Customer Reviews

Ballad of a Soldier (The Criterion Collection)

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Alesha, the protagonist of this classic Russian film, is a good-hearted peasant boy fighting for his family and homeland. When he becomes an accidental hero, he is rewarded by leavetime, which he hopes to spend at his mother's home in a distant village. On his train journey through the wartorn Soviet countryside, he meets and falls in love with a young woman. Through a series of misadventures and delays, Alesha arrives home with little time to visit with his mother. Duty calls, and he must return to the front. This movie is both touching and tragic, and is beloved by Russian people, too many of whom lost sons, daughters, spouses and sweethearts during the Great Patriotic War. How many mothers, like Alesha's, waited and watched toward the west for a soldier who never returned? "Ballad of a Soldier" is a tribute to those lost loved ones who remain in their survivor's memories forever youthful, handsome, innocent, and noble. To deny Soviet citizens this human emotion by relegating the film to mere "propaganda" is cynical and saddening.

Movies don't get any better than this one. A young Russian soldier (Alyosha) almost accidentally becomes a hero. To reward him, the General gives him a 4 day leave so he go home to repair his mother's roof before rainy season. The movie is about his eventful trip home. You see the horrors of war in the people Alyosha meets on his trip home. The war itself is never far away-you can hear the steady roar of cannon throughout.

This is also one of the most beautiful love stories you will ever see. One of the people he meets on his trip home is a beautiful young girl named Shura. The scene on the train with the vast birch forest passing by in the background is the single most beautiful love scene ever filmed. No nudity, no sex. You long for the two to kiss to consumate their love.

This is not so much an anti-war film as a film about the great human tragedy that results from war. (I'm not sure, but I think there is a difference.) Be sure to get the sub-titled version of the movie. I've seen both dubbed and sub-titled and the sub-titled is far superior.

I can't recommend this movie high enough. This, along with Fiddler on the Roof and The Wind and the Lion, are my all-time favorites and I wouldn't want to try to pick a favorite amongst the three. But if I did, I think Ballad of a Soldier would get the nod.

By the way, you WILL cry! I remember seeing it at a movie theater in Cambridge Mass. in the mid-seventies. Several people leaving at the end of the movie were visibly crying while proclaiming that they never cry at movies.

Mike Porter

The bottom line of this underrated masterpiece (well received upon its initial release in the 50s to be later dismissed as "Soviet propaganda" by a western public who often confounded cynism with truth) is that sometimes you've just to do your duty whatever the circumstances, but this doesn't means you'll lose your soul. It's the difference between blind obedience and conscious duty - something that today is often difficult to tell apart. The story is simple. Aliosha, a young Red Army "frontnik" almost by chance saves the life of many of his comrades. As award, he's granted a 4 day leave so he can get to see his mother back home - incidentally, this was the only way a Red Army's soldier could hope to get ANY kind of leave! During the trip he meet a young girl, and the two fall in love. But time is running out, and the war is never too far away. Aliosha will finally get to see his mother, but with little time left to stay with her. The final scene is heartbreaking (and I'm not someone who get really emotional when seeing a movie), even if you aren't aware that, with a mean frontline life expectancy of little more than two weeks, chances that Aliosha will see his mother again are pretty slim. This is a simple, effective demonstration of the cinematic power of a linear and powerful story. Very good cinematography, great perfomances and a solid editing make this a winner even for today's audiences. If you want to know what's like to be in a war where (at least!) twenty millions of your compatriots have been killed, your country ravaged and the very existence of your culture put in danger, watch this movie.

As time goes on, I keep returning to films that exquisitely portray the human condition: films like "The Bicycle Thief," "Forbidden Games," "The Official Story," "Boy," and "Ballad of a Soldier," to name a few. When I first saw "Ballad of a Soldier," I also had under my belt many of the masterpieces of the new wave films from Europe and Asia in the 50s and early 60s. This brilliant film and "The Cranes Are Flying" put another face on the Cold War for me.

