Film: Alexander Nevsky Directed by Sergei Eisenstein

1938, USSR, 110 min, in Russian with English subtitles

Saturday, August 5, 1:30-4:00pm, Members $8, Nonmembers $12. Pre-registration is suggested. Call 978.598.5000 x121
A cinematic epic about one of Russia’s greatest historical heroes by one of its most renowned filmmakers. Eisenstein drew on history, Russian folk narratives, and the techniques of Walt Disney to create this broadly painted epic of Russian resilience. The story of Teutonic knights vanquished by Prince Alexander Nevsky’s tactical brilliance resonated deeply with a Soviet Union concerned with the rise of Nazi Germany, and became a cinematographic manifesto of the Russian national ideal. Widely imitated—most notably by Laurence Olivier’s Battle of Agincourt re-creation for Henry V—the “Battle on the Ice” scene remains one of the most famous audio-visual experiments in film history, perfectly blending action with the rousing score by Sergei Prokofiev.

Prof. John Michalczyk, Co-Director of Film Studies at Boston College, will give a short talk to introduce the film, and lead an audience discussion.