetable. Pavlenko, a novelist firmly aligned with socialist realist orthodoxy, functioned as an ideological watchdog the authorities could trust. The political allegory was unmistakable: the Teutonic Knights served as a stand-in for Nazi Germany, with early script drafts even placing swastikas on the invaders' helmets, and some infantry headgear resembling World War I Stahlhelms. The film also carried sharp anti-clerical and anti-Catholic undertones, with the knights' bishop's miter decorated with swastikas. Eisenstein himself published an article in *Izvestia* drawing a direct parallel between Nevsky and Stalin, which prompted the Kremlin to request an advance screening.

Narrative and Thematic Architecture

The film follows Prince Alexander Nevsky as he defends Novgorod against a Teutonic Order invasion in the 13th century. After the Teutons conquer Pskov with the aid of the traitor Tverdilo and massacre its population, Alexander rallies the common people of the Novgorod region to mount a resistance. The climactic Battle of the Ice unfolds on the frozen surface of Lake Chudskoe, where the Teutonic forces are decisively defeated. A central thematic pillar is the power of ordinary people to save Russia, while nobles and merchants are depicted as idle bourgeoisie who contribute nothing. A romantic subplot tracks the rivalry between warriors Vasili Buslai and Gavrilo Oleksich, both courting Olga Danilovna in a contest of courage and skill. Vasilisa, a Pskovian maiden whose father was killed by the Teutons, joins the army and proves herself a formidable fighter, ultimately slaying the monk Ananias. In the film's resolution, Vasili publicly credits Vasilisa as the bravest warrior of all, and the two couples find their pairings.

Collaborators and Creative Team

The film assembled a remarkable ensemble of talent across every department. Nikolai Cherkasov delivered the title performance as Prince Alexander Nevsky, while Andrei Abrikosov embodied the warrior Gavrilo Oleksich and Nikolai Okhlopkov took the role of Vasili Buslaev. Valentina Ivashova portrayed Olga Danilovna, and Aleksandra Danilova brought vivid life to Vasilisa. Vladimir Yershov played the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, and Sergei Blinnikov portrayed the traitor Tverdilo. The musical score was composed by Sergei Prokofiev, lending a powerful sonic architecture to the epic. The production was a collective effort under the Mosfilm banner, with Eisenstein directing alongside Vasilyev and Pavlenko shaping the script. In 1941, Eisenstein, Pavlenko, Cherkasov, and Abrikosov were jointly awarded the Stalin Prize for the film, a state honor that recognized the collaborative achievement. *Alexander Nevsky* stood as the first and most popular of Eisenstein's three sound films, marking a significant evolution in his body of work.

Reception, Legacy, and the Lost Reel

*Alexander Nevsky* premiered in December 1938 and became an enormous audience success. By April 15, 1939, the chairman of the State Committee for Cinematography reported that twenty-three million people had already seen it, making it the most popular film of recent times. The film's political context shifted dramatically after August 23, 1939, when the USSR signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with Germany, altering the allegorical framework that had driven its creation. During the advance screening arranged for Stalin, one reel featuring a brawl among Novgorod's populace went missing. Whether it was accidentally left in the editing room or removed at the General Secretary's objection, the filmmakers destroyed it permanently since it lacked Stalin's explicit approval. Decades later, in 1978, an opinion poll conducted by Italian publisher Arnoldo Mondadori Editore placed the film among the world's one hundred best motion pictures. Russia Beyond also ranks it among the ten best Russian war films, confirming its enduring cultural significance.