Cinemallennials: Alexander Nevsky
By Dave Lewis
Before we get into the show today, this episode was recorded on December 2nd, 2021, 54 days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. When the invasion occurred Rachael and I made sure that we wanted to make this and the following points clear. We stand with Ukraine and that we made this with the intention of discussing the film’s historical and cultural significance and to contextualize it for our time.
On today’s episode of Cinemallennials I talked to Rachael Crawley, making it 3 out of three K Cut hosts and we talked about Sergei Eisenstein’s medieval epic, Alexander Nevsky. Mostly known for his Soviet supported and majorly influential films like Battleship Potempkin, and October: Ten Days that Shook the World, Sergei Eisenstein is not only considered one of the first film theorists, but is often considered as one of the greatest artists the screen has ever known.
While Nevsky isn’t the first propaganda film, it’s visionary director, paved the way we see historical epics and how they are created. From his use of under-cranking the camera, shot composition, and use of powerful score, Eisenstein began a seemingly never ending thread of how moving images can influence an audience into believing that they too can emulate the characters and situations on screen.
Alexander Nevsky follows the story of The Battle on the Ice, a pivotal conflict in Russian history in which Russian Prince Alexander Nevksy, fought The Germanic Teutonic Order fought to save Russian Orthodoxy. After the knights of the Teutonic Order sack the city of Pskov Alexander rallies his the peasantry to form a small army in order to repel the almighty power of the papally backed Teutonic Knights. Alexander Nevsky and its impact today exhibits just how powerfully long lasting the silver screen can be. So sit back, relax, and let there be no more war.
Cinemallennials is a podcast where Dave and another millennial are introduced to a classic film for the very first time ranging from the birth of cinema to the 1960s. Dave and his guest will open your eyes to the vast landscape of classic film as they discuss the films' performers, their performances, those behind the camera, and how they and their films still influence our world today. You can find his official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram profiles here.