Ballad of a Soldier
Seen it?1959 | 89 min | Drama, Romance, War
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (93% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for romantics and history buffs. If you loved Schindler's List or Casablanca, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Intense, warm and romantic.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 29 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Russian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1959: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
During World War II, earnest young Russian soldier Alyosha Skvortsov is rewarded with a short leave of absence for performing a heroic deed on the battlefield. Feeling homesick, he decides to visit his mother. Due to his kindhearted nature, however, Alyosha is repeatedly sidetracked by his efforts to help those he encounters, including a lovely girl named Shura. In his tour of a country devastated by war, he struggles to keep hope alive.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
93% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
8.0 out of 10
- AwardsBelow par
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
- Box office & staying powerWeak
$167K worldwide
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 45K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Grigoriy Chukhray
- Vladimir IvashovAlyosha Skvortsov
- Zhanna ProkhorenkoShura
- Antonina MaksimovaKaterina, Alyosha's Mother
- Nikolay KryuchkovThe General
- Evgeniy UrbanskiyVasya, the Invalid
- Elza LezhdeyLiza, the Invalid's Wife
- Aleksandr KuznetsovGavrilkin, the Train Sentry
- Yevgeni TeterinThe Lieutenant, 'A Terrible Beast'
- Valentina MarkovaZoya, Skvortsovs' Neighbor
- Mariya KremnevaElizaveta Petrovna, Pavlov's Wife