Most in the West think the United States and allies "won" WWII. Nothing could be further from the truth. Germany invaded Russia on June 22, 1941, and proceeded to destroy their country and over 28 million Russian citizens and soldiers. The battles on the Eastern Front were of such breadth and scope that no comparison is possible in history. For example, in the famous 1943 battle of Kursk (remember the Russian sub?), up to 6,000 total tanks battled over a 200-mile front that resulted in a million deaths. This adventure took about 10 days. Stalingrad alone was the beginning of the end for the Germans, resulting in 160,000 dead and 500,000 taken prisoner. The savagery there was literally unspeakable and horrible, and the losses by the Russians were horrendous. Behind the Russians was the butcher Stalin, and in front of them were the Germans, yet in spite of these evils, the Russian people rose up with an incredible sense of protecting their motherland. When the war in the East was over in 1945, the Red Army had destroyed, disabled, or captured 607 German and Axis divisions; Americans and allies, from Africa to Berlin, destroyed a total of 167 enemy divisions. Their total deaths numbered around 8 million. Total American deaths in Europe numbered around 300,000.

I mention these facts to belie the notion that most reviewers seem apologetic that this film contained " soviet propaganda," as if that were a discrediting thing. From the Russian point of view, they won the war, and the numbers easily prove it. The Americans invaded Western Europe and courageously fought into Germany. But, without their airpower and bombing of German civilians into the Stone Age, or without the decimation caused by the Russians of 2/3s of German ground forces, D-Day would have been a disaster.

This is the background for this film, and its utter faithfulness to any Russian's basic sense of themselves, their country, and their culture rings true throughout. Not to be missed!

After waiting for over one hour in line, finally I got a seat just in front of the huge screen. 1960 in Argentina. I was 16 at that time and the beauty, poetry and the incredible use of the camera by Ivashov will remain in my memory and soul forever. I know this because I watched the movie days ago again in the Sundance Channel and I just couldn't stop crying in front of my kids. I hope one day they will have the chance to watch something like this movie and also keep it in their hearts for years to come.

This story, taking place in the times of WWII raging in Russia, is a wonderful romantic story of a young soldier awarded short leave to go home. On his eventful trip home he meets different people and falls in love with a young girl. It depicts true characters, true, innocent feelings of two young people falling in love in the war-torn country. I have the right to say this because my knowledge is based not on propaganda wars, but because I know my grandparents and I know what they fought for. A paradox of the soviet times (Stalin times, in this case) is that in order to fight and defeat probably the most inhuman, fiercest enemy in the history of mankind the Russian Soldier had to free his soul of all the ideological buildup. The nation was facing elimination. Stalin, communism were not relevant anymore - you cannot win with this luggage. In those circumstances a soldier could win only if he was fighting for true values. The Russian soldier fought for his country, his home, being devastated and destroyed, for his love, for his dear and beloved ones who were being killed by the Nazis. This war has always been referred to as Great Patriotic, Sacred War among Russian people, not WWII. My grandfathers fought for my grandmothers, for my mother and father, for my land, my country, my childhood, - fought and drove the Nazi animals back into their hole. I am proud of my grandparents who, despite all the horrors they had to live through, found unbelievable strength, courage, and spirit to save kindness and the light of love in their hearts, pass it to my mother and father to give me a happy childhood.

I wouldn't have started writing this review if some of the remarks, being rather marginal to offensive statements than simply an ignorant, blatant lie, hadn't made me sick. And if it did not concern my grandparents. One of the results of the Cold-War-time propaganda - some people now deny the very natural human feelings and impulses in people of Russia and declare them a lie, should they seem to be beautiful. "...emotions you're feeling aren't genuine - they're delivered, from Russia, without love" - a rather fascistic remark than just ignorant. Complaints about bad transportation and 'delays with the service' in the war-worn country are merely stupid. "There he meets a girl (Shura), whom, if circumstances were different, he might persue. But this is the Soviet Union, and many dreams could never be realized for that very reason." The iterpretation of the story is amazing. The passage makes me wonder whose propaganda was more successful in rolling minds into a plain board. This dream did not come true because of the war, not because "this is the Soviet Union". If this movie can be considered a propagandistic work at all, then only the anti-war kind of it.

This movie is a small tribute of gratitude to and respect for the memory of the generation of my grandparents. It is delivered from Russia. With True Love. Depicting True Feelings of True Characters.

The details of the story have been covered well in other reviews, so I'll pass on that aspect. This DVD is flawlessly rendered. Every outlet should apply the same standards to their work as did Criterion in this release. The result is a crisp, detailed, CLEAN, B&W video and soundtrack that looks right at home on the best of the current crop of high end Entertainment centers.

