with the exception of andrei tarkovsky and soviet cinema remain rather unknown this side of the atlantic . for those who haven not yet indulge far and grigori chukhrai ballad of a soldier be a good introduction represent more universal and less political and not a formally difficult and and quite a bit more fast moving ( demonstrate and quite literally and by speed up shot of a tank near the beginning . ) than most other soviet fare . in general and the film be a delicate and lyrical story about a young soviet soldier who go off to fight the german and and then get just enough leave time to come back to his small village and see his mother . this return journey take up most of the film and and along the way our hero meet a girl and fall in love and and see a variety of character affect and in different way and by the war . everything be present in episode and and the film feel and at time and like it in chapter . although the dvd cover and title make ballad of a soldier appear to be a war movie and be warn that and really and it not . it sentimental and about love and fleeting and decidedly poetic . however and it never mush and and it poetry be often quite good . if youre in the right mood and i reckon this film can really hit the soft and nostalgic spot . and and if your guy or gal be a bit eccentric and read dostoyevsky and kundera and and be into foreign cinema and ballad of a soldier even make a decent date movie .