Privyet! Classic Russian film gets cafe calling

Eisenstein's ‘Alexander Nevsky' screens over dinner at Harvest Moon|

With all the negative press about Russia’s meddling in American presidential politics, Sonomans would be wise to revisit a time when Russia was exporting something more positive abroad with a Wednesday, July 19 screening of “Alexander Nevsky,” Sergei Eisenstein’s acclaimed 1938 historical drama about the attempted invasion of the Russian city of Novgorod in the 13th century by knights of the Holy Roman Empire – only to be dealt a sweeping defeat by Russion prince Alexander Nevsky.

The 111-minute film screens as part of the Harvest Moon Café’s Wednesday Night Movies summer series in which guests are invited, according to the café’s website, to “dine and enjoy the backdrop of classic movies in our patio.”

“Alexander Nevsky” is considered the most popular of the three sound films directed by Eisenstin, the groundbreaking filmmaker known to have developed the visual storytelling technique of “montage” in his famous 1925 film, “Battleship Potemkin.” Like his previous films, “Alexander Nevsky” makes frequent appearances on lists of the greatest movies of all time and is said to have influenced such films as “Doctor Zhivago,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Conan the Barbarian” and “Mulan.”

Made in the late 1930s, as tensions between Russia and Germany were at their peak, “Nevsky”’s story about a great Russian victory over the central European powers was a not-so-veiled allusion to how Russia would fare against the Nazis if war broke out.

Harvest Moon is located at 487 First St. W. Call 933-8160.

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