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Eisenstein: The Sound Years (Ivan the Terrible Parts 1 & 2 / Alexander Nevsky) (The Criterion Collection)

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This box set is one of the Criterion Collection's best releases yet. In this set are 3 films.

Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible (Ivan Grozny) parts 1 and 2.

Alexander Nevsky is based on the true story of 13th century Prince Alexander Nevsky who helped fend off Teutonic (German) soldiers out of what is now Russia.

The film has an excellent score composed for the film by Sergei Prokofiev. The acting in the film is also very good also. The film was very popular and was temporarily banned by Stalin after Germany signed a nonagression pact with the Soviet Union.

The film is on disc 1 and has the following special features.
Restoration demonstration, Production stills and storyboard drawings, a multimedia essay by Russel Merrit on Sergei Eisenstein's work with Sergei Prokofiev on the film's score, an feature length essay on the film by David Bordwell, who wrote a book on Eisenstein's films, and there is also stills and dialog from Eisentein's unfinished film, Bezhin Meadow with photos of the film's set.

Ivan the Terrible parts 1 and 2 are the first two parts of an unfinished trilogy. Several scenes of part 3 were filmed but only one scene is known to survive today.

The film follows the life of Tsar Ivan Vassilivich also known as Ivan the Terrible (Ivan Groznyy). He is credited with uniting the people of Russia into a single nation. The first film covers his coronation and a battle that was fought to reclaim lost territory. The film is also very famous and has music by Prokofiev.

The first part on disc 2 has the folloving special features:
The deleted prologue sequence covering part of Ivan's childhood where he witnesses the poisoning murder of his mother and also contains another deleted scene. It also has the surviving fragment of the unfinished part 3 There are also a slide show of production stills and drawings, and an essay on the history of the film.

Part 2 covers the time where Tsar Ivan roots out the traitors who helped poison his wife and executes them.

The film has an excellent Color sequence cofering much of the last 30 minutes of the film. The Agfacolor film stock was captured from the Germans during WWII and was used for this film. The cinematography is really gpood and there is a flashback sequence from the deleted prologue of part 1

Disc 3 also contains an audio essay by Yuri Tsivian on the stunning cinematography of the film.

The set is well worth the $79 if you are a fan of Russian Cinema like I am. This set remains one of my favorites and it is really worth looking into.

"Ivan the Terrible Parts I and II" is a film of greatness, so great in fact that after seeing it only once I would probably include it among the ten finest films I have ever seen. It is a work of bold compositions (visual, aural, verbal, rhythmic, textural, political, etc.) arranged into a dense and exciting network of sensual and intellectual information. The interaction of motifs and ideas, symbolism and iconography into a sort of cinematic Russian fresco is absolutely thrilling. This often has a bizarre effect. The actor's movements are so deliberate as to be completely alien; after all, these are not human beings, they are representations of human beings on a screen, like portraits on a canvas, an idea which adds greatly to the purity of the film's artifice (of course, this is actually even more complex, having something to do with biomechanics, a theory I know too little of to discuss here). The film is completely engrossing, and is really a treasure trove hidden references and information, which really makes it fascinating. Honestly, I can not praise this film enough. It is grandiose and spectacular, a stunning work of depth and complexity.
"Alexander Nevsky" on the other hand would seem to be a very simple film, simple to the point of being stupid. In fact it is very complex (if not quite so much as "Ivan"), and only seems stupid because of a ridiculous political purpose and mindset that weighs it down. Its embarrassingly propagandistic, and politically compromised, something which greatly dulls the films underlying brilliance. "Ivan" is a complete reversal and a far superior film, at least in my view, in that it is able to subvert political expectancies, transforming what was intended as Stalinist propaganda into a disguised Stalinist and Communist critique, even lament. "Nevsky" lacks this independence, and while it is still fascinating as a work of form, structure, and motif (among many other Eisenstinean devices) it is ultimately too compromised to be as great a piece of art as "Ivan."
In spite of that, Criterion's treatment of both films (or three, depending on how you look at it) is absolutely grand. The transfers, aside from some rather rough spots on "Nevsky," are really quite good, the extras are fascinating and deeply insightful, and the packaging is far more attractive than it looks on amazon's picture. I probably own around 20 or more discs by Criterion, and all absolutely fantastic packages, but this one is the best! Absolutely one of the most solid purchases you'll ever make! And it's so wonderful to see these kind of films being given the royal treatment usually reserved for the more recent, popular, and... cough-shallow-cough releases. Long live The Criterion Collection, and God bless the soul of Sergei Eisenstein!

