Ballad of a Soldier is an exciting tale of a young soldier's adventure while returning home on leave. The cinematography is reminiscent of Truffaut or Bergman, and the pacing is excellent. Although not as shockingly realistic as Come and See, this film portrays the pain Russia was dealt during WWII. There does seem to be a good bit of propaganda for the Russian Army (the way all the commanding officers are big softies and frequently bend the rules), and this does seem rather disingenuous. Unilke the kindness and respect portrayed in Grand Illusion (Renoir's account of prison camp civility from WWI), Ballad of a Soldier leans a bit more toward Triumph of the Will in its seemingly unrealistic depiction of authority figures. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would say its criticisms are dwarfed by its triumphs.