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A great movie. I am now going to view all of Eisenstein's other famous films.
This story was simply told, beautifully photographed, and very well acted. Sure, it's a bit hokey, in the best Hollywood way, and one would have to be unaware of the drumbeat of war at the time to miss the allegory...but it works.
The main actor was splendid, making me think how few American actors possess physical "gravitas" to star in such a role.
Follow Ups:
The Russian transcription of the name has no "e" at the end... not before the "r", not after.
Of all films, ever discussed here, I must have watched this one the most. I suspect by the time I was ten, I had seen it hundred times or so... and I still kept looking forward to that battle scene.Cherkasov, who played Alexander, was actually a very skinny guy, but with deep voice that would always command respect. He was one of the great Russian actors.
After many failed attempts, the current Criterion "twofer" DVD box (with "Ivan the Terrible") fianlly has a soundtrack of the wonderful Prokofiev score to match the quality of the visual print.
The original was a bone-chiller; I've heard this one is dull.clark
Reviewer: Anthony Clarke (see more about me) from Sydney, NSW Australia
The Image transfers to DVD of Eisenstein's 'Ivan the Terrible' parts One and Two are sensational -- gleaming blacks, crisp whites; tonal values as exciting as full colour. And the sound is rich and strong. This transfer of 'Nevsky' though gives us a palette of greys instead of the crisp black and whites it deserves. And the sound is too muted; there's been little attempt to get the best out of the 1930s soundtrack. That soundtrack doesn't sound the greatest on any version, but it is still preferable to the better sounding but artistically mechanical and drab re-recording done in the 1990s by BMG. Until there's a better DVD on the market, this one will have to do. Put up with the flaws, because this is one of the greatest films of the fondly remembered 20th Century. There is a rumour that Criterion is going to remaster both 'Alexander Nevsky' and the two 'Ivan' movies. The Image 'Ivan' is already good enough, but I'll be ordering the Criterion 'Nevsky' the day it appears. But Criterion, make sure you use the original soundtrack, with all its faults, not the BMG technological update. Or, to satisfy everyone, and if BMG agrees, why not a dual music track to let everyone choose between the better sounding but dull modern re-recording, or the poorly recorded but exciting original!
You can't please everyone! I have two versons of 'Alexander Nevsky' , one with the original sound track (DVD), and one with a newer sound track, (broadcast) and I prefer the broadcast soundtrack.
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That review is of the Image DVD, not the newer Criterion. And I've heard better performances. No, the sound is not in stereo but the film transfer and monaural sound track are top notch and, as I said, much better than any previous LD or DVD attempts.
"fianlly has a soundtrack of the wonderful Prokofiev score to match the quality of the visual print", you meant that the original track had been pleasantly refurbished, or that it hadn't and the visual print sucked? This is confusing...clark
I read what I posted and I think what I said is clear: yes, the print has been restored and is the best on video to date and yes, the original soundtrack has also been retored and is the best to date. Why don't you buy or rent the DVD box and see/hear for yourself?
"I read what I posted and I think what I said is clear." No sir. You don't see the ambiguity in "fianlly has a soundtrack of the wonderful Prokofiev score to match..."?Not has a new *restoration* or such...
Maybe I shall watch the DVD, but the whole point was, I detest remakings (as in Fantasia and the Image Nevsky) and you seemed to be saying it had been done again.
clark
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