Plot

Young Russian soldier Alyosha earns a medal, but asks to visit his mother instead. His journey recounts various kinds of love during wartime.

During World War II, 19 year old soldier Alyosha gets a medal as a reward for a heroic act at the front. Instead of this medal he asks for a few days leave to visit his mother and repair the roof of their home. On the train eastwards he meets Shura who is on her way to her aunt. In those few days traveling together they fall in love.—Leon Wolters <wolters@strw.LeidenUniv.nl>

After a selfless act of courage in the cold and dangerous Eastern Front, the beardless and good-natured nineteen-year-old soldier, Alyosha Skvortsov, earns a decoration for his service on the field of battle. Instead, the innocent trooper asks for a leave to return to his hometown to see his widowed mother, and, much to his delight, the compassionate commanding general gives Alyosha six days: two to travel into the mainland, two to fix his mother's leaky roof, and two to return. However--as the good son sets off on his mission, against the backdrop of a war-battered Russia constantly under threat of war--Alyosha's noble disposition, his kindness, and the omnipotent love will, somehow, hinder the charming young man. Is his unexpected love for the beautiful wandering girl destined to be, and, most important, is there enough time to embrace his mother once more?—Nick Riganas

The Great Patriotic War. A young soldier Alyosha Skvortsov (Vladimir Ivashov) accomplished a feat - he shot down two enemy tanks from an anti-tank rifle in one battle. The command is going to introduce him to the order, but Alyosha asks to give him leave to see his mother. Having received only six days of vacation and having bought a gift for his mother, Aleksey sets off.—Peter-Patrick76 (peter-patrick@mail.com)

Ballad of a Soldier is in Russian with English subtitles. The opening scenes are on the battlefield in WWII perhaps Kursk. Two lone Russian forward observers are watch a squad of German tiger tanks rolling right at them one runs and is killed the other reports and starts to run. The German tank seems to be trying to run him over and save ammunition. These are real German tiger tanks everything in this movie puts you right in WWII Russia during the great patriotic war. Our hero manages to knock out two of these monster tanks and is rewarded with a 6 day leave. This is the story of that journey across Russian and the encounters with the Russian people as the all shoulder the bitter burden of this Great War. He meets a beautiful young Russian teenager they fall in love and both journey together. The landscapes, the people are a great documentary of how the Russian people fought this war and the great sacrifices they all made. The interactions and characters are all masterfully written and acted. The photography, the direction is the best of the best. The Black and White film format adds to the realism and the WWII feel. The sound track is perfect to complete this excellent film. This is a must see movie for any serious student of film making or WWII history. It is a tribute to the greatness of the Russian people and their greatest generation that paid in a river of blood, sweat and tears to defeat the Nazis during WWII.