50 Years of Janus Films: Episode I

Александр Невский (Alexander Nevsky)
Sergei Eisenstein, 1938

Great art is a reflection of the times; great propaganda, a reflection of the minds of that time. Many would not associate propaganda with art, but the films Sergei Eisenstein produced for the Soviet government from 1917 until his death in 1948 can be called nothing less. The ulterior motive of this Stalinist epic is brutally clear; foreign invasion must be stopped at all costs. But the stunning visuals, storytelling, and composition of this film, along with the incomparable soundtrack by Sergei Prokofiev (a must for every hardcore film buff,) hint at a greater work which transcends the party message.

Lenin once said film is the media of the masses, it was in this spirit that Soviet filmmaking took off in the late '10's and early '20's of the past century. Borrowing techniques from American and European filmmakers, the Russian school of film pioneered new methods of editing and montage to convey visual tapestries of emotion. Eisenstein, creator of the silent masterpiece "Battleship Potemkin," worked with a style called "intellectual montage," in which the framing, juxtaposition, and composition of scenes create an emotional and aesthetic tapestry of meaning. This is particularly apparent in the scenes at the Teutonic Knights' camp in which the Catholic mass is made to look almost like a Nazi rally, complete with Iron Crosses and a symbol which looks strikingly like a swastika. This is also clear in scenes of pastoral Russia, in which the low angle of framing emphasizes the space and sheer magnitude of the land, and the unity and singularity of the people.

Before getting into the nitty-gritty, a bit of history; Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky was the grand prince of Novgorod and Vladimir in the 13th century. He defeated the Swedes at the battle on the Neva, giving him the name "Nevsky" from the river. The action of the film concentrates on his routing of the Livonian Knights (in the film, called "Teutonic Knights," or "Germans") on Lake Peipus. However, all this leads me to feel like I'm working on my Russian History paper, which I should be doing.

In the film, Alexander Nevsky leads an army of Russian peasants against the fearsome German invaders. Here is where the polities of the time are most clear, the Catholic Germans represent the two greatest enemies to Stalin's state: Religion, and Hitler's Germany. Fearsome is right, as we bear witness to German Knights hanging civilians and throwing babies into a fire.

The film opens as Alexander Nevsky, played by Nikolai Cherkasov (whom you may have seen as the title character in "Ivan the Terrible,") has left politics to live as a simple fisher on the river of his namesake. Meanwhile, the teutons invade neighboring Pskov and massacre its people. The call goes out to summon Alexander Nevsky, who raises an army of peasants and goes to meet the teutonic knights in battle on the frozen lake Pleshcheevo.

Like most epics of Soviet Realism, the film is extremely black and white; the German teutons are evil, Alexander and the Russians are good. They battle, good triumphs over evil. But it is the craft-work of the film; the editing and composition, specifically in the battle sequence, are an historical contribution to filmmaking. Keep in mind this film was made in 1938, years before war epics like Ben Hur and Spartacus. The scene on the ice after the battle, in which dirges are sung for the dead and dying, is one of the most poignant and touching scenes to date.

The film also differs from most pictures in the Soviet Union at the time, which focused more on nationalistic issues than those of foreign policy. Although Russia and Germany were still technically "allies" at the time the film was made, it alludes to German invasion, which occurred in 1939. What followed in the war period was a lull in Soviet filmmaking, understandable in light of the enormous horrors and privations Russia faced at the hands of the Nazis. Ultimately the Soviet Union triumphed over the forces of fascism, thanks in no small part to the spirit created by works like "Alexander Nevsky." It begs the question, how useful is art in matters of national importance?

Next Episode: "Popiół i diament" (Ashes and Diamonds), 1958, Andrzej Wajda.

Peace,
Nathan Schrader