Soviet Film and WWII

1
Soviet Film and WWII
2
Motifs and themes

• Main themes of Soviet movies during the world war
  2 were the glorification of the deeds of party
  leaders, as well as patriotism.
• Patriotism was especially depicted through the
  actions of common men.
• Depictions of communist ideology was also
  encouraged

3

• There were several ways these themes were
  reflected in movies, patriotism, for example was
  reflected in large crowds of soldiers fighting
  and sacrificing themselves for the motherland.

4
Ballad of a Soldier (1961)

• Directed by Grigori Chukhrai, who was himself a
  former soldier.
• Rather than focusing on a large group of
  soldiers, the story here focuses on one man,
  Alyosha, played by Vladimir Ivashov.
• It was an attempt to portray WWII more humanely
  while still reflecting the ideals of patriotism
  and sacrifice.
• Patriotism is embodied in the actions of Alyosha,
  who is rewarded for his bravery with a leave, he
  eventually returns to the front and sacrifices
  himself, perishing heroically in the service of
  his country.

5

• Camaraderie amongst soldiers is also stressed in
  this movie. As well as communist ideals, as there
  are many scenes of solders sharing everything
  they have.
• Sexuality is also explored in this movie through
  Alyoshas seduction of a country girl. While it
  appears almost awkward on screen, this brought a
  level of sensuality to the screen that post war
  generation particularly enjoyed.

6
My Name is Ivan (1962)

• Directed by Andrei Tarkovskii
• In this movie we are presented with the stoic
  child Ivan, who is enlisted as a scout for the
  Russian army.
• Contrary to most war movies, the central themes
  here are not centered around patriotism. Rather,
  Ivans bravery is fueled by his need for revenge
  not by his love of country.
• Ivans revenge ultimately turns him into a
  mindless automaton, who is almost totally devoid
  of childlike emotion.
• This movie has a level of spirituality in it
  which is unusual, reflected through dream
  sequences.

7

• There are several things in this movie which make
  it a departure from mainstream soviet film. One
  is the use of icons and Christian symbols.
  Another is the humane nature of the characters.
  They are portrayed as realistic men and are not
  overly heroic or fearless.