Grigory Chukhray commented on his casting choice: We took a big risk. It was risky to give the main roles to quite inexperienced actors. Not many would have done so in those times, but we ventured and did not regret afterwards. Volodya and Zhanna gave the most precious colouring to the film, that is, the spontaneity and charm of youth. Both would go on to long careers in cinema. Production According to Robert Osborne, the primary host of Turner Classic Movies, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was a fan of the director, so Chukray was given more leeway than normal. Reception Ballad of a Soldier was released on December 1, 1959 in the Soviet Union and sold 30.1 million tickets at screenings. The film was released in the United States in 1960 as part of a Soviet-American film exchange during a thaw in the Cold War. Other films shown in the US as part of this cultural exchange included The Cranes Are Flying (1957) and Fate of a Man (1959). The film received considerable praise for both its technical craft and its strong, yet subtle story. Viewed from the earnestness and unabashed youthfulness of the protagonist, the film was hailed as an instant classic by Soviet and American critics. The New York Times reviewer Bosley Crowther applauded Chukray's ability to make the film "flow in such a swift, poetic way that the tragedy of it is concealed by a gentle lyric quality." He also noted the "two splendid performances" by Ivashov and Prokhorenko. The film received the Lenin Prize in 1961, as did its director and producer. Awards 1960 Cannes Film Festival - Special jury prize 5th San Francisco International Film Festival, 1960 - Golden Gate Award for Best Film and Golden Gate Award for Best Director BAFTA Award for Best Film From Any Source, 1961 Bodil Awards for Best European Film, 1961 Nomination for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (1961) – Grigory Chukhray and Valentin Yezhov References External links Ballad of a Soldier an essay by Vida Johnson at the Criterion Collection 1959 drama films 1959 films 1950s drama road movies 1950s Russian-language films 1950s war drama films Best Film BAFTA Award winners Eastern Front of World War II films Films about amputees Films directed by Grigori Chukhrai Films set in 1942 Films set in Russia Films set in the Soviet Union Films set on trains Films shot