Father of a Soldier DVD ~ Sergo Zaqariadze Availability: Currently unavailable		4 used & new from $19.96
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful: Who could not love this film?, June 22, 2006 I viewed it twice to be sure my initial response was not simplistic affection for the main character, the lovable Georgy, a father and earthy fellow. I was really taken by the beauty in this film, the care of father for son. Here is a story of a proud papa who's drive to see his son throws him into unlikely challenges and a grueling pilgrimage through a world he was not part of. Yet, being an alien to the world he traveled through, he brought his values, unashamedly and refreshingly so, and touched many along the way. Some have mentioned the vineyard scene in which old Georgy chastises the tankers and officers in a fit of righteous outrage over their lack of respect for the simple things, for a man's hard work, and for others property and the fruit of their labor. These are refreshing moral precepts to see on screen. Throughout, there are several similar lessons, yet they do not come across as contrived moralisms, but simply a part of who the man is. Georgy is simply funny in his good humored way, and watching him laugh or sing the praises of his young son while boasting of him to whoever will listen is heartwarming. When he grieves, it is heart crushing. His dialog is peculiar, and even through the subtitles his mannerisms and dialect sets him apart as a foreigner in his own land. It's a sweeping drama of endurance, and well worth seeing. The final scenes are simply tear jerkers, even for this big, scruffy Texan. As a home schooling parent, I like to keep a lookout for films that are beneficial for like minded folks. This is a film appropriate for the family, and for home schoolers makes a wonderful introduction to the social and political situation in the USSR at the time - though the political content of the film is largely soft peddled and idealized almost to the absurd. Read a Sven Hassel book (not to your children!) to get absurdity on the flipside. Some of the interpersonal customs of Russians and Georgians come across nicely, with subtle regional peculiarities and orders. Good, solid family patriarchy is heralded as a positive thing (and that is good, for a refreshing change!), and devotion, love and perseverance are championed. Techically, I can't speak much for the sound design, for it seems a little poor, but perhaps this is simply a product of the film's vintage. The English language, should that be preferred over the subtitles, is very well done, capturing the nuances of the Georgian contrasted with the Russian language of most everyone else. I viewed both the Russian language with subtitles and the English dubbed version, and must say that the English dubbing was masterfully done, maybe not in technical perfection, but the dialog was fluid and believable. A very strong WWII era film that should be on the shelves of any WWII historian's shelf, or anyone who loves a good story or timeless, basic family love.  Comment