Young Russian soldier Alyosha (Vladimir Ivashov) earns a medal, but asks to visit his mother instead. His journey recounts various kinds of love during wartime.
The film received considerable praise for both its technical craft and its strong, yet subtle story. Viewed from the earnestness and unabashed youthfulness of the protagonist, the film was hailed as an instant classic by Soviet and American critics.
We are quite lucky there was a "thaw" in the Cold War at the time this film came out, as it allowed Americans to see what their "enemies" were doing: making really good anti-war films. Despite all the political rhetoric of the leaders, the average person just wanted to live a happy life. The characters in this film could be Russian, American, French or anything else...
The film received considerable praise for both its technical craft and its strong, yet subtle story. Viewed from the earnestness and unabashed youthfulness of the protagonist, the film was hailed as an instant classic by Soviet and American critics.
We are quite lucky there was a "thaw" in the Cold War at the time this film came out, as it allowed Americans to see what their "enemies" were doing: making really good anti-war films. Despite all the political rhetoric of the leaders, the average person just wanted to live a happy life. The characters in this film could be Russian, American, French or anything else...