Ballad of a Soldier

"From the very pages of life itself!"

1959 1h 29m RU

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 229

DramaRomanceWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

During World War II, earnest young Russian soldier Alyosha Skvortsov is rewarded with a short leave of absence for performing a heroic deed on the battlefield. Feeling homesick, he decides to visit his mother. Due to his kindhearted nature, however, Alyosha is repeatedly sidetracked by his efforts to help those he encounters, including a lovely girl named Shura. In his tour of a country devastated by war, he struggles to keep hope alive.

“From the very pages of life itself!”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Vladimir Ivashov
Alyosha Skvortsov
Zhanna Prokhorenko
Shura
Antonina Maksimova
Katerina, Alyosha's Mother
Nikolay Kryuchkov
The General
Evgeniy Urbanskiy
Vasya, the Invalid
Elza Lezhdey
Liza, the Invalid's Wife
Aleksandr Kuznetsov
Gavrilkin, the Train Sentry
Yevgeni Teterin
The Lieutenant, 'A Terrible Beast'

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Grigoriy Chukhray
Writers: Grigoriy Chukhray, Valentin Ezhov
Languages: Russian
Countries: Soviet Union

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

89 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Grigoriy Chukhray, shot by Era Savelyeva. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mikhail Ziv. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mariya Timofeyeva shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko and Antonina Maksimova carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "From the very pages of life itself!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0052600 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Grigoriy Chukhray directs. Era Savelyeva behind the camera. Mikhail Ziv scores. Mariya Timofeyeva cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Soviet Union. Dialogue in Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

189 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
267 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Grigoriy Chukhray, shot by Era Savelyeva. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Mikhail Ziv. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Mariya Timofeyeva shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko and Antonina Maksimova carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "From the very pages of life itself!".
8IMDB entry: tt0052600 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "world war ii", "russian soldier", "soldier", "soldier on leave".
10Released under 35 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Era Savelyeva
Original score: Mikhail Ziv
Editing: Mariya Timofeyeva
Production design: Boris Nemechek
Costume design: Lyudmila Ryashentseva
Makeup / hair: Mariya Agofonova
Runtime: 89 min · 1h 29m
Status: Released
Original language: RU
IMDB: Ballad of a Soldier (1959)

Also by

Grigoriy Chukhray

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-12-13
★ 7/10
When the young "Alyosha" (Vladimir Ivashov) risks life and limb to take out a couple of approaching Nazi tanks, his Comrade General (Nikolay Kryuchkov) proudly suggests an official citation for his bravery. Instead, he pleads to be allowed to travel home to fix his mother's roof. The battalion is due for some rest anyway, so he is given a furlough for six days to get home and get back. Armed with some tins of beef and a message from one of his colleagues to his sweetheart, he sets off on a journey across a war-torn land where he has to use his wits and guile to make it in time. Along the way he meets "Shura" (Zhanna Prokhorenko) who is also fleeing from their invaders and after a typically nervous start in a hay-strewn railway carriage, the two begin to bond as their journey reminds them not just of the dangers of soldiering during wartime, but also of the fairly profound effects that can have on a civilian population struggling for basics - physical and emotional. Aleksandr Kuznetsov is really the only other actor to have anything like a recurring role - he is the train sentry not averse to a little tinned beef either, otherwise it's down to the two actors to tell a story of endurance and love that is really quite endearing. The horrors of war are never far away, but they don't overwhelm a plot that is essentially about humanity, decency and family in the face of unpredictability and fear - a toxic combination for a couple yet to get out of their teens. Ivashov shines here. His character's innocence and integrity are possibly designed for propagandist purposes, but they swiftly rise above that to show us a story of a young man who could just as easily have fought for any of the allies during WWII - and I thought he delivered it really personably. There's a hint of jeopardy at the end and as his journey is frequently tinged with a realism that isn't all rose-coloured cottages the whole thing comes across as a plausible tale of the impact of conflict and of, potently, what they were all fighting for in the first place. There's a lot packed into the ninety minutes, including some humour now and again, and I did enjoy it.

Production companies