Ballad of a Soldier is a story too good for Hollywood. With love and tragedy in equal measure, this film is an exploration of love between a man and a woman - platonic, romantic and maternal. Each possibility tugs hard at the heartstrings. The protagonist, a soldier called Alyosha, is very young and naive, which makes him a more relatable character than someone whose charm precedes them. From his first meeting with Shura to their last encounter, there's a charm between them that makes the audience beg for them to stay together as she accompanies him on his journey despite delaying him. Their last train rain with their loving bittersweet stare tugs at the heartstrings in a way that shows that genuine love in film is rare.
While there are a few contrivances, such as the opening scene where Alyosha is chased by a tank until he gets a chance to blow it up, but the film does flow very gracefully. The drama is always excellent with believable characters and dialogue the whole way through and very subtle moral dilemmas. Our protagonist is racing against time from the very moment the film ends and it never stops which makes for always compelling viewing. It has great cinematography despite some choppy editing in places, reminiscent of an earlier Russian war film The Cranes Are Flying though perhaps not as impressive. The huge operatic score accompanies the film throughout and highlights the power of the film, though Alyosha's final embrace with his mother is music-less and arguably even more powerful than his embrace with Shura. Incredible film.
9/10
While there are a few contrivances, such as the opening scene where Alyosha is chased by a tank until he gets a chance to blow it up, but the film does flow very gracefully. The drama is always excellent with believable characters and dialogue the whole way through and very subtle moral dilemmas. Our protagonist is racing against time from the very moment the film ends and it never stops which makes for always compelling viewing. It has great cinematography despite some choppy editing in places, reminiscent of an earlier Russian war film The Cranes Are Flying though perhaps not as impressive. The huge operatic score accompanies the film throughout and highlights the power of the film, though Alyosha's final embrace with his mother is music-less and arguably even more powerful than his embrace with Shura. Incredible film.
9/10