The best way to see this film

On Saturday night, I had the distinct pleasure to see this film during a live performance of the score by the Philadephia Orchestra. If you ever get a chance to see this under similar circumstances, I highly recommend it. On its face, the film is really just a Stalinist propaganda piece. The cast of thousands, and the choreographed battle scenes are impressive, but it suffers when compared to American films produced in 1939. However, when you hear the score being played live, it adds a whole level of beauty, and makes the film quite powerful and emotional. Prokofiev's score is brilliant.