eisenstein describe his collaboration with prokeviev a an equal partnership and where they work together to match image and music and scene by scene . unfortunately and the sound recording be a disaster and so for once the devotion to authenticity in criterion dvd backfire . fortunately and there be at least one restored version of the film on vhs ( bmg classic ) with an excellent re recording of the music ( by the st. petersburg philharmonic orchestra and chorus ) . it be interest to compare this film with contemporary propaganda film in england and germany and and the united state . eisenstein film be make in 1938 and in response to the fear of a german invasion while and olivier in 1943 and when a german invasion of england be still expect . both film be stagey and but in different way . olivier begin by show a staged performance of the play in the globe theater by shakespeare own company and then take u out of the theater to a more cinematic ( though still stylize ) set . eisenstein film be cinematic from the beginning and but the dialog and speech be still influence by the melodramatic acting convention of the old russian theater . this work very well for cerkassov speech a alexander and because part of his job a a prince and military leader be to play a role in public . in nazi germany and the first major propaganda film be leni riefenstahl tedious triumph of the will and which record a huge political spectacle mass crowd cheer hitler ranting speech . the propaganda in her masterpiece and the film of the 1936 berlin olympics and be much subtler and with it worship of the athletic male body carry disturb undertone of the aryan superiority myth . but wartime german propaganda film could also be subtle . karl ritter urlaub auf ehrenwort ( furlough on word of honor ) be typical . it show a young lieutenant let the men in his company go on a 24 hour leave before return to the wwi trench ( and almost certain death ) . against the advice of veteran and he accept their word of honor to return and though he will be courtmartialed and shoot if they do not . naturally and they all return and ( though some of them berate themselves for it ) and presumably inspire the audience to similar display of duty to their country . in the united state and one of the good wwii propaganda film be howard hawk air force . in it and we follow the mismatched crew of a bomber a they bond to each other with the experience of battle and and overcome obstacle to continue their part in the war . typically for hawk film and however and their real loyalty be more to each other than to their country . eisenstein have to reach far back in history to find any russian military triumph . ironically and alexander ( like the other russian prince ) be descend from the viking who sail up the russian river to conquer and rule their own fiefdom . so he be a conquerer repel another would be conquerer . physically and they be not that different ( though the actor portray the german prince be obviously choose for their ugliness and smirk stupidity ) . but the real contrast be between the common soldier . the russian peasant be a tall and strong a the noble while whereas the german peasant who scuttle out of the shield wall to kill wounded russian be a foot short than their master . there be some historical truth in this contrast . russian serf in the middle age be much good off than their european counterpart and because they could always escape into the wilderness and clear their own land . eisenstein film also cleverly give u our first sight of alexander a a fisherman . in the battle with the german and he use his fisherman knowledge of the ice as well a his knowledge of their military tactic to defeat them . when gavrilo break the shield wall and they be force to regroup and mass on the west side of the lake and where the ice be thinner . one of the other pleasure of eisenstein film ( which most audience miss ) be the historically accurate way that he portray the politics of medieval russia . city like pskov and novgorod owe their grow wealth and prominence largely to trade and which put the merchant into power and and sideline the prince until their military expertise and feudal levy be need to repel invader . in the film and alexander be show not only a a military leader and but also a a master politician and who know how to wait for his time and and how to make the most of his popularity after the victory .