Ballad of a Soldier
1959 · Movie · 89 min
★ 7.9(218)unSUB Rating
In World War II, a young soldier earns a brief leave and sets off across a war-torn country to reach home and help his family. His compassion keeps pulling him into strangers’ troubles, turning a simple trip into a moving journey through hardship, fleeting connection, and the struggle to hold onto hope.
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Details
- Original title
- Баллада о солдате
- Years
- 1959
- Release date
- 1959-12-01
- Language
- Russian
- Runtime
- 89 min
- TMDB rating (input)
- 8.0/10 (218 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a tender, character-focused WWII story about ordinary people and small acts of kindness, closer in spirit to The Cranes Are Flying than a combat-heavy war epic; Not for you if you want nonstop action or a purely upbeat mood.
Pros: deeply human, heartfelt romance; vivid wartime hardships; emotional, hopeful tone | Cons: slow, reflective pacing; limited battle action; occasionally sentimental
Themes
- world war ii
- russian soldier
- soldier
- soldier on leave
- return home
- reflective
- soldiers of the russian empire
- blaze of glory
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Original Screenplay · 1962 · nominated
Cast & crew
Vladimir Ivashov
as Alyosha Skvortsov
Zhanna Prokhorenko
as Shura
Antonina Maksimova
as Katerina, Alyosha's Mother
Nikolay Kryuchkov
as The General
Evgeniy Urbanskiy
as Vasya, the Invalid
Elza Lezhdey
as Liza, the Invalid's Wife
- AK
Aleksandr Kuznetsov
as Gavrilkin, the Train Sentry
Yevgeni Teterin
as The Lieutenant, 'A Terrible Beast'
Valentina Markova
as Zoya, Skvortsovs' Neighbor
- MK
Mariya Kremneva
as Elizaveta Petrovna, Pavlov's Wife
Directed by Grigoriy Chukhray