Ballad of a Soldier Response

Grigori Chukhrai’s Ballad of a Soldier portrayed a perspective on healthy sexuality that was considered liberating for the time period. After Alyosha cleverly disguises Shura in his military coat and hat, they both make it onto the train. As the train is moving forward, Alyosha and Shura laugh with one another until smoke fills the screen and initiates a dissolve into an intimate space that belongs to them. At first, there is a melancholic tone to their intimacy perhaps acknowledging the fact that they will not be with one another much longer. However, their infatuation is no match for the circumstances and they both fall in love. The romantic score dominates the soundtrack as the sound of the train is no longer existent. As Alyosha and Shura stare at one another, the director choses to use an extreme close up while fading out with a dissolve into another romanticized close up of Shura. Masked by the intercut shot of the train moving, these close ups and the final two shot of the couple seem to be filmed in a studio to create a suitable romantic dream like atmosphere with the use of specific lighting.
Alyosha’s final train ride at the end of the film after saying goodbye to Shura proves to be significant. Alyosha stares at the trees along the brink of the tracks as they pass by. Suddenly, memories and imagined episodes of Shura become superimposed with the moving trees. Shura washes her feet, undoes her hair, and also gives a monologue admitting her love to Alyosha. She also asks why he has not said anything about it. As Alyosha dwells on the thought, he has the urge to get off the train to tell Shura that he loves her. The reflections on memories from the past and imagined episodes of Shura bring a resolution to the relationship despite the sorrowful circumstances and the fact that they never kiss in the