this be a wonderful movie from the soviet union that follow one simple soldier for the course of less than a week . pvt . alyosha skvortsov be on the battlefield run from an oncoming german tank . he be scared half to death but manages and in his panic and to jump into a fox hole where he find a bazooka like gun and destroy the tank . moment later and another german tank appear and he dispatch that one as well . the german tank not hit be in a panic and make a hasty retreat . later and the private be bring to the general where he be congratulate and tell he would get a medal for his bravery . skvortsov instead ask if perhaps he could have a pas to see his mother and the general agrees . however and the pas be only for a few day and despite skvortsov insisting he could make it home in a day or so and there be a war on and it take so much long to get home than he anticipate . in fact and he be take from touch vignette to touch vignette all tell marvelously and with such heart . one soldier who see him head away from the front begs him to stop on the way home and bring some soap to his wife and tell her he be okay . how this all work itself out be amazingly honest and touch . even more touching be the one legged veteran he meet who be also on the way home . the guy doesn not believe that his wife would like him back particularly with the injury . but and skvortsov be such a decent guy that he take time out of his leave to force the guy to go home and not run away . this lead to one of the most touching reunion you will ever see . additionally and the young soldier also happen to meet a pretty young lady on a train and fall in love with her ( reminiscent of the film the clock ) . ultimately and he do arrive home for an all too brief moment where you will likely shed a tear or two . the film be marvelous and honest . instead of the jingoistic propaganda film this would have be have it be make during the war and a few year have pass and the film have a more realistic focus . the extreme bravery and fear and decency and bad in people be all explored and a a result the film seem so real . also and the whole look of the war be achieve so well . the german tank be actually german tank ( thanks to countless tank abandon by flee german during the war ) something you just do not see in american film because they aren not available . the battlefield look stark and vivid . and and in a good nod to realism and one soldier eats can meat that clearly have an american label on it ( something stalin never would have allow in a film since he alone be why the russian prevail and or so it would have be portray if the film have be make before his death in 1953 ) . i can compare this film favorably to many of the great war film that explore real human being such a the best year of our life or the recent film enemy at the gate . a masterpiece of honesty and humanity .