MODERN AUDIENCE AMUSED WITH ALEXANDER NEVSKY FILM

MOSCOW, November 29 (RIA Novosti) - Sergei Eisenstein's famous film Alexander Nevsky (1938) was shown in the new branch of the Bolshoi Theater to close the year of German Culture in Russia. The soundtrack composed by Sergei Prokofiev was performed by the symphony orchestra of the Berlin Radio conducted by Frank Strobel, the Yurlov Russian Choir and the Moscow Kremlin Choir, Kommersant newspaper says.

Alexander Nevsky is considered one of the first Russian movies with music being an independent artistic component. The cooperation between Eisenstein and Prokofiev aimed to achieve maximal harmony of musical and visual effects. The cantata "Alexander Nevsky" consists of seven parts conforming to the main themes of the movie: "Russia Under The Mongolian Yoke," "Song About Alexander Nevsky," "The Crusaders In Pskov," "Arise, Ye Russian People," "The Battle On The Ice," "The Field Of The Dead" and "Alexander's Entry Into Pskov."

Irina Makarova's mezzo-soprano magnificently sounded in the end of the film.

Friendly laughter was a common reaction of the Russian-German audience to the horrors on the screen and numerous patriotic outbursts of Nikolai Cherkasov (Alexander Nevsky). The battle on the ice, one of the longest battle scenes in the history of cinematography (25 minutes) caused the greatest amusement. Disciplined Germans were fighting in elegant white garments politely lancing Russian savages. The savages laughed in reply and fought using sticks, hayforks and buckets. But in the end when Prince Alexander said, "He who comes to us with a sword, shall die by the sword" the Russian audience rose in applause feeling a flush of patriotism.