History Film / HussarBallad

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hb.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Shura (Golubkina, on the left) and Rzhevsky (Yakovlev, on the right)]]

* TranslationConvention: When Shura [[spoiler:infiltrates the French headquarters, she poses as a French lieutenant]]. The dialog on screen is in Russian, although we are supposed to assume she is speaking French while talking to enemy officers. Justified, as French was indeed very popular among Russian nobles at the time, so it's very probable that she had a good command of French; [[spoiler:also, she poses as not a Frenchman, but a Spanish, which might explain away any imperfections]].

* AdaptationDistillation: The film is based on a play "A Long Time Ago" (Давным-давно) by Alexander Gladkov, and remains a mostly faithful adaptation, despite being much shorter. A few episodes were changed to better use the medium without affecting the storyline in general.

"Hussar Ballad" premiered in theaters on Sept. 7, 1962. It received very positive reviews, and remains quite popular ever since.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory:
** Field Marshal Kutuzov was only appointed as the head of the army two months after the start of war; yet in the movie it's indicated that he leads the army from the very beginning.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Averted. Field Marshal Kutuzov, the leader of Russian army, is an old man with lots of extra weight, and doesn't get into any fights. French general Dusier is forced to fight, but proves to be rather mediocre at that — Salgari manages to fight him and another french officer at the same time.

* DyingAsYourself: Implied with Shura. Sentenced to die, she changes from a uniform into her old dress.

* ArtisticLicenseMilitary: Rzhevsky, first meeting Shura, comments that her uniform makes her a Pavlograd hussar, while in reality she is dressed as Sumy hussar; and Rzhevsky is the guy who would know.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Played mostly straight; unlike the most movies set in this time period, neither Emperor Napoleon, nor the Russian Tsar appear on-screen. Kutuzov is the only real historical figure featured here, and he is not shown making any history-making moves.

* OneSizeFitsAll: Shura is several inches shorter than [[spoiler:Salgari]] and has a different build, but somehow, [[spoiler:when she infiltrates the French camp in his uniform]], it is shown to fit her perfectly.

* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:Vincento]] is killed when the battle is almost won, and [[spoiler:his]] final words are a calm comment on how [[spoiler:the French general holds true to his promise to shoot him]].
** The play also has [[spoiler:him]] GoOutWithASmile.

** Shura’s beloved doll is called Svetlana. However, Svetlana is a name that was coined by Vassily Zhukovsky, in a ballad that was only first published in 1813, a year after the film’s events.

** Another minor one in the final battle scene. In the play, Rzhevsky breaks down the door to the room where Shura is locked up. In the film, Shura apparently opens the door herself and runs down to meet him, though she is completely unarmed. It makes it look like that [[spoiler:a spy sentenced to shooting]] is simply brought into a room and forgotten about.

* AdaptationInducedPlotHole: A minor one, concerning Shura acquiring her uniform. In the play, Shura had a cousin who was an officer and died a while earlier. In the film, that cousin is implied to be alive and is said to have left his uniform while visiting. It is a little hard to believe that an officer would simply forget his ''entire'' uniform and then wouldn’t ask for its return.

* TrueCompanions: Guerrillas. After learning that [[spoiler:Shura's captured]], they rush at her aid, despite being outnumbered. They succeed.

* VodkaDrunkenski: Guerrillas of Vasilyev’s squadron celebrate the victory in a battle by consuming a lot of wine; Shura, trying to blend in, becomes quite drunk, makes a fool of herself, [[spoiler:barely avoids exposure and faints]].

However, this game ends quickly as the local governor arrives at the ball announcing that the war with France started. Rzhevsky, after saying a few ardent words about protecting one's motherland, leaves for the army, still not knowing he was played with. Shura, inspired by his words and wanting to prove herself on a battlefield, leaves shortly after. She successfully gets into the army, although not as a front line fighter, as she wanted, but as a messenger. Only much later she meets Rzhevsky again, purely by chance. She also meets Field Marshal Kutuzov (Ilyinsky) who, accidentally, uncovers her secret, but the situation forces him to keep his mouth shut. Finally, she joins the colonel Vasiljev's guerrilla squadron and gets some real action.

* NumberTwo: Rzhevsky is this to colonel Vasiljev. He is Vasiljev's second in command, and, while not much of a strategist, successfully leads the squadron in a fight.

* TranslationConvention: When Shura [[spoiler:infiltrates the French headquarters, she poses as a French lieutenant.]] The dialog on screen is in Russian, although we are supposed to assume she is speaking French while talking to enemy officers. Justified, as French was indeed very popular among Russian nobles at the time, so it's very probable that she had a good command of French; [[spoiler:also, she poses as not a Frenchman, but a Spanish, which might explain away any imperfections]].

* VodkaDrunkenski: Guerrillas of Vasiljev's squadron celebrate the victory in a battle by consuming a lot of wine; Shura, trying to blend in, becomes quite drunk, makes a fool of herself[[spoiler:, barely avoