Ballad of a Soldier
Ballad of a Soldier | |
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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 |
Distributed by | Union Film Distributors Inc. (USA) |
Release dates | ![]() ![]() |
Running time | 89 min. |
Language | Russian |
Ballad of a Soldier, ([Баллада о солдате] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help), transliteration: Ballada o soldate) is an award-winning 1959 Soviet film drama set in World War II. The film was directed by Grigori Chukhrai and produced at Mosfilm.
Ballad of a Soldier (2002), directed by Anahuac and Kinan Valdez, is a lesser known Chicano movie version of the play Soldado Razo, written by Luis Valdez.
Synopsis
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 a young soldier making his way through the countryside during the first few months of the war at a time when the Soviet Union seemed destined to fall to the powerful Nazi onslaught. Awarded a six-day pass for destroying two German tanks, Alyosha (Vladimir Ivashov) makes his way home to visit his mother. 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, "Ballad of a Soldier" distanced itself from the fierce propaganda which bound other films before it. American critics, particularly, hailed it as an instant classic, with the New York Times's own Bosley Crowther offering it iconic status.[1]
Main cast
- Vladimir Ivashov - Pvt. Alyosha Skvortsov
- Zhanna Prokhorenko - Shura
- Antonina Maksimova - The mother
- Nikolai Kryuchkov - The general
- Yevgeni Urbansky - Vasya
- Elza Lezhdey - Vasya's wife
Awards
- BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source, 1961
- Bodil Awards for Best European Film, 1961
- Cannes Film Festival, 1960 - Special jury prize
- 5th San Francisco International Film Festival, 1960 - winner, Golden Gate Award for Best Film
- 5th San Francisco International Film Festival, 1960 - winner, Golden Gate Award for Best Director - Grigori Chukhrai
- Nominated: Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay - Grigori Chukhrai, Valentin Yezhov
Gallery
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Zhanna Prokhorenko as Shura and Vladimir Ivashov as Alyosha Skvortsov
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Antonina Maksimova as Alyosha's mother and Vladimir Ivashov as Alyosha Skvortsov
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Yevgeni Urbansky as Vasya and Elza Lezhdey as Vasya's wife
References
- ^ "Movie Review: Ballad of a Soldier". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
http://www.cinemasfestival.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=53&Itemid=40