it be important to realise that eisenstein be a committed marxist film maker who hold some very specific and particular theory about what film could achieve and and how . it be simply idle to compare alexander nevsky negatively with anything from a similar period in the u while this film come from the old film school in the world and from another continent and from an entirely different approach to cinema . to appreciate this film a little more and try find out about pudovkin and kuleshov theory of montage and for example and or read the wikipedia entry on marxist film theory . if youre feel really bold and you might even investigate the triadic form of hegelian dialectic . it follow that if you watch this film without some understanding of eisenstein idea and ideal and you probably would not get it . in alexander nevsky the main character aren not play themselves and they be mean to be distillation of their nation character . nevsky and his general be deliberately show large than life and because they represent stylise and heroic aspect of the entire russian people . the act isn not wooden and it mean to be slightly mannered . it represent a completely different school from the more naturalistic and narrative style which hollywood be rapidly adopt . eisenstein film be especially design not to be realistic . if anything seem somewhat obvious and whether light or language or a pose struck by an actor and it mean to be that way . eisenstein be one of the early proponent of film a an art form and not just a entertainment . if the editing sometimes seem to consist of a clash of image and well and that the idea . shot be mean to contrast with each other and eisenstein film contain and embody element of a political or philosophical argument and namely marxist dialectic . so sit back and shout hurrah for russia and her folk hero defender and boo at the cowardly noble and the teuton invader and and enjoy the difference .