It's interesting to
see the differences in storytelling with films from the 40's and 50's
versus today's pictures. Pictures from earlier eras, more often than not,
were able to tell a satisfying story with fully-realized characters in a
matter of 90 minutes or so; today we are often presented with movies that
contain excessive running times when it becomes apparent that the story
could be told in less time. A good example of this sort of economical,
efficent storytelling, "Ballad Of a Soldier" is a 1959 Russian picture
that is able to give the audience a full picture of a man within 88
minutes.
The film revolves around Alyosha Skvortsov
(Zhanna Prokhorenko), a Russian soldier, who, as the film begins, has just taken
out two German tanks by himself. Offered a medal for his actions, he
instead requests a leave-of-absence so that he can visit his mother. The
majority of the rest of the film follows him on his journey across the
countryside, meeting new people and through various means (such as
convincing a wounded veteran to return to his wife, who was afraid would
feel differently about him), helping them improve their lives. He's a
moral, kind character who we root for; his manner seems genuine and not
forced; he's a good, bright person who has kept his way despite of the
tragedy and distruction of the war around him. There's also the chance of
love with a pretty, young fellow passinger named Shura.
I'm not
going to give away the film's ending; I'd rather potential viewers follow
to this journey to the end themselves. The performances are outstanding,
especially Zhanna Prokhorenko as Alyosha. The film's beautiful and
occasionally quite inventive (in moments such as the marvelous upside-down
scene during the battle early on) cinematography also deserves special
mention. While "Ballad of a Soldier" is a simple and fairly short film,
it's a richly told, beautifully photographed and performed film that I
found very thought-provoking and enjoyable.
From www.currentfilm.com
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