Alexander Nevsky

Dir. Sergie Eisenstein (Russia 1938)

This movie struck me as particularly nationalist, and then it all made sense after I took a second glance at its release date. Essentially it is the story of how Russia, close to falling to German conquer, calls upon Prince Alexander (the man responsible for a previous victory over Sweden) to save her. There is a grand battle scene where swords clash against swords in this epic set in the 13th century, and ultimately (but not surprisingly) Russia comes out victorious.

I wasn’t particularly captivated by the film, but was impressed with many of the compositions. The shots where the horizon line is placed at the bottom 1/8 of the frame resulted in beautiful dominating skies. The difference in tone in these frame divisions evoked a monochromatic Rothko-esque feel. The production design is especially amazing for a film made in 1938, although you can totally tell some things were made in some indoor set.