The first two parts (1943 and 1946) of Sergei Eisenstein’s planned three-part study of the great 16th-century Russian monarch, which together represent one of the most imposing visual experiences in the modern cinema. The great collaboration that began between Prokofiev and Eisenstein with Alexander Nevsky reaches fruition here, and we can see Eisenstein’s most complex and striking compositions, work that dwarfs the achievement of his 20s masterpieces. Part one runs 96 minutes; part two runs 90 minutes.
