History Film / AlexanderNevsky

** Prince Alexander was a very shrewd politician who spent most of his life feuding with other Russian princes. Also, he submitted to the Mongols and paid tribute to them after seeing them obliterate nearly every other Russian state - in fact, the army he led against the Teutonics did include some mongol cavalry. The film -- following a [[OlderThanTheyThink tradition]] much older than Stalinism -- focuses on his younger years.

** Prince Alexander was a very shrewd politician who spent most of his life feuding with other Russian princes. Also, he submitted to the Mongols and paid tribute to them after seeing them obliterate nearly every other russian state - in fact, the army he led against the Teutonics did include some mongol cavalry. The film -- following a [[OlderThanTheyThink tradition]] much older than Stalinism -- focuses on his younger years.

* RecycledProp: The distinctive helmets worn by the Knights reappear even after one wearer has been killed.

** Finally, Tverdillo qualifies big time. He betrayed the Russian people and helped the German Teutonic knights in their crimes. It was very satisfying to see him being torn by the mob.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The film features a Russian Orthodox saint as a protagonist, presents medieval Russia in a positive light, and glorifies non-Communist Russian patriotism. All these things were looked down upon by Soviet authorities and intellectuals critical of what was termed Great Russian Chauvinism, yet Eisenstein got away with it.

* NotableOriginalMusic: Prokofiev's score.

It is worth noting that because the movie was made during the Stalinist regime, it also contains quite a few Soviet political subtexts, such as the anti-religious, anti-German stance of the communist government of that time and the portrayal of Nevsky as a wise and courageous leader―reflecting how Stalin had himself portrayed during his "cult of personality" campaign. Unfortunately for Eisenstein, the film debuted just months before the non-aggression treaty between the USSR and Nazi Germany, and he was forced to pull the movie from theaters―until the German invasion of Russia in 1941, after which it was hurried into theaters again. Despite its (''very'') [[{{Anvilicious}} heavy-handed]] Soviet subtext, the film is still considered an excellent work and enjoyed great success and continuing influence both in and outside the Soviet Union.

You can watch ''Alexander Nevsky'' [[https://russianfilmhub.com/movies/alexander-nevsky-1938/ here]].

* BattleInterruptingDuel: Nevsky and the Grandmaster duel each other. Unfortunately; it ends up looking somewhat silly to modern audiences (at one point the Grandmaster seems to teleport into the middle of the screen).
* BeardOfEvil: Inverted. The Russians have beards while the Teutonic Knights are all clean-shaven, which is a [[ArtisticLicenseHistory departure from history]]: their rule ''required'' them to sport a beard. This was probably for patriotic reasons, as the Russian Orthodox Church ''also'' once required its members to have beards and not shave, so it serves as an easy way to highlight difference from the Russian perspective.

You can watch Alexander Nevsky [[https://russianfilmhub.com/movies/alexander-nevsky-1938/ here]].

* TinTyrant: The Grand Master.

** Prince Alexander was a very shrewd politician who spent most of his life feuding with other Russian princes. The film -- following a [[OlderThanTheyThink tradition]] much older than Stalinism -- focuses on his younger years.

* ISurrenderSuckers: [[spoiler: Ananias surrenders to Ignat, then grabs his knife and stabs him in the throat before running away]].

* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Ananias, the traitor, is turned over to the people of Novgorod by Nevsky, and is subsequently killed by the mob]].

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: It is ''possible'' that the archbishop is supposed to represent particularly the then [[UsefulNotes/ThePope Pope, Pius XI]], who was ardently anti-communist; the cardinal bears a very superficial resemblance to the rather emaciated. Alexander, of course, stands for [[UsefulNotes/JosefStalin Stalin]], as he wished to be considered, though there is no physical resemblance.

* BloodlessCarnage: Not a single drop of blood is shed in the film, despite an impressive body count. Perhaps due to a SpecialEffectsFailure, as it was much more difficult to create realistic gore 70 years ago.

** Knowing the Bylins (heroic folk stories) makes Vasiliy Buslay look more like HeroicComedicSociopath. Remember his plans of going to Volga to "play with the [[AxCrazy axe]]"
* [[strike:[[HollywoodTactics Hollywood]]]] [[HollywoodTactics Mosfilm Tactics]]: Some instances, but the writers tried to follow the course of the battle as described by Old Russian chronicles.

* LightIsNotGood: The Knights and monks are wearing pristine-white capes and robes.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: It is ''possible'' that the archbishop is supposed to represent particularly the then [[UsefulNotes/ThePope Pope, Pius XII]], who was ardently anti-communist and was regarded by some (then as now) as inclined to favor the Germans; the cardinal bears a very superficial resemblence to the rather emaciated [[http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/classes/33d/projects/church/churchpix/PiusXII.gif Pontiff]]. Alexander, of course, stands for [[UsefulNotes/JosefStalin Stalin]], as he wished to be considered, though there is no physical resemblence.

* UncertainDoom: The German Bishop is last seen lying down on the ice and later we see the knights drowning. As he is not seen with the arrested leaders afterwards, it can be assumed he drowned along with the majority of the knights.

* WarriorPoet: Alexander is as good with words as he is with swords. His {{Sidekick}} Gavrilo Oleksich also qualifies.

* [[YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe Ye Old Butcherede Russhyanne]] : All the Russian characters speak ''faux'' Old Russian, sometimes bordering on [[YouNoTakeCandle Yoda Speak]]. Unusual word order have the English subtitles on [=DVD=].

* TheBlacksmith: Ignat, who is also a BadassGrandpa.

* TinTyrant: The Grand Master

* EpicMovie

* BadassBeard: Alexander, and, what the heck, almost the entire Russian army. The Teutonic Knights are all clean-shaven, which is a [[ArtisticLicenseHistory departure from history]]: their rule ''required'' them to sport a BeardOfEvil. This was probably for patriotic reasons, as the Russian Orthodox Church ''also'' once required its members to have beards and not shave, so it serves as an easy way to highlight difference from the Russian perspective.

* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: In the battle on the ice, the Teutonic Knights wear white surcoats and bucket-shaped helmets, the Russians wear dark clothing and conical helmets.

* GoodRepublicEvilEmpire: Novgorod at its height was a feudal republic with the prince being elected by the city council, severely limited in power and mostly just a figurehead -- unless there was an imminent military threat. By contrast, the Knights were vassals of the HolyRomanEmpire, and the Mongols... You get the idea.

* {{Expy}}: Just as UsefulNotes/TheTeutonicKnights are used as [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Nazis By Another Name]], the Mongols represent the [[ImperialJapan Japanese]].

* TakeNoPrisoners: Averted. At the end of the film, Alexander asks what is to be done with the German prisoners. One of his lieutenants says to let the mooks go free because "they were forced to fight," and Alexander then says that the Knights will be kept for ransom.