Ballad of a Soldier: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 01:51, 29 July 2009
| Ballad of a Soldier | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Grigori Chukhrai |
| Written by | Valentin Yezhov Grigori Chukhrai |
| Produced by | M. Chernova |
| Starring | Vladimir Ivashov Zhanna Prokhorenko |
| Cinematography | Vladimir Nikolayev Era Savelyeva |
| Edited by | Mariya Timofeyeva |
| Music by | Mikhail Ziv |
Production company | |
Release dates | December 1, 1959 (USSR) December 26, 1960 (USA) |
Running time | 88 min. |
| Country | Template:FilmUSSR |
| Language | Russian |
Ballad of a Soldier (Russian: Баллада о солдате, Ballada o soldate), is a Template:Fy Soviet film directed by Grigori Chukhrai and starring Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko. The film is set during World War II and shows how the Russian soldier Alyosha tries to make it home during a leave, meeting several civilians on his way and falling in love with Shura. The film was produced at Mosfilm and won several awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source and was nominated for the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay.
Plot
Ballad of a Soldier is not primarily a war film: it recounts, within the context of the turmoil of war, various kinds of love: the romantic love of a young couple, the committed love of a married couple, and a mother's love of her child. The film tells the story of the young soldier Alexei Nikolaevich Skvortsov (Vladimir Ivashov) making his way through the countryside. It is set in the summer of 1942, during the German Summer Offensive that led to the Battle of Stalingrad, a time at which the Soviet Union has already paid a heavy toll in lives and materiel, a fact that is depicted (but not heavily stressed) in the movie. Awarded a six-day leave pass for destroying two German tanks, Alyosha makes his way home to visit his mother and to repair the roof of her home. During his journey he encounters the devastation the war has brought on the country and meets numerous people and gives them hope by virtue of his likeable and positive character. Riding in a freight car of an army supply train he meets Shura (Zhanna Prokhorenko) and falls in love with her. As he had spent precious time on running errands for his fellow soldiers from the front, he arrives at his home only to see his mother for a few minutes before having to leave to make his way back to his unit before his 6-day pass expires. He finds his way back to the front but, as told via voiceover, never returns from the war.
Cast
- Vladimir Ivashov as Private Alyosha Skvortsov
- Zhanna Prokhorenko as Shura
- Antonina Maksimova as the mother
- Nikolai Kryuchkov as the general
- Yevgeni Urbansky as Vasya
- Elza Lezhdey as Vasya's wife
The two lead actors Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko were both only nineteen years old and had not much acting experience at the time of the casting. Grigori Chukhrai's said about his casting choice: "We took a big risk. It was risky to give the main roles to quite inexperienced actors. Not many would have done so in those times, but we ventured and did not regret afterwards. Volodya and Zhanna gave the most precious colouring to the film, that is, the spontaneity and charm of youth".[1]
Distribution and responses
Ballad of a Soldier was released on December 1, 1959 in the Soviet Union and sold 30.1 million tickets.[2]
The film received considerable praise for both its technical craft and its strong, yet subtle story. Viewed from the earnestness and unabashed youthfulness of the protagonist, the film was hailed as an instant classic by Soviet and American critics, with the New York Times offering it iconic status.[3]
Awards
- 1960 Cannes Film Festival - Special jury prize[4]
- Bucharest Film Festival, 1960 - Golden Wolf for Best Film
- 5th San Francisco International Film Festival, 1960 - Golden Gate Award for Best Film and Golden Gate Award for Best Director
- BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source, 1961
- Bodil Awards for Best European Film, 1961
- Nominated for Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay, 1961 - Grigori Chukhrai, Valentin Yezhov
Cultural References
In a special of the cartoon show Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends on Cartoon network the character Wilt is constantly held up from his destination out of his kindness and willingness to help others this is an obvious reference to Private Alyoshas problem in the film.
References
- ^ Ivanova, Vera (April 27, 2006). "Ballad of a Film-Director: Grigorii Chukhrai". Russia-IC.com. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Zemlianukhin, Sergei (1996). Domashniaia sinemateka 1918–1996 (Домашняя Синематека 1918–1996) (in Russian). Moscow: Duble-D. p. 420. ISBN 5-900902-05-6.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Crowther, Bosley (December 27, 1960). "Movie Review: Ballad of a Soldier". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Festival de Cannes: Ballad of a Soldier". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
