Ballad Of A Soldier Reflection
Andrew McClarren
December 4, 2014
RUS 100
Ballad of a Soldier Reflection
In the 1959 film Ballad of a Soldier, a young man at the age of 19 by the name of Alyosha Skvortsov is fighting on the front line for the Russian army during World War II. Alyosha and the other frontline men are faced with two German tanks quickly approaching them. One of the men makes a run for it and is killed; the other reports back to his superior and makes a break for it, leaving young Alyosha on his own. Realizing how much danger he is in, Alyosha starts to run away from the tanks, which appear to be trying to run him over. Eventually, Alyosha gets to a spot where he believes he can make a good enough shot to stop the tanks. He makes the first shot, and fatally wounds the first, and with his next shot takes down the second. When he arrives back to camp he is a hero. The general wishes to bestow an honorary medal to Alyosha for his bravery but the young soldier instead asks for permission to go home to see his mother for a few days. His wish is granted and he immediately heads home. Alyosha meets a handful of characters, all of which he learns about life from. He even falls in love along the way, all within a few days before reaches his mother at home.
This film is set during World War II and for a film of its age, depicts the period extremely well. Ballad of a Soldier begins by showing Alyosha battling on the frontline for Russia. It clearly demonstrates how frightening and unexpected various aspects of war can be. His fellow linemen die alongside him, and the others run off in fear. Alyosha is stuck to face the terror alone, and the sheer terror of war is palpable while watching the film.
The first event that truly spoke to Alyosha’s character was how he was willing to share his small ration of tobacco with all the other men on the train. The paper he uses to roll the tobacco were his leave papers with his picture on them. He feels having a relaxing, enjoyable smoke with the other
December 4, 2014
RUS 100
Ballad of a Soldier Reflection
In the 1959 film Ballad of a Soldier, a young man at the age of 19 by the name of Alyosha Skvortsov is fighting on the front line for the Russian army during World War II. Alyosha and the other frontline men are faced with two German tanks quickly approaching them. One of the men makes a run for it and is killed; the other reports back to his superior and makes a break for it, leaving young Alyosha on his own. Realizing how much danger he is in, Alyosha starts to run away from the tanks, which appear to be trying to run him over. Eventually, Alyosha gets to a spot where he believes he can make a good enough shot to stop the tanks. He makes the first shot, and fatally wounds the first, and with his next shot takes down the second. When he arrives back to camp he is a hero. The general wishes to bestow an honorary medal to Alyosha for his bravery but the young soldier instead asks for permission to go home to see his mother for a few days. His wish is granted and he immediately heads home. Alyosha meets a handful of characters, all of which he learns about life from. He even falls in love along the way, all within a few days before reaches his mother at home.
This film is set during World War II and for a film of its age, depicts the period extremely well. Ballad of a Soldier begins by showing Alyosha battling on the frontline for Russia. It clearly demonstrates how frightening and unexpected various aspects of war can be. His fellow linemen die alongside him, and the others run off in fear. Alyosha is stuck to face the terror alone, and the sheer terror of war is palpable while watching the film.
The first event that truly spoke to Alyosha’s character was how he was willing to share his small ration of tobacco with all the other men on the train. The paper he uses to roll the tobacco were his leave papers with his picture on them. He feels having a relaxing, enjoyable smoke with the other