With the exception of Andrei Tarkovsky, Soviet cinema remains rather unknown this side of the Atlantic. For those who haven't yet indulged further, Grigori Chukhrai's 'Ballad of a Soldier' is a good introduction: more universal, less political, not as formally difficult, and quite a bit more fast-moving (demonstrated, quite literally, by sped-up shots of a tank near the beginning!) than most other Soviet fare.<br /><br />In general, the film is a delicate, lyrical story about a young Soviet soldier who goes off to fight the Germans, and then gets just enough leave time to come back to his small village and see his mother. This return journey takes up most of the film, and along the way our hero meets a girl, falls in love, and sees a variety of characters affected, in different ways, by the war. Everything is presented in episodes, and the film feels, at times, like it's in chapters.<br /><br />Although the DVD cover and title make 'Ballad of a Soldier' appear to be a war movie, be warned that, really, it's not. It's sentimental, about love, fleeting, decidedly poetic. However, it's never mush, and its poetry is often quite good. If you're in the right mood, I reckon this film can really hit the soft, nostalgic spots.<br /><br />And, if your guy or gal is a bit eccentric, reads Dostoyevsky and Kundera, and is into foreign cinema, 'Ballad of a Soldier' even makes a decent date movie.