The story is neither pacifist (like "All quiet"), or gung-ho die for the motherland in it's application. It focuses more on the human side of the call to arms than any film I have ever viewed. Faced with the knowlege that Hitler was exterminating their fellow countrymen in order to provide "living space" for the future Reich, many millions of Russians answered the call to defend their existence. Many millions died before the war was over. Despite it's soviet origin, this film does a wonderful job of singling out just one individual, following his life through the ordeal of war, and giving us a glimpse of the true cost of the sacrifice made by the masses of young soldiers who have died defending their homelands around the globe.

The dialog is outstanding. The subtitles are remarkably good, and in general, the film will make you laugh, cry, and pretty much stay focused on the screen until the you have watched everything offered on the DVD. Get this movie, you won't regret it.

I've seen this film about 30 times (now that it's on DVD from Russia, and from a gorgeous print, a few more times). Each time there is something new, something more profound, some small piece of action or shading of character that takes on new meaning. Of all the "war" films, I think this and "The Cranes Are Flying" are two of the most remarkeable to come out of the former Soviet Union during the Cold War period. I was mesmerized by this film the first time I saw and continue to be almost 40 years later. I'm not sure how many other films can make that claim.

When this Russian film was made in 1959, it was the middle of the Cold War. American audiences certainly didn't see it. If we had, it would have softened our impressions of Russians, who were always depicted as cruel monsters whose only desire was to bury America. And yet, WW2 was devastating for them as it was fought on their soil and so many died. "Ballad of a Soldier" is the story of one such soldier.

We first meet 19-year old Alyosha as he is cowering in a foxhole on the front. We can identify with his fear at the German tanks that are advancing. He runs to a machine gun and shoots at the tanks. To his surprise, he hits a tank and destroys it. He keeps shooting and manages to destroy a second tank. All of a sudden he's a hero and his commanding officer wants to give him a medal. "Please, sir" he begs. "Instead of a medal, please give me one day's leave to see my mother." The hard-hearted officer is touched, and gives the young man a six-day pass.

It would be a two-day trip each way even at the best of times. But now it is wartime. And it's a difficult journey. Along the way we meets a one-legged soldier who's reluctant to face life, a lovely young woman who Alyosha begins to love, an unfaithful wife who he shames, and old man who he gives hope. He has to bribe his way into a train. And is traveling on another train when a bridge is destroyed. But he is determined to make it to his village to see his mother, even if it is just to give her one big hug before he has to return to the front. It's a wonderful story, full of setbacks and tension and just plain human feelings.

Filmed it black and white, and a mere 89 minutes long, it contains images of Russia that Americans rarely see. The countryside is devastated, but yet there's a spirit of a hearty people full of grit and determination to survive. It's a sad story too, and bittersweet. By the end of the film I was sobbing out loud. This is a fine film. Highly recommended.

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The film is a simple, poignant, human story that transcends boundaries and sums up the best and worst that humanity is capable of. The background is the Eastern front during WW2. A young soldier's serendipitous success on the battlefield dares him to ask for some home leave. His journey home to see his mother one last time becomes a fable full of humour, bravery, decency and love. The acting is superb and understated - both leads are excellent, the b/w photography is exquisite and yet not intrusive, while the music complements the action and fuels the film's impact. I can't praise this film and its creators, on both sides of the camera, high enough!

The film has been available as a comprehensive Russian Film Council DVD. This edition includes French and English dubs, various language subtitles, stylish animated menus, photo galleries, filmographies and archive wartime footage. The film print is fine, but the layer change is rather noticeable and the subtitles occasionally slip by too fast. Most impressive was the low budget interview with the director, Grigori Chukhrai, providing fascinating insight into the Soviet film industry and his determined efforts against the system, to make this film as a tribute to his fallen comrades. The interview ends with brief footage of the stars and director receiving the special award at Cannes. It is with regret I learn that he died not long after making the interview. His son, Pavel Chukhraj, has also achieved international directorial success notably with The Thief ASIN: 0767831063

The Criterion edition boasts a superbly restored print, new subtitles and a selection of photos are used to illustrate an intriguing extra - an early 1960s radio interview with the stars and director in America. Though not as informative as the interview on the Russian Film Council disc, it still provides insight into the journey the film made across the globe. The disc is lovingly assembled with stylish menus and an informative booklet. Best of all, this amazing film is resplendent as never before. And yes, it really is a film worth seeing again and again!
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