Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
Original title: Баллада о солдате
Ballad of a Soldier is a 1959 Russian-language drama movie directed by Grigoriy Chukhray, with a running time of 1h 29m. It stars Vladimir Ivashov, Zhanna Prokhorenko and Antonina Maksimova.
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.
Where to watch Ballad of a Soldier
Stream: Criterion Channel
Watch free: Darkroom
Cast
- Vladimir Ivashov as Alyosha Skvortsov
- Zhanna Prokhorenko as Shura
- Antonina Maksimova as Katerina, Alyosha's Mother
- Nikolay Kryuchkov as The General
- Evgeniy Urbanskiy as Vasya, the Invalid
- Elza Lezhdey as Liza, the Invalid's Wife
- Aleksandr Kuznetsov as Gavrilkin, the Train Sentry
- Yevgeni Teterin as The Lieutenant, 'A Terrible Beast'
- Valentina Markova as Zoya, Skvortsovs' Neighbor
- Mariya Kremneva as Elizaveta Petrovna, Pavlov's Wife
- Vladimir Pokrovskiy as Vasiliy Egorovich, Pavlov's Father
- Georgiy Yumatov as The Driver