Ballad of a Soldier (1959)

"From the very pages of life itself!"

★ 8.0/10 (215 votes)

IMDb

1h 29m

Drama Romance War

Stream on

Criterion Channel

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.