“Alexander Nevsky” is a spectacularly staged 1938 historical pageant about the attempted invasion of Novgorod, Russia by the Germanic Teutonic Knights of the Holy Roman Empire in 1242 and how they were defeated by the indomitable Russian people led by Alexander Nevsky. The characters are all two dimensional but nicely photographed, as is most everything. The battle is difficult and prolonged and I ponder the number of actual injuries inflicted during its recreation. There is a bit of comic relief contributed by two of Nevsky’s commanders who vie for the hand of a particular maiden – which leads to a moment which is cleverly both touching and funny at the end of the film.

When the Russian people ultimately withstand the invasion, Eisenstein’s Nevsky prophetically proclaims; “Go tell all in foreign lands that Russia lives! Those who come to us in peace will be welcome as a guest. But those who come to us sword in hand will die by the sword! On that Russia stands and forever will we stand!” Within a few years would come a new assault by Hitler’s German forces which the Russian people again withstood at great cost.

A reasonably good historical drama elevated by its historical importance.