ballad of a soldier be a fine and humanistic view of war a experience by a young russian soldier . the young soldier be everything a boy scout should be represent trustworthy and loyal and helpful and friendly and courteous and kind and obedient and cheerful and thrifty and brave and clean and reverend . well and maybe hold the reverend . have manage to save a bunch of his comrade from certain death at the hand of the nazi and the young soldier be call to the general hq . there and the general tell him he put the lad name in for a medal of valor . fine and say the boy and but could i please go home to see my mother . the general hesitates and but encourage by the soldier surround him and he let the boy go home and make him promise to get to see his mother and come back to the front within four day . so the lad go home and and along the way he do favor for some of his comrade and he help a lovely young maiden in distress and and he generally spread good will . he get home in time to give his mom a hug there an incredible scene with him and his dear old mom ( wear a babushka ) run toward each other through a field of wheat . then he wipe away her tear and and tell her he get to go back . immediately . a promise be a promise . what a film . if you can watch this one without cry over the human condition and youre just plain not human .