The Cranes are Flying

I recently saw actress Tatyana Samojlova in an ok adaptation of "Anna Karenina."  I watched "The Cranes are Flying" over ten years ago.  When my sister said she was in it I knew it needed a rewatch.  It's a beautiful movie about war.  It begins with two lovers Boris and Veronica, who have an innocent love.  He calls her squirrel. He even gives her a stuffed squirrel which she carries through wartime.  Tatyana gets so desperate during wartime that she even marries her rapist.  By the end of the movie, she's back to believing in Boris' return from the war.  This is not a happy go lucky movie but it's beautifully made and deservedly made its place in The Criterion Collection.  It's too bad that only two of Tatyana's movies are available as she's an excellent actress.