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IMDbPro

Ballad of a Soldier

Original title: Ballada o soldate
  • 19591959
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
10K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
46,315
20,813
Vladimir Ivashov in Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
DramaRomanceWar
Young Russian soldier Alyosha earns a medal, but asks to visit his mother instead. His journey recounts various kinds of love during wartime.Young Russian soldier Alyosha earns a medal, but asks to visit his mother instead. His journey recounts various kinds of love during wartime.Young Russian soldier Alyosha earns a medal, but asks to visit his mother instead. His journey recounts various kinds of love during wartime.
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
10K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
46,315
20,813
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Grigoriy Chukhray
    • Writers
      • Grigoriy Chukhray
      • Valentin Ezhov
    • Stars
      • Vladimir Ivashov
      • Zhanna Prokhorenko
      • Antonina Maksimova
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Grigoriy Chukhray
    • Writers
      • Grigoriy Chukhray
      • Valentin Ezhov
    • Stars
      • Vladimir Ivashov
      • Zhanna Prokhorenko
      • Antonina Maksimova
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 69User reviews
    • 42Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 7 wins & 5 nominations total

    Photos110

    Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko in Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
    Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
    Vladimir Ivashov and Nikolay Kryuchkov in Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
    Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko in Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
    Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko in Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
    Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko in Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
    Vladimir Ivashov in Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
    Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko in Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
    Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko in Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
    Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
    Vladimir Ivashov, Evgeniy Evstigneev, and Antonina Maksimova in Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
    Vladimir Ivashov and Antonina Maksimova in Ballad of a Soldier (1959)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Vladimir Ivashov
    Vladimir Ivashov
    • Alyosha Skvortsov
    • (as Volodya Ivashov)
    Zhanna Prokhorenko
    Zhanna Prokhorenko
    • Shura
    Antonina Maksimova
    Antonina Maksimova
    • Katerina (Alyosha's Mother)
    Nikolay Kryuchkov
    Nikolay Kryuchkov
    • The General
    Evgeniy Urbanskiy
    Evgeniy Urbanskiy
    • Vasya (The Invalid)
    Elza Lezhdey
    Elza Lezhdey
    • Liza (The Invalid's Wife)
    Aleksandr Kuznetsov
    Aleksandr Kuznetsov
    • Gavrilkin (The Train Sentry)
    Evgeniy Teterin
    Evgeniy Teterin
    • The Lieutenant ('A terrible beast')
    Valentina Markova
    • Zoya (Skvortsovs' neighbor)
    Mariya Kremneva
    Mariya Kremneva
    • Elizaveta Petrovna (Pavlov's Wife)
    • (as M. Kremnnyova)
    Vladimir Pokrovskiy
    Vladimir Pokrovskiy
    • Vasiliy Egorovich (Pavlov's father)
    Georgiy Yumatov
    Georgiy Yumatov
    • The Driver
    Gennadiy Yukhtin
    Gennadiy Yukhtin
    • Seryozha Pavlov
    Valentina Telegina
    Valentina Telegina
    • Old Woman Truck Driver
    Lev Borisov
    Lev Borisov
    • The Soldier (Pavlov's Buddy)
    Leonid Chubarov
    Leonid Chubarov
    • Sergeant Major Mos'ko
    Vladimir Kashpur
    Vladimir Kashpur
    • Ryaboy
    Valentin Abramov
    Valentin Abramov
    • Joking Soldier in Train
    • Director
      • Grigoriy Chukhray
    • Writers
      • Grigoriy Chukhray
      • Valentin Ezhov
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was a success all over the world. As a result, the film received a 101 foreign award.
    • Goofs
      The movie is set in July 1942 (a news report over loudspeakers mentions a Soviet retreat from Rostov and Voronezh). Yet the film depicts German Tiger and Soviet T 34/85 tanks, which came into service, respectively, in mid 1943 and early 1944.
    • Quotes

      Alyosha Skvortsov: Comrade General, instead of my decoration, could I go home to see my mother?

    • Connections
      Featured in Fejezetek a film történetéböl: A szovjet film 1953-1970 (1990)

    User reviews69

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    "A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic."
    "A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic" is the famous quote by Stalin. In this movie we see a marvellous illustration of the sentiment.

    Don't worry; I didn't spoil anything. We learn from the opening narration that this is the story of a fallen hero. With that in mind, the atmosphere of impending tragedy colours the entire film despite the film's rather charming presentation. It's a wonderful irony, because the director opens with such a powerful & nihilistic statement, but then he follows with a sweet and inspiring presentation which you might even call "innocent".

    I'm not exactly a fan of war movies, but I don't consider this to be one at all. There are very few details about the war, no politics, no propaganda. Essentially you can replace the Russian uniforms with British, German or Japanese, and the story would remain the same--"The Ballad of a Soldier". Oddly enough, it's the compelling portrayal of rustic life (which he encounters along his journey) that provides the backbone and theme of this film, a very human story.

    It reminds me of the Italian classic "Bicycle Thieves" as well as the Japanese masterpiece "Ikuru" by Kurosawa. Each scene packs a lot of heart, and the grand finale brings it all together poetically and artistically. I won't mention any names, but I sure wish certain other artsy Russian directors could be as lucid and authentic in their presentations.

    One more thing... I can't end this review without mentioning the SUPERB MUSIC. The composer is listed as Mihkail Ziv, but IMDb offers no biographical info on him. The melody is powerful and epic while being traditional and intimate at the same time. It really mirrors the theme of the film perfectly: things of great importance come in simple packages.

    This movie gets 9 stars from me, which is about the highest rating I ever give. See it if you ever get the chance.
    helpful•33
    6
    • rooprect
    • Mar 5, 2007

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 26, 1960 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Soviet Union
    • Language
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • Balada o vojniku
    • Filming locations
      • Mosfilm Studios, Moscow, Russia
    • Production company
      • Mosfilm
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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