1. To what extent is the film Alexander Nevsky an allegory of the impending conflict between Germany and the Soviet Union in 1938?
   How does the movie portray the two adversaries?
   To what extent do the Teutonic knights reveal Soviet attitudes toward Nazi Germany?
   To what extent does the portrayal of the Russian people of the 13th century reveal Soviet images of themselves?
2. How does the film describe the global position of Russia in the 13th century?
   How do the images in the film compare to Soviet views of global conflict in the 1930s?
   Why might the Soviet Union feel encircled by enemies in the 1930s?
   How did the fear of encirclement affect Soviet foreign policy after World War II?
3. Who are the heroes in the film?
   What qualities do the heroes of the 13th century share with Soviet heroes of the 1930s?
4. How does Alexander Nevsky depict Russian society?
   In the movie, what distinguishes urban life from rural life? Why is Novgorod called a "great city"?
5. According to the movie, what are the causes of social conflict within Russian society?
   Who are the "bad" Russian people? What makes them take a bad stand?
   Who are the "good" Russian people? What makes them adopt a good position?
   How do these images reflect Soviet ideology of the 1930s?
   How do they express changes in Soviet society during the 1930s?
6. How does the film present social roles of Russian women?
   What is a good woman?
   How do these roles compare to the presentation of women in Hollywood films made at the same time?
   What aspects of gender are similar in U.S. films?
7. To what extent does the film Alexander Nevsky foreshadow the coming of World War II?
   To what extent did the movie anticipate the military strategies of World War II?
8. How do you view the punishment of war criminals in the movie?
   What are the war crimes shown in the film? Have these war crimes changed since the 13th century?
   How did the victors treat war criminals at the end of World War II?
   How would the judges at the Nuremburg war crimes trials after World War II have regarded the treatment of the Teutonic knights in the movie Alexander Nevsky?

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