frankwiener Many Americans suffered enormously on account of WWII. My own grandmother, who didn't have an easy life through the Great Depression, once said that the most difficult event in her life was sending two of her sons off to battle in the faraway Pacific theater. One of them ended up in Bataan.As hard as the war was for so many Americans, including my grandmother and my uncles, I believe that it was even more difficult for the Russians as a people. The terror of war came to their very doorsteps, civilians and warriors alike, and it was inescapable for them. Regardless of any specific political situation or attempt at propaganda by either side, I think that this historical fact must be objectively recognized and respected.A "ballad" is a form of poetry, and, for me, "Ballad of a Soldier" is where poetry meets the camera. At the very beginning, the mother of the young, hero soldier who is the central character of the film looks out at the one unpaved road that leads in and out of her village. Somewhere at the end of the road, where ever that may be, is her beloved son. Overhead is an unforgiving sky, representing a sense of the power that controls all.On the battlefield, we are terrified by a tank that is determined to chase our hero soldier through the countryside until he somehow manages to secure a position in order to destroy it and one other. Recognized by his superiors for his heroism, instead of a medal he requests a furlough pass to say farewell properly to his mother and to fix her leaking roof. It is granted for only a few days. Under the time pressure, the viewer witnesses his long, harrowing journey home from the front, experiencing the chaos, displacement, and hardship of the war on civilians and soldiers alike. In the mayhem and the confusion, he also manages to find true love at a most unexpected time and place.I am sorry that this film was unavailable to me as a ten year old child in 1959 when it was produced. Aside from the political climate that prevailed at the time, which was mostly filled with fear, perhaps I would have been old enough to judge that Russian people were of the same flesh and blood that I was and that their lives, not only as Russians but as human beings, were affected very seriously by the horrors of war. While it would have been a very important lesson for me at the time, it did not come too late for me 57 long years later. This is a beautiful movie. See it!

duska_012 Ballad of a Soldier is about Aloysha, a young private in the Soviet army that is granted some time to go visit with his mother. The movie follows the people that he meets on his journey home, even falling in love on the way. The whole time you are rooting for Aloysha to make it in time to see his mother before his time runs out—making you emotional invested in his journey and his new relationship with the girl he meets along the way. Additionally, the movie depicts the hardships of war without actually showing any attacks. And instead of taking a soldier and trying to portray him as a hero, Aloysha is portrayed as a human being with flaws and fears. Because of this, I found this movie very real and enjoyable. The main character was lovable and I found myself invested in his story.

Matthew Miller The Ballad of a soldier is a Russian movie that revolves around World War 2 and is about a young couple who are madly in love. The main character named Vladimir Ivashov is very home sick and yearns for his wife. The soldier is very good and commits numerous acts that give him heroic status instead of having a medal he asks for 6 days to help his mother and fix his roof. On a train towards his mother he falls in love with a girl named Shura. On his way home he commits acts of kindness. Some of those include carrying a suitcase for a wounded soldier and he helps push out a jeep that is stuck in the mud. Wen the end of the movie happens Shura confesses that there is no fiancé only an aunt. The soldiers train is blown up and then Alyosha rafts across the river and then to a rural village. The soldier only gets to see his mother for a few seconds. We see his journey home and he eventually dies along with being remembered as a Russian soldier at the end of the movie.

Justin Bishop During World War II, Pvt. Alyosha Skvortsov (Vladimir Ivashov) receives a commendation for his heroism, and elects to take a four day leave to visit his mother. Ballad of a Soldier follows him along what should be a simple train ride, but turns into a masterpiece of beautiful humanism. The story not only follows one soldier, but through his encounters it also exposes Russia as a whole during wartime, from his talking in the soldiers only train-car to when he finally returns to the village and hears from the wives left at home.Ballad of a Soldier manages to span an entire culture and war in just four days along a train track. While director Chukhraj must remain loyal to the Party, he manages to still show the flaws some soldiers had, while showing how some could be truly selfless. During one encounter as Alyosha is caught, he is forced to give away his rations to a greedy guard, and the guard's commander catches the bribe in the act. Rather than punishing the hitchhiking Private, the commander punishes the greedy guard and allows Alyosha to carry on his journey.In the span of just four days Alyosha falls in love with a girl, while in the span of just 90 minutes the viewer falls in love with Alyosha and his story. The announcement at the start of the film that Alyosha is dead makes his experiences all the more impactful, knowing that he will never return home again, and assuming that he may never see his love Shura (Zhanna Prokhorenko) after he leaves her.Alyosha is an idealization of what many Russian soldiers were: Young, and willing to give anything for their country. He is both brave and fearful, and along his epic trip he never hesitates to give help to those around him. The favor is returned to him by civilians such as a truck driver whom he rides with, eager to support a soldier in any way they can. Through his story, soldiers and civilians alike are immortalized, in their sacrifice during World War II.