Ballad of a Soldier
Баллада о солдате
Soviet Union • 1959
Director
#148Criterion Collection →Synopsis
Russian soldier Alyosha Skvortsov is granted a visit with his mother after he single-handedly fends off two enemy tanks. As he journeys home, Alyosha encounters the devastation of his war-torn country, witnesses glimmers of hope among the people, and falls in love. With its poetic visual imagery, Grigori Chukhrai’s BALLAD OF A SOLDIER is an unconventional meditation on the effects of war, and a milestone in Russian cinema.
Synopsis
Russian soldier Alyosha Skvortsov is granted a visit with his mother after he single-handedly fends off two enemy tanks. As he journeys home, Alyosha encounters the devastation of his war-torn country, witnesses glimmers of hope among the people, and falls in love. With its poetic visual imagery, Grigori Chukhrai’s BALLAD OF A SOLDIER is an unconventional meditation on the effects of war, and a milestone in Russian cinema.
Credits
Crew
DirectorGrigoriy Chukhray
WriterGrigoriy Chukhray, Valentin Ezhov
CinematographerVladimir Nikolayev, Era Savelyeva
ComposerMikhail Ziv
EditorMariya Timofeyeva
ProducerPavel Danilyants
Cast
Vladimir Ivashovas Alyosha Skvortsov
Zhanna Prokhorenkoas Shura
Antonina Maksimovaas Katerina, Alyosha's Mother