# Black and white movie featuring horned helmets **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 9, 2018, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201 "2018-01-09T03:41:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/1 "2018-01-09T03:41:37Z")
I just _know_ someone on the dope can answer this question. I have seen footage of an old black and white movie featuring medieval army fighters in gloriously, absurdly horned helmets. The clips I remember are basically back and forth close-ups of rival, possibly Nordic generals directing their troops into battle, while the music underneath stokes the drama. The screen is just filled with these massive iron horned helmets. Totally impractical, but on screen they come across as mythic, metaphoric. I don’t know the name of this movie. I doubt it is American, but I don’t even know that for sure. I think it was shot in black and white on purpose, for the effect, though I believe the movie is fairly old nonetheless. Some doper out there knows what I am talking about, and can name it. +1 points for the Amazon.co\_m link. Thanks in advance, everybody! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![davey77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@davey77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davey77)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/2 "2018-01-09T05:14:53Z")
Could it be _Throne of Blood_? That’s Japanese, though… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/3 "2018-01-09T05:51:26Z")
[Alexander Nevsky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Nevsky_(film)) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/4 "2018-01-09T06:47:34Z")
And a magnificent battle it is, too: [- YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKZPgGbUuX0)🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/5 "2018-01-09T06:58:17Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > And a magnificent battle it is, too: > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKZPgGbUuX0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKZPgGbUuX0)🆒 If ever, _“Wait for it…”_ was needed, its for this clip. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/6 "2018-01-09T07:01:25Z")
Those aren’t “horns” that the Germans are wearing, BTW. They’re crests, which were a fairly common adornment on mediaeval helms. In addition to being intimidating, they usually served to identify the wearer in addition to his coat of arms. They were also made of material like leather or papier-mâché and designed to break away if struck by a sword. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/7 "2018-01-09T07:02:29Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > If ever, _“Wait for it…”_ was needed, its for this clip. Kind of silly for the Germans to advance at a gallop, actually. By the time they had traveled that distance, the horses would have been exhausted. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/8 "2018-01-09T13:24:52Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > [Alexander Nevsky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Nevsky_(film)) Боже мой, I had the same thought, but when I looked at the stills on imdb, the helmets only looked a little outlandish, not like what the OP was describing. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/9 "2018-01-09T15:26:05Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Боже мой, I had the same thought, but when I looked at the stills on imdb, the helmets only looked a little outlandish, not like what the OP was describing. Check the video posted above. I noticed the same thing about the movie posters. Those helmet crests are a distinctive feature of the film, I would have expected to see them on the poster as well. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/10 "2018-01-10T00:10:16Z")
The helms with crests would have been worn only by nobles. Those of the ordinary foot soldiers were mass produced, i.e., more numerous and far less elaborate. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/11 "2018-01-10T03:07:37Z")
Yeah, this is it. I think. Ok, so they are crests, not horns. Only a few characters on the German side are wearing them. I think the clips of the movie I saw focused far more on the guys with the huge handlebars coming out of the sides of their heads than the scene overall does. It’s funny, those horns made a big impression on me. Once I got the idea stuck in my head, I just had to see it again. I’ll probably have to watch the whole thing to find the scene that I am remembering- how many other black and white movies can there be that feature medieval warriors in horned helmets? This must be it. Thanks, dope! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/12 "2018-01-10T03:43:11Z")
You will probably not be disappointed. The film stock is very high quality and the cinematography is beautiful. Even the story is pretty good. If it is not the movie you were actually remembering, I think you will just decide that it was. Because, Eisenstein. ---
**Author:** ![Arizona\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Arizona\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arizona_Mike)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/13 "2018-01-10T03:46:47Z")
John Milius said _Nevsky_ was a big visual influence on _Conan the Barbarian._ ---
**Author:** ![Arizona\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Arizona\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arizona_Mike)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/14 "2018-01-10T03:48:58Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > You will probably not be disappointed. The film stock is very high quality and the cinematography is beautiful. Even the story is pretty good. If it is not the movie you were actually remembering, I think you will just decide that it was. Because, Eisenstein. Awesome score as well. It was Stalin’s propaganda piece during WWII to try to rouse the Russians against the Germans (Teutonic Knights, in the film). He found Soviet Internationalism was working so well as a motivator so he wanted Eisenstein to play the Russian nationalist card. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/15 "2018-01-10T18:07:17Z")
Eisenstein was really good at burning images into people’s brains. The robotic look of the Teutonic Knights on their horses. Pure evil. When I read “horns” here the image I recall is the peasants playing the signaling horns. That stuck with me too. Late 70s I think was when I saw it. While Stalin lightened up some regarding the Orthodox Church during the war, _Alexander Nevsky_ pulls no punches regarding the priests. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/16 "2018-01-10T18:12:40Z")
I’ll have to find that film and watch it - it looks good. It’s also a big influence on the battle scenes involving the Riders of Rohan in the LOTR films. ---
**Author:** ![Arizona\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Arizona\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arizona_Mike)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/17 "2018-01-10T18:27:22Z")
> [@Arizona\_Mike](#): > > Awesome score as well. > > It was Stalin’s propaganda piece during WWII to try to rouse the Russians against the Germans (Teutonic Knights, in the film). He found Soviet Internationalism was working so well as a motivator so he wanted Eisenstein to play the Russian nationalist card. Sorry for the type - that should be “Soviet Internationalism WASN’T working so well” ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/18 "2018-01-10T18:45:45Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > And a magnificent battle it is, too: > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKZPgGbUuX0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKZPgGbUuX0)🆒 So much so, when Ralph Bakshi made his unforgettable (for all the wrong reasons) version of [_Lord of the Rings_](https://http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077869/movieconnections?ref_=tt_ql_trv_6), he rotoscoped snippets of the battle scene for the battle at Helm’s Deep or Pelennor Fields – I refuse to see which. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-and-white-movie-featuring-horned-helmets/806201/19 "2018-01-10T21:52:19Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > While Stalin lightened up some regarding the Orthodox Church during the war, _Alexander Nevsky_ pulls no punches regarding the priests. I haven’t seen the whole movie in years, but I think the priests you’re referring to are Teutonic (Catholic) and not Russian (Orthodox). IIRC, there are scenes in which Orthodox priests bless Nevsky and his army (or something like that).