Drama
Romance
War
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.
Directors
Vladimir Ivashov
Alyosha Skvortsov
Zhanna Prokhorenko
Shura
Antonina Maksimova
Katerina, Alyosha's Mother
Nikolay Kryuchkov
The General
Evgeniy Urbanskiy
Vasya, the Invalid
Elza Lezhdey
Liza, the Invalid's Wife
Aleksandr Kuznetsov
Gavrilkin, the Train Sentry
Yevgeni Teterin
The Lieutenant, 'A Terrible Beast'
Valentina Markova
Zoya, Skvortsovs' Neighbor
Mariya Kremneva
Elizaveta Petrovna, Pavlov's Wife
Vladimir Pokrovskiy
Vasiliy Egorovich, Pavlov's Father
Georgiy Yumatov
The Driver
Gennadiy Yukhtin
Seryozha Pavlov
Valentina Telegina
Old Woman Truck Driver
Lev Borisov
The Soldier, Pavlov's Buddy
Leonid Chubarov
Sergeant Major Mos'ko
Vladimir Kashpur
Ryaboy
Valentin Abramov
Joking Soldier in Train
Directors
User reviews1
Review
Featured review
When the young "Alyosha" (Vladimir Ivashov) risks life and limb to take out a couple of approaching Nazi tanks, his Comrade General (Nikolay Kryuchkov) proudly suggests an official citation for his bravery. Instead, he pleads to be allowed to travel home to fix his mother's roof. The battalion is due for some rest anyway, so he is given a furlough for six days to get home and get back. Armed with some tins of beef and a message from one of his colleagues to his sweetheart, he sets off on a journey across a war-torn land where he has to use his wits and guile to make it in time. Along the way he meets "Shura" (Zhanna Prokhorenko) who is also fleeing from their invaders and after a typically nervous start in a hay-strewn railway carriage, the two begin to bond as their journey reminds them not just of the dangers of soldiering during wartime, but also of the fairly profound effects that can have on a civilian population struggling for basics - physical and emotional. Aleksandr Kuznetsov is really the only other actor to have anything like a recurring role - he is the train sentry not averse to a little tinned beef either, otherwise it's down to the two actors to tell a story of endurance and love that is really quite endearing. The horrors of war are never far away, but they don't overwhelm a plot that is essentially about humanity, decency and family in the face of unpredictability and fear - a toxic combination for a couple yet to get out of their teens. Ivashov shines here. His character's innocence and integrity are possibly designed for propagandist purposes, but they swiftly rise above that to show us a story of a young man who could just as easily have fought for any of the allies during WWII - and I thought he delivered it really personably. There's a hint of jeopardy at the end and as his journey is frequently tinged with a realism that isn't all rose-coloured cottages the whole thing comes across as a plausible tale of the impact of conflict and of, potently, what they were all fighting for in the first place. There's a lot packed into the ninety minutes, including some humour now and again, and I did enjoy it.
Geronimo196713 Dec, 2024
Box office
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