Ivan's Childhood (1962)
"Ivanovo detstvo" (original title)

During World War II, 12-year old Ivan works as a spy on the eastern front. The small Ivan can cross the German lines unnoticed to collect information. Three Soviet officers try to take care... See full summary »

Director:

Andrei Tarkovsky

Writers:

Vladimir Bogomolov (story), Vladimir Bogomolov (screenplay),

Stars:

Nikolay Burlyaev, Valentin Zubkov, Evgeniy Zharikov

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview:
Nikolay Burlyaev	...	Ivan (as Kolya Burlyayev)
Valentin Zubkov	...	Capt. Kholin (as V. Zubkov)
Evgeniy Zharikov	...	Lt. Galtsev (as Ye. Zharikov)
Stepan Krylov	...	Cpl. Katasonov (as S. Krylov)
Nikolay Grinko	...	Lt. Col. Gryaznov (as N. Grinko)
Dmitri Milyutenko	...	Old Man (as D. Milyutenko)
Valentina Malyavina	...	Masha (as V. Malyavina)
Irma Raush	...	Ivan's Mother (as I. Tarkovskaya)
Andrey Konchalovskiy	...	Soldier (as A. Konchalovskiy)
Ivan Savkin	...	(as I. Savkin)
Vladimir Marenkov	...	(as V. Marenkov)
Vera Miturich	...	Girl

Storyline

During World War II, 12-year old Ivan works as a spy on the eastern front. The small Ivan can cross the German lines unnoticed to collect information. Three Soviet officers try to take care of this boy-child.

---

Plot Keywords:

boy | dream | spy | thinness | 1940s | 

---

Genres:

Drama | War

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian German

Release Date:

27 June 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

My Name Is Ivan

Filming Locations:

Dnieper River, Kanev, Ukraine

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mosfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was based on a short story "Ivan" by Vladimir Bogomolov. Andrei Tarkovsky wrote in his book "Sculpting in Time" later that he did not find the book very good, but stories that were not well written were easier to adapt into films.

---

Connections

Edited into Cinéma, de notre temps: Une journée d'Andrei Arsenevitch (2000)

User Reviews

The youth is out there

Tarkovsky's monochrome delight deals with the tragedy of youth lost in war. Its main theme is of childhood innocence lost (becoming accessible to Ivan only in dreams) however the young officers are also vastly aged by the conflict they find themselves in.

The backdrop is nature itself - woodpeckers and cuckoos emulate (or become replaced by) the sounds of machine gun fire and the hoots of the falling flares. It pervades most scenes: the seemingly endless channel of water between the opposing sides, the huge birch trees stretching out as high and as far as the eye can see while also providing bunkers for the Russian forces. But nature's power is continually challenged by the great war going on around it and is ultimately defiled and devastated (like Ivan's, and the other young officers' innocence) - turning from green grasslands to mud and ashen trees.

Reminded me of 'The Thin Red Line' in its use of the natural world war tries to ignore. The shots are honestly stunning. The leads are all fantastic. Enjoy the desolation.