Cert 12A
93 mins
BBFC advice: Contains disturbing images of dead bodies
The summer tour of Europe continues apace but I am keeping the everyfilm chase ticking along, thanks to a combo of itunes downloads and movies which have been sent to me.
The latest download gave me cause for trepidation because it was a re-release of a movie directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.
Those with a particularly keen eye on everyfilm.co.uk will know that Tarkovsky's Mirror is the only film I have abandoned in the past six years.
So, I anticipated that I might be served up some more impenetrable Russian surrealism in his 1962 movie Ivan's Childhood.
Thankfully, I was not. Tarkovsky still uses much allegory and imagery but the story is both easy to understand and gripping.
Ivan's Childhood is a monochrome tale of a 12-year-old boy (Nikolay Burlyaev) who has found himself on the frontline of the Soviet battle against the Nazi invaders during the Second World War.
The young orphan is startlingly street-wise and has risen to be an important part of his battalion's war effort using his size and stealth to great effect.
But while what he says and does may make him appear as a man, his blonde hair and tiny frame betray the fact that he really should be at school, playing with his friends.
Indeed, he does slip into occasional reveries about playing innocent games with a little girl and his need for childish comfort is seen in the developing relationship he has with his fellow soldiers.
Tarkovsky adds to the melodrama with his use of close-ups and shadows and a hard-hitting finale. Overall he gave me a fresh perspective on a director who is a favourite among many critical observers of cinema.
Reasons to watch: unique and compelling
Reasons to avoid: Tarkovsky's style is not for everyone
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: very briefly
Overall rating: 7.5/10
Star tweet
i think what tarkovsky wants us to know through IVAN'S CHILDHOOD is how, above all else, there is still time for love even at war
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