About the film
Teutonic Knights have taken the city of Pskov, and Novgorod's merchants argue about whether to fight. The people call on Prince Alexander, who leads an army of peasants and soldiers against the armoured crusaders.
The climax, the Battle on the Ice of Lake Peipus, is one of the most famous battle sequences ever filmed, cut precisely to Sergei Prokofiev's score.
Made on the eve of the Second World War, it is both a historical epic and a film of its time. It is essential viewing for anyone interested in film history.
Did you know?
- Sergei Prokofiev's score was later turned into a concert cantata.
- The 'ice' battle was filmed in summer on a fake frozen lake.
- The film was withdrawn after the 1939 Soviet-German pact and returned to screens in 1941.
