#148: CHUKHRAI, Grigori; Ballad of a Soldier (1959)

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CHUKHRAI, Grigori (Soviet Union)
Ballad of a Soldier [1959]
Spine #148
DVD


Russian soldier Alyosha Skvortsov is granted a visit with his mother after he single-handedly fends off two enemy tanks. As he journeys home, Alyosha encounters the devastation of his war-torn country, witnesses glimmers of hope among the people, and falls in love. With its poetic visual imagery, Grigori Chukhrai's Ballad of a Soldier is an unconventional meditation on the effects of war, and a milestone in Russian cinema.

88 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
in Russian
1:33:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2002
Director/Writers

Chukhrai was 38 when he directed Ballad of a Soldier.

The Film


The Extras

The Booklet

Eight-page wraparound featuring an essay by Vida T. Johnson.

Commentary

None.

Audio interview

With director/co-screenwriter Chukhrai and stars Ivashov and Prokhorenko, conducted after a preview screening in New York.

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