Sergei Eisenstein

Post-1932 films:On the way to Ivan The

Terrible

Sergei Eisenstein - post 1932

In 1932 returns from Mexico to USSR

In 1936-7 makes Bezhin Meadow

Attacked by the authorities, forced to halt production (by Boris Shumiatski, head of film policy, later executed on Stalin’s order)

Bezhin Meadow

The title borrowed from a classical story by Ivan Turgenev.

Film based on a story of a 14-year old boy, PavlikMorozov, killed by his father and grandfather in 1932 for revealing their criminal activity.

Bezhin Meadow

Contains biblical motifs (ex., Abram and Isaac).

The film was accused of promoting “religious mythology” and having insufficient ideological and artistic value.

Eisenstein was told to provide “an optimistic ending.”

Shumiatski insisted on destroying the film.

Bezhin Meadow

BezhinMeadow: the theme of a child as a martyr

AlexandrNevsky (1938)Eisenstein’s first sound film

Co-director Dmitri Vasiliev (author of a “heroic epic” Chapaev, 1934).

Script with PiotrPavlenko (giftless writer pleasing Stalin).

Music: Sergei Prokofiev (classical score).

AleksandrNevsky

Starring: Nikolai Cherkasov as Alexander Nevsky.

Return to traditional values. Russians defend themselves against “dog-knights” – the Teutonic order (battle in 1242)

Shooting AleksandrNevsky

AlexandrNevsky

Set: recreated 13th Century Pskov and Novgorod; filmed battle on ice in mid-summer (chalk powder, liquid glass, wooden “ice”).

“Hollywoodization”: sets as opposed to shooting on location.

Back to mainstream cinema: tells a story, has a love interest.

The Battle

New, “Operatic style”

• Heroic, epic depiction of Russian people.

• Nationalist in content (“Rise up, Russian people!”).

• Foreign invader depicted grotesquely.• Spies and traitors dealt with harshly.• Unity of all members of Russian

people.

Prince and His People

The Hero on a White Horse

AleksandrNevsky

History combined with artistic fantasy

“Black and white” characters (polarization)

Positive Russian religious imagery as opposed to “alien” one of the enemy. Religion, but not faith (the Prince does not cross himself).

Key line: “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!”

National leader

Suffering people

The Enemy

Grotesque depiction of the enemy

Mask-like faces

Heroes

Enemy

Enemy’s Cruelty

Rightful Revenge

Low camera angle, shots from below

HIGH CAMERA SHOT OF THE MASSES(LATER REPEATED IN IVAN THE TERRIBLE)

Boiarynia Morozovaby Vasili Surikov

People of the Prince

AleksandrNevsky: post production

Eisenstein back in favour; receives a Stalin Award and Lenin Prize.

Taken out of circulation as offensive to Germany in 1939-40. Eisenstein directs Wagner's Valkyrie at Bolshoi theatre.

AleksandrNevskyis a great success. In 1941 the War with Germany begins, the

film is on again. 1942 – celebration of 700thanniversary of

AleksandrNevsky’shistorical victory.

AleksandrNevsky: Influence on Cinema

Prepares Eisenstein for Ivan the Terrible.

Images from AleksandrNevskywere used in countless documentaries about medieval history (Russian and non-Russian) and influenced feature films (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Conan the Barbarian, etc.)

Sets the example for the genre of a historical film.

Historical Connection

AleksandrNevsky was canonized as a saint in 1547 – the same year when Ivan the Terrible became Tsar of All Russia