esrosedotblog

PROKOFIEV

Today's Movie: ALEXANDER NEVSKY(1938): NYT1000Best; Sergei Eisenstein 'masterpiece' and blatant anti-German propaganda pre-WWII; not that there was anything wrong with that.

Prince Nevsky turns back the Swedes; then is asked to repel the German hordes. He demands that the nation states unite into the great Rus and succeeds in the politics and the battle. In the last scenes, the victory speeches mostly say that the krauts will get their asses whipped if they every try it again; about four times. Prophetic. They did; but at a great cost. We have learned the price of bringing all those nation states together into the USSR monolith. And so on.

It is a great picture and does not need apologetic references to the time and place and limits of production. As expected, the acting is over the top; we are just after the silent period. The whole enterprise is a bit operatic; but that is very Russian too. The battle scenes are outstanding. Even when you can see through the artifice, Eisenstein is able to carry us forward into the intensity of it. When the frozen lake breaks open and swallows the retreating enemy, we do not need digitalized effect to be overwhelmed. I would give it a 4 out of 5 if I was in Russia in 1938. Hell, since it was Stalinist Russia, I guess I would have to give it a FIVE! Yes Commisar. But, I do not want the Netflix algorithm to spew out a bunch of Russky masterpieces in my recommendations; so I will give it a 3 on the feedback form.

The big hit for me in all this, is to finally see what Prokofiev (pictured) was writing about when he did the score. The choral parts which are translated on-screen carry the big story line. Music is not used throughout but in small units to underline non-verbal action; battles, large peasant movements, celebrations, religous stuff, and so on. Of course, the sound track is very low fi. But, I have heard the big lush suite and 'know' what it sounds like. I can fill in. I am playing the Cleveland/Chailly/Angel CD now. Da da da-da THRUMMMMMMMM! Both John and Franklin have moved to the back of the house.

I went through a long and protracted period of Prokofiev fever in the 90's and have not yet recovered. If I hear a bit of a suite or ballet I am mush. He is a great guy. It is interesting that he and Eisenstein did this piece for the motherland; then mid WWII Prokofiev began to get in trouble for not towing the party line. Eisenstein did not. He is criticized today for too much ass-kissing. Again, the German hordes were one thing; the Union of Republics another. Monoliths have a way of crushing the arts either by coopting them or cutting them off.

More about Prokofiev at The Prokofiev Page; more than you would ever want to know about our Sergei. Once more, I am humbled by the intensity of TRUE fandom; how low my own flame.