Ivan's Childhood (1962)

In WW2, twelve year old Soviet orphan Ivan Bondarev works for the Soviet army as a scout behind the German lines and strikes a friendship with three sympathetic Soviet officers.

Directors:

Andrei Tarkovsky (as Andrey Tarkovskiy), Eduard Abalov (uncredited)

Writers:

Vladimir Bogomolov (story "Ivan") (as V. Bogomolov), Vladimir Bogomolov (screenplay)

Stars:

Nikolay Burlyaev, Valentin Zubkov, Evgeniy Zharikov

2 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Nikolay Burlyaev	...	Ivan Bondarev (as Kolya Burlyaev)
Valentin Zubkov	...	Leonid Kholin (as V. Zubkov)
Evgeniy Zharikov	...	Galtsev (as Ye. Zharikov)
Stepan Krylov	...	Katasonov (as S. Krylov)
Nikolay Grinko	...	Gryaznov (as N. Grinko)
Dmitri Milyutenko	...	Old Man (as D. Milyutenko)
Valentina Malyavina	...	Masha (as V. Malyavina)
Irina Tarkovskaya	...	Ivan's Mother (as I. Tarkovskaya)
Andrey Konchalovskiy	...	Soldier with glasses (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:

russia | child spy | childhood memory | espionage | world war two | 

---

Genres:

Drama | War

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian German

Release Date:

27 June 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ivan's Childhood

Filming Locations:

Dnieper River, Kanev, Ukraine

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mosfilm,Trete Tvorcheskoe Obedinenie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nikolay Burlyaev is seen in this film ringing a bell. He would, 4 years later, play the character of Boriska - who shall build a giant bell - in Andrei Tarkovsky's next feature Andrei Rublev (1966).

---

Goofs

In the famous "Well Scene" Ivan's mother says "If A well is too deep you can see a star in it even in the day time". While speaking she is standing on the left hand side of Ivan but when their reflection is shown in water she is standing on the right hand side. Lateral Inversion has not been depicted correctly. Please have a look.

---

Quotes

Ivan: Mamma, there's a cuckoo up there!

---

Connections

Edited into Moskovskaya elegiya (1987)

---

Soundtracks

Ne velyat Mashe
[Song played on the gramophone. English translation: "Masha is not allowed beyond the river".]

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.