Ballad of a Soldier (1959)

 Grigory Chukhray's "Ballad of a Soldier"


During the 1960s, there were a few Soviet films that were distributed in the U.S. as a method of thawing tensions from the ongoing Cold War. One of those films, released originally in 1959, was Grigory Chukhray's "Ballad of a Soldier." Although the film is centered around war, the actual thematic crux of the film is about love. 

The film centers on a 19-year-old soldier given a two-day leave after proving himself to be a hero in combat. He wants to spend his leave visiting his mother, but along the way, he meets characters that have been affected by the war in various ways. On top of this, he falls in love with a young girl.

There are many Soviet films centered around the preceding war and its affects on the population. "Ballad of a Soldier" does this, along with demonstrating the unity of the people and the sacrifices made. It is a tapestry of love triumphing over anger and bitterness despite their prevalence. 

To me, the film feels so innocent in its approach to its themes that it comes across as sincere. Whether or not this sincerity is faux is no matter. The pure exploration of love in the face of tragedy, as well as the climax's emotional moments, raise "Ballad of a Soldier" from being a simple Soviet story of love and war into something far more emotionally sincere and beautiful.





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