P.S. Oh, and God bless Sergei Prokofiev, composer of these films' beautiful and justly renowned musical scores.

Alexander Nevsky is a lively pro-Soviet propaganda piece partially intended as a warning to Hitler at the time not to invade Russia. The epic battle on the frozen lake is justly famous and the sheer scope of the logistics of filming are impressive. Some of the characters are somewhat cliche stock creations of the time including the two soldiers fighting for the love of one woman who must prove themselves in battle, but overall it's a modest success.

The real prize in this three film Criterion set however is of course Ivan the Terrible parts 1 and 2, a great masterpiece, Eisenstein's most "enjoyable" film(s) and indeed one of the oddest works to emerge from Soviet cinema of the time. Highly expressionistic visuals combine with a melodramatic (and slightly revisionist) take of Ivan's life to create one of the stranger filmic experiences one will see. Eisenstein clearly had a very highly developed visual style and the numerous extreme close-ups of faces are extraordinary as are the sets and costumes. Part 2 doesn't quite live up to the promise of part 1 but nevertheless brings the characters to an appropriate conclusion. Bizarrely humorous (perhaps unintentionally at times) Ivan is nevertheless a film more for afficionados than for the casual viewer looking for another classic in the mould of Casablanca.

Regarding the transfers, they are superb and anyone expecting better prints is simply not being realistic regarding the age of the material and the conditions in which they were kept. While not as pristine looking as other recent releases of 40's films on DVD such as Shadow of a Doubt or Monsieur Hulot's Holiday they are more than adequate considering given the circumstances.

Given Criterion's attention to picture and sound quality, this three-DVD set of Eisenstein's sound films 'Alexander Nevsky' and 'Ivan the Terrible' parts One and Two, should rank as one of the great DVD releases of the year. View them alongside Leni Riefenstahl's 'Triumph of the Will' which is being released by Synapse, and see how totally opposed propaganda viewpoints created cinematic history. These Eisenstein movies created a new kind of cinema -- operatic cinema, each frame carefully composed for great rhetorical effect. And Russian composer Prokofief worked alongside Eisenstein to create some of the most powerful music ever composed for the cinema to this day. These films are not just an indispensable part of cinematic history. They are films you will return to through the rest of your life.

It has always been hard to enjoy these movies because of the poor prints available, but Criterion has undertaken the trouble to restore these three great movies to their original (almost) quality. It was worth the wait. Sergei Eisenstein was a master of merging image upon image with a musical background. In Alexander Nevsky, you almost feel like you are watching a Prokofiev score, rather than just watching a movie. Ivan the Terrible Parts I and II are even better; they are materpieces of image and symbolism. I can't believe Eisenstein was able to make these movies under the oppressive watch of Stalin, but the fact that he did makes these works all the more impressive. These pictures don't take the Hollywood instant gratification route, so they require the viewer to concentrate. Stick with them; they are wonderful. Highly recommended.

Eisenstein: The Sound Years is the best Criterion release I have ever purchased, which is saying a whole lot, concerning that I also have such other Criterion masterpieces as The Third Man, The Passion of Joan of Arc,The Grand Illusion, and several others. The pictures are better than they have ever been. The sound is as great as it could be from the sources (which is, to say, not all that great). The extra material is enormous. If you didn't like any of the three films, their essayists will be happy to convince you otherwise. I bought the set for Alexander Nevsky, but the two Ivan the Terribles are even better, if that is possible.

