Alexander Nevsky (1938, Soviet Union) (aka Aleksandr Nevskiy)

In Sergei Eisenstein's and Dmitri Vasilev's dramatic, historical (and propagandistic) war film:

• the gripping, half-hour long battle scene on the blindingly-white ice at frozen Lake Chudskoye in 1242 on the boundary between Novgorod and Pskov
• the conflict was between the invading barbaric Teutonic knights (wearing white capes and huge helmets) and the patriotic Russian army led by Prince Nevsky (Nikolai Cherkasov) - both wielding spears and axes, accompanied by Sergei Prokofiev's superb score added in post-production
• in the battle's finale, as the defeated Germans fled, they were swallowed up when the ice started to crack and plunged them into the frigid water

Battle's Finale

• the closing speech by Nevsky: "Go and tell all in alien lands that Russia (Rus) lives! Let all come and be our guests. But he who comes to us sword in hand, by the sword shall perish! On that our Russian land will forever take its stand! HE WHO COMES TO US SWORD IN HAND BY THE SWORD SHALL PERISH. ON THAT OUR RUSSIAN LAND WILL FOREVER TAKE ITS STAND"