Ballad of a Soldier

I found Ballad of a Soldier to be an enjoyable film. From the beginning, I saw a closeness between the soldiers and an overall kindness seen in the townspeople he encounters. Although Alyosha does meet some negativity with some (what a doctor says to him right after the train gets bombed, as well as the man who initially decides not to take him to his village for fear of being jailed), the majority of people feel this sympathy towards those who were fighting. This film explores the individuals who are affected because of the war. We are only exposed to a small amount of battlefield scenes, but most of the story is set upon Aloyosha and the people he meets along the way.

Aloyosha is the hero of the story. As he meets individuals who are troubled, he helps them in some way. Right from the start, Aloyosha is kind, has morals, as well as representing this image of what the Russian soldier was to the audience. As he leaves the front, his first act of kindness is shown to a random soldier -to bring soap and the fact that he is well back to his wife. This scene shows the friendship felt between these men; the hardships they endure, but still they are laughing. Further into the story, Aloyosha encounters a wounded soldier journeying home. Without a question, he helps the man carry his luggage and plays a part in him changing his mind to return to his wife. Even though some men in the war lacked integrity, the message from these acts of kindness sends a message that these were the men who fought for Russia, these good men whom were lost, the families they left behind, and the sadness felt at this time for everyone.

I found the most memorable person he meets to be Shura. They meet in an unusual fashion, but their playful interaction foreshadows that she obviously isn't married or engaged and that Aloyosha will fall for her. This relationship incorporates some kind of love story into the film even though it's so short. I can't image how many husbands were lost during this time and the heartbreak of countless wives.

When Aloyosha finally gets to see his mother, the scene when they embrace is so powerful; they can't even speak. It's nice to see this strong relationship between a mother and son- Nowadays families are so broken; so and so hate each other or children barely go visit their parents. I see this aspect here in the States that it's refreshing to see a son love his mother so much and that he'd rather spend the only time he has with her than anything else in the world.

Overall, I found this film to be very entertaining. It lacked the usual propaganda that I had seen in Socialist Realist movies and left me with a sort of happy ending. (We are told he dies in the beginning, but it is not shown at the end.) Viewing this representation of widespread anguish and pain of these broken families that did exist, made me feel so much sympathy for the Russians who had been affected by WWII.