Well, guess what? I loved it! It was one of the nicest movies I’ve seen in a very long time. And it’s a “war” movie!! Seeing a different view of Russia was so interesting. Rotation of the camera to an upside down shot while filming the tank was quite a different view, too. I don’t know why but I was totally surprised by the rain and muddiness in Russia. Although there was only a bit of it, I really loved the humor. Everything about this film was gentle. Most films nowadays are anything but. Even today’s “chick flicks” are harsh compared to this one. I agree that the message was certainly about living right. And I’m sure some could find great fault with the fact that Alyosha was too perfect. But I loved the fact that the actors were not the well-knowns originally picked for the parts. Their innocence and naivety were genuine. This movie gave my Pollyanna propensity a long overdue feeding and held me in rapt, unnapping attention from beginning to end. Five stars!

PS: I didn’t get teary. You guys are wussies. Or maybe you just need to watch more chick flicks.

First, going in there were two things that struck me. Thing one: It’s 90 minutes long. Thing two: It’s about a soldier. This means I have a nice short war movie to watch and I’m all for kicking-ass and taking names. Give me your Randolph Scott, John Wayne, Sam Peckinpah guns a-blazin’ war movie any day of the week. Should be fun!

Second, I haven’t cried while watching a movie in a long time. During the holidays I usually watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” but I’ve neglected to do so the past couple years because I’ve really not been in the mood to end up blubbering like a 2 year old (as much as it’s a “good cry”). I have to determine…am I really in an emotional state right now to cry my eyes out?

What do these things have to do with “BOAS?” I’ll get to that.

The movie starts out exactly as I hoped. 19 year old signal man, on the front during WWII single handedly wipes out two tanks with a grenade launcher. Running for his life away from the attack, he has no choice but to grab the weapon and fire. Kill or be killed and he does so with precision. YAY! We’re off to a good John Wayne start. Next thing you know, he’ll be promoted and kicking even MORE ass. I couldn’t wait.

Back at the base camp, though, he is recognized for his great job in wiping out the two tanks and instead of being given honors, he asks for leave to visit his mother to fix the leaking roof. His commanding officer gives him 6 days, two to get there, two to fix the roof, and two to get back.

Uh…war? What about the WAR? Aren’t you going to send him back to the front? Would General Patton been as nice? John Wayne? HELLS NO! But the boy is given leave to go help mommy out down on the farm.

The film then becomes a road movie as our hero makes his way from the front to home. Along the way he offers to take a gift (two bars of soap) to a stranger’s house who learned he was going near his home town.

On his way home he encounters a one-legged man who is depressed and going home to his wife, but chooses to NOT go. To leave her because, I guess, she wouldn’t want to have anything to do with a one-legged man. Still, the ticket lady and the young man convince him to stay with her in what is one of many moving scenes in the film.

After encountering the one-legged man, he cons his way into a hay car by paying off the guard with a can of meat (yummy). Once inside he’s ready for the long journey home when a beautiful “city girl” (though it’s out in the country) climbs aboard. Fearing that she’s going to be raped, she starts screaming and nearly jumps to her death from the moving train, but he convinces her that he’s okay and they travel together on the journey. She’s going to visit her husband who is an injured pilot – though we learn, later, that she is lying.

As the days pass and they get separated, the boy uses every means necessary to get home. BUT WHAT OF THE SOAP! I know you’re asking.

He makes it to the small town and tracks down the wife of the soldier only to find out that she’s sleeping around with someone else. Though he gives her the gift he can’t bring himself to leave it with her and takes it back and gives it to the soldier’s father. Still, they are elated to know that their son is alive.

Finally the young woman and man have to separate when she finally admits that she is lying all along. Still, he MUST get home, as he is late. He is able to get on another train but only 10 KM from home, the bridge is blown to smithereens (YAY! WAR MOVIE!) and he must make it there on foot (or by the kindness of strangers willing to drive him there – against the authorities).

Now, it would do no good here to tell you how the film ends (unless, of course, Jason already did so above – spoiler) but I can tell you that by the end I was tearing up and emotionally attached to this young soldier in a way that I never would have been had it be John Wayne or Randolph Scott or Tab Hunter.

WHAT I LIKED:

Oh, wow, the photography was AMAZING. There is a transition shot of upside down tanks in the opening few scenes that just made me stand up and take notice. The early scenes in the film are filled with TONS of extras, tanks, costuming, etc. What sets you up for a massive war movie, quickly simples itself right up to a low-budget road movie.

There are other shots in the film that came right off the 7” screen and whacked me upside the head, such as one where the beautiful Russian girl’s face is framed and lit in a way that, lets face it, was magical. She’s asleep – she might has well have been an angel.

It’s PRACTICALLY G-Rated. Short of a couple “shits” – the film was, basically, G-Rated. And when was the last time you could say that about a war movie.

If peered at a little bit deeper, the film could be a way of displaying the fruitlessness of war as we go on this journey with this young soldier. But…I’m staying on the surface and enjoying every minute.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:

Sadly, other than a few cigarettes and the usage of “shit” – the boy is about as practically perfect as perfect could be. Yeah, he kinda gets angry when he takes the soap back but all-in-all he is a bit of a one-dimensional character. I would have liked a tad more depth. A bit of “been there – killed that” type of guy, maybe a smidgen of a past. Not a boy who looks like he was just made captain of the Russian rugby team and dating the head cheerleader.

ALL IN ALL:

Excellent, emotional, funny, sad, beautifully shot film. My favorite so far in the Janus Collection.