Cranes Are Flying

This moving WW2 drama deservedly won the 1958 Cannes Palme d’Or and reintroduced Soviet cinema to the outside world as well as being a huge domestic box office hit. Veronica (Tatiana Samoilova, who won the Best Actress Award in Cannes for the role) is madly in love with her fiancé, Boris (Alexei Batalov), who departs for the front to do his patriotic duty for the war effort. The film looks at the impact of the war on the participants: the lovers who fail to say their farewells prior to Boris’ departure through unfortunate circumstances; his surgeon father who has to continue caring for his patients; and the shifty cousin trying to avoid the conflict altogether. The story unravels to depict a poignant portrayal of blameless individuals doing their best to survive the travails of tragedy and hardship. The film’s compelling narrative is complemented by brilliant cinematography, which was way ahead of its time.