Ballad of a Soldier is about Aloysha, a young private in the Soviet army that is granted some time to go visit with his mother. The movie follows the people that he meets on his journey home, even falling in love on the way. The whole time you are rooting for Aloysha to make it in time to see his mother before his time runs out—making you emotional invested in his journey and his new relationship with the girl he meets along the way. Additionally, the movie depicts the hardships of war without actually showing any attacks. And instead of taking a soldier and trying to portray him as a hero, Aloysha is portrayed as a human being with flaws and fears. Because of this, I found this movie very real and enjoyable. The main character was lovable and I found myself invested in his story.

Everyone should wish it his or her last film in life before taking the last breath as it's enough to awaken the greatest realization in life that we are riding in a train like the soldier with a destination. On the way we make love and on the same way we lose him or her, because this "temporal world" is the place for all sort "transient relationship". We are running after so many valuable stuffs like catching soap bubble in the staircase like heroine. Time to time the film will put you reality and also in romantic fantasy. It's a phenomenal experience. "Thirst" for love will keep you waiting and admitting that you are in love without saying a single word. Trust me! In you life you'll also realize that some people are not worth of any gift like the soldier depicted here. On the other and, some people worth more than you are going to sacrifice for them, which was depicted through the one legged soldier. In some part of your life, you are just a "hero", who has transcended everyone and everything. But, in the next place, you'll find yourself as asshole, because this is how life works out and, you and me no exception of it as we are under the normal distribution at the end of the day.

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

This is such a gentle movie. Other than the beginning when the young man becomes a hero by causing the destruction of two enemy tanks through a panicky, thoughtless circumstance. HIs reward is to go home and visit his mother and to hopefully fix her roof. He is given a few days and begins his journey. He is fighting on the front and otherwise would be cannon fodder to the enemy. As he wends his way home he encounters all the elements of war, from men ready to face their deaths, people bombed while trying to travel away from their deaths, unfaithful wives, dismemberment, and, finally, the love of his life. This works so well on so many levels. It has a subtle humor. It is sentimental and charming. Yet the war hangs over everything. Duty is duty and there is a greater cause. It is certainly a serious anti-war movie that pulls us in gradually, allows us to care about the characters, knowing that they are living under a sword. I had never heard of this film. The young woman who shares the young soldiers few moments, has a wonderfully expressive face. She is his salvation, if only for a short time.