Alexander Nevsky:

For those familiar with this classic of the Russian cinema, little need be said. For others, here are the high points: the story is set in medieval Russia and it essentially is about a great warrior who is drawn out of seclusion to lead the fight to defend the homeland against invading barbarians, who are German; there is much bravura acting from the loyal patriots, who deal not only with a vicious enemy from without but also with insidious traitors from within; the hero-warrior who leads them is suitably understated and dignified, striking a memorable portrait of nobility and grandeur. All this is dramatically heightened by some of the best cinematography ever, climaxing in a final battle over the ice which is done entirely with striking visuals and music-only sound. The result is one that rises far beyond the level of a mere costume picture or any cartoon story of battling types. This is a rich treasure from cinematic history, with all talents (including Sergei Eisenstein, one of the greatest directors ever, seen at his best) in brilliant form. Don't miss it.

Ivan the Terrible, Parts I and II:

During World War II, with Russia in the grip of Stalin and with Hitler at its door, the greatest Russian director of his day, and perhaps ever, joined the greatest Russian actor of his day, to depict the dark and brooding story of the rise and fall of a ruthless Russian Tsar who tyrannized Russia during the 1500s. While the story hardly amounts to movie uplift, the joy and fascination here lies in the details. Straightaway, in episode one, there is perhaps the most amazing movie opening ever filmed, in the coronation of Ivan the Terrible. Those familiar with Theodor Dreyer's "Passion of Joan of Arc" in 1928 will appreciate what fascination can lie in watching the camera cut skillfully from one grotesque image to another in endlessly imaginative ways, almost as if the gargoyles themselves were about to speak. The fascinating imagery proceeds non-stop from there, in the hands of master craftsman and director Sergei Eisenstein, like a medieval masterpiece come to life, though part two does not quite rise to the exceptional quality of part one. A taste of the high production standards is gleaned from a musical score composed by the great classicist Sergei Prokofiev. A very, very Russian production -- dark and grim, but full of amazing levels of interest, just the kind of production spoofed by Woody Allen years later in "Love and Death." Not necessarily to everybody's taste, but a great treat for connoisseurs.

I confirm another viewer's observation of Criterion's Alexander Nevsky: The visual restoration is excellent when it is done, however Criterion seems to have NOT been THOROUGH in restoring the ENTIRE film. There are countless sequences which appear to require simple digital clean up but wasn't done. The demonstration of the restoration, though impressive is simply ignored for too many sequences. Nonetheless, it is the very best version one will ever see (so far) or own. An amazing film. The full length commentary and extras are excellent.

Criterion did an excellent job at restoring the movies in this collection. The English subtitles are also readable and I loved the extras that came with this DVD, including the whole prologue to Ivan, Part I, that the Stalinist censors made Eisenstein remove. The prologue explains the entire reason why Ivan became the monster he was. I also thoroughly enjoyed the essay of the movie by Joan Neuberger, director of the Center for Soviet Studies in Austin, TX. If you are a fan of "Ivan the Terrible" or Eisenstein, this collection is a MUST HAVE!!!

Sergei Eisenstein is trumpeted around film-buff circles as a legendary genius. If you're like me, you're leery of the term, as it usually means that their films are really not worth watching anymore. Sometimes, what they did may have been revolutionary for the time, but has now been so adopted by the film industry as to become mere standard fare. High praise, to be sure, but it doesn't light up your world. This was how I perceived Eisenstein after watching "The Battleship Potemkin." It's an ok story, but clearly propaganda and the final sequence might be truly moving if it hadn't been aped so many times throughout film history as to become a cliche.

I know different now.

Alexander Nevsky is a great film, loaded with anti-German propaganda but also compelling action sequences and symbolism. The real treasure, though, is Ivan the Terrible.

If you ever wondered just how many ways a story can be told in a feature film, Ivan the Terrible is the film you need to see. The effect is fascinating: the moods, fears, neuroses and schemes are revealed with shadows, lighting, frescoes on walls, body positions and so much more. The visual scenery is so dense that that everything means something, but at the same time, it is clear enough that you can perceive most of it. Ivan the Terrible is truly Eisenstein at the peak of his powers. It is too bad he never got to finish his masterpiece-what we have is already a film for the ages. I marvel at what could have been if only he'd lived.