Ballad of a Soldier

Ballad of a Soldier Russian , Ballada o soldate, is a 1959 Soviet film directed by Grigori Chukhrai and starring Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko. While set during World War II, Ballad of a Soldier is not primarily a war film. It recounts, within the context of the turmoil of war, various kinds of love the romantic love of a young couple, the committed love of a married couple, and a mothers love of her child, as a Red Army soldier tries to make it home during a leave, meeting several civilians on his way and falling in love. The film was produced at Mosfilm and won several awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source and was nominated for the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay.

On the Eastern Front, nineteenyearold soldier Pvt. Alyosha Skvortsov Vladimir Ivashov single handedly destroys two attacking German tanks, more out of selfpreservation than bravery. His commanding general wants to give him a decoration, but Alyosha asks instead for a leave to see his mother and to repair the leaking roof of their home. He is given six days.During his journey, he sees the devastation the war has wrought on the country and meets various people. When the jeep Alyosha is riding gets stuck in the mud, Private Pavlov helps push it out. As Alyosha will be passing through his home city, Pavlov persuades him to take a present to Pavlovs wife. Pavlovs sergeant reluctantly parts with two bars of soap, the entire supply for their platoon. ........

Source: Wikipedia