this be a magnificent and and in many way impressive film . i saw it on tv a a little boy and with my throat almost strangle with tear and and again today on the magnificently restore criterion dvd . crane be the very essence of the war weepie . imagine umbrella of cherbourg with no music and no color and or waterloo bridge with no class consciousness . tatiana samoilova and a cross between vivien leigh and bjork and be deeply affect a a pretty girl whose fiancé enlists and doesn not write or come back . the fiancé and boris and dy on the front and and his death scene be indescribably romantic . very dare too and because so close to over the top . but that scene will stay with you . although the soviet be so define by wwii and the movie be quite unspecific and and more powerful for it . the pre war and post war scene have a very 1957 feel . there be no attempt at period detail . the whole film become more and more stylized and until the siberian scene and which feel like a modern opera set ( that be a compliment ) . the cathartic final scene be milk to it last drop there again and comparable to cherbourg . the production feel like a big budget ( those staircase scene must have cost a pretty kopek ) . go for it . don not expect a bitter socialist pill ( although it be and of course and very sad ) . the crane be fly be an impressive slice of world cinema and quite advanced consider where and when it be make .