Alexander Nevsky
Seen it?1938 | 109 min | Drama, History, War
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for history buffs. If you loved Braveheart or The Last of the Mohicans, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Intense.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 49 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Russian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1938: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
When German knights invade Russia, Prince Alexander Nevsky must rally his people to resist the formidable force. After the Teutonic soldiers take over an eastern Russian city, Alexander stages his stand at Novgorod, where a major battle is fought on the ice of frozen Lake Chudskoe. While Alexander leads his outnumbered troops, two of their number, Vasili and Gavrilo, begin a contest of bravery to win the hand of a local maiden.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
92% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.1 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 61K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Sergei Eisenstein, Dmitriy Vasilev
- Nikolai CherkasovAlexander Nevsky
- Nikolai OkhlopkovVasili Buslai
- Andrei AbrikosovGavrilo Oleksich
- Valentyna IvashovaOlga Danilovna - a Maid of Novgorod
- Lev FeninThe Archbishop
- Sergei BlinnikovTverdilo - Traitorous Mayor of Pskov
- Nikolai ArskyDomash Tverdislavich - a Novgorod Boyar
- Varvara MassalitinovaAmelfa Timoferevna - Buslai's Mother
- Naum RogozhinBlack monk
- Vasiliy NovikovPavsha, Vasilisa's father and voevoda of Pskov