Eisenstein’s Alexander Nevsky features some of the most grandiose and meticulously crafted battle scenes of its time, yet it does not make it a glorification of war. Indeed, the Russian victory is depicted in a positive light, and the triumphant music reaches its crescendo as the tide of battle turns into Russian favor (Eisenstein). However, immediately after the victory, there is a long panning shot of the motionless dead, with Russian and Teutonic troops lying interspersed and melancholic music playing in the background (Eisenstein). The film hammers home the fact that even a victorious war ends up in death for the people who would not have to die otherwise. This deliberate emphasis on the costs of war is not typical for a movie that would glorify it but is a staple of anti-militarist art.
Bondarchuk’s Destiny of a Man develops this rhetoric even further, leaving no doubts regarding the director’s attitude toward war. One of the most characteristic scenes in this respect is the one where the main character is escorted to the concentration camp headquarters and nearly executed for insolence. As the guards push him into the room where the Nazi officers dine, the camera pans to the table to demonstrate the variety of food and alcohol (Bondarchuk). It is obviously a staggering contrast with the dismal conditions that the prisoners have to endure. This shot highlights the suffering of war in the sense that is not always represented in film: apart from inflicting wounds and death in combat, military conflicts bring starvation. Another important aspect of this scene is the Nazi officer talking about the seemingly impending execution nonchalantly and matter-of-factly (Bondarchuk). In sharp contrast, a buoyant military march plays in the background for the scene’s entire duration (Bondarchuk). Thus, Destiny of a Man deliberately juxtaposes the cheerful music with the harsh reality of starvation and casual cruelty, showcasing how little there is to glorify in war.
Works Cited
Bondarchuk, Sergei. Destiny of a Man. Mosfilm, 1959.
Eisenstein, Sergey, director. Alexander Nevsky. Mosfilm, 1938.