I was surprised today on TCM that they were playing Alexander Nevsky by Sergei M Eisenstein.
For any old film fans his movies are almost must watch. First of all because they're brilliant. Second because his story is amazing. He fought in the Soviet Civil War on the opposite side of the one his father supported. He became one of the best film makers of his time, especially in terms of creating epic movies, that could almost be classed as Soviet Propaganda on the same level as Leni Reifenstein who produced the Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will.
However Segei's stories were these great Russian set piece historical films.
Alexander Nevsky was made at the height of Soviet German tensions and was made to warn the Soviet people of the threat of the German Menace. The plot was based around a 13th century invasion by Tuetonic Knights who were beaten in a huge battle with Russian citizens and the evil army was literally swallowed by a lake. Which is interesting because the Nazi's were later swallowed by the Soviet Winter. When the German's and Stalin signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact the film was pulled from theatres. the film had been seen by an estimated 23 million soviets in its first theatre run
The Battle on the Ice
Battleship Potemkin based on the true events of the crew of the Potemkin rising against their cruel Tsarist commanders. This movie again was exceptional, and a must watch for film buffs.
The Odessa Steps scene
He also made the movie Ivan the Terrible, which was his last film. Stalin was a big fan of Ivan the Terrible, and commissioned Eisenstein to make this biopic. When he was the movie, Stalin was incensed at the portrayal of Ivan and had the film banned, it did not see a theatre until after Stalin's death and was seen as a movie that was critical of Stalin.
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I was surprised today on TCM that they were playing Alexander Nevsky by Sergei M Eisenstein.
For any old film fans his movies are almost must watch. First of all because they're brilliant. Second because his story is amazing. He fought in the Soviet Civil War on the opposite side of the one his father supported. He became one of the best film makers of his time, especially in terms of creating epic movies, that could almost be classed as Soviet Propaganda on the same level as Leni Reifenstein who produced the Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will.
However Segei's stories were these great Russian set piece historical films.
Alexander Nevsky was made at the height of Soviet German tensions and was made to warn the Soviet people of the threat of the German Menace. The plot was based around a 13th century invasion by Tuetonic Knights who were beaten in a huge battle with Russian citizens and the evil army was literally swallowed by a lake. Which is interesting because the Nazi's were later swallowed by the Soviet Winter. When the German's and Stalin signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact the film was pulled from theatres. the film had been seen by an estimated 23 million soviets in its first theatre run
The Battle on the Ice
Battleship Potemkin based on the true events of the crew of the Potemkin rising against their cruel Tsarist commanders. This movie again was exceptional, and a must watch for film buffs.
The Odessa Steps scene
He also made the movie Ivan the Terrible, which was his last film. Stalin was a big fan of Ivan the Terrible, and commissioned Eisenstein to make this biopic. When he was the movie, Stalin was incensed at the portrayal of Ivan and had the film banned, it did not see a theatre until after Stalin's death and was seen as a movie that was critical of Stalin.
Big fan of his. Studied his work in film classes. Goebbels would use his work, specifically Battleship Potemkin, as an example of the power of film to spread propaganda. So yay?
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He became one of the best film makers of his time, especially in terms of creating epic movies, that could almost be classed as Soviet Propaganda on the same level as Leni Reifenstein who produced the Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will.
Just a correction, as the Nazis certainly weren't working with someone named Riefenstein. It's Leni Riefenstahl of course.
Eisenstein is a hugely influential figure in cinema history in terms of his montage technique, particularly with The Battleship Potemkin. Another influential figure working in Russia at the same time was Dziga Vertov whose Man with a Movie Camera (1929) is stunning.
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The films of Sergei Eisenstein
