Alexander Nevsky

Action, Drama, History, War

Nikolai Cherkasov	Aleksandr Nevsky
Nikolai Okhlopkov	Vasili Buslai
Andrei Abrikosov	Gavrilo Oleksich
Dmitri Orlov (III)
Vasili Novikov	Pavsha, Governor of Pskov
Dmitri Orlov	Ignat, the master armorer
Nikolai Arsky	Domash Tverdislavich, a Novgorod boyar
Varvara Massalitinova	Amelfa Timoferevna, Buslai's mother
Vera Ivashova	Olga Danilovna, a maid of Novgorod
Aleksandra Danilova	Vasilisa, a maid of Pskov
Vladimir Yershov	Von Balk, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order
Sergei Blinnikov	Tverdilo, the traitor
Ivan Lagutin	Anani, a monk
Lev Fenin	The Archbishop
Naum Rogozhin	The black-cowled Monk
Fyodor Odinokov
N. Aparin	Mikhalka
A. Gulkovski	Teutonic knight
Leonid Iudov	Savka
Ivan Klyukvin	Pskov warrior
Lyan-Kun	Hubilay

Director	Sergei M. Eisenstein; Dmitri Vasilyev
Writer	Sergei M. Eisenstein; Pyotr Pavlenko

Alexander Nevsky, Sergei Eisenstein's landmark tale of Russia thwarting the German invasion of the 13th century, was wildly popular with home-grown audiences back in 1938, quite intentionally so, given the prevailing Nazi geopolitical advancement and destruction at the time. It can still be viewed as a masterful use of imagery and music, with the "Battle on the Ice" sequence as the obvious highlight. Unfortunately, the rest of the film pales in comparison. A great score by Prokofiev was effectively integrated by the Russian filmmaker, but stands on its own merit as well. --Bill Desowitz, Amazon.com