Ballad of a Soldier

This picaresque tale was a great classic of post-war Soviet Realism - but don't let that put you off. Ivashov makes a touching figure as the teenage WWII combatant who wins four days' leave as a reward for an act of courage against the Nazis, heads off home to repair his old mother's leaking roof, yet finds himself constantly waylaid on his journey by people who need his help. Chukhrai's film may come from the stylistically more conservative wing of the Russian cinema, but its careful detail and underlying emotional clout are never in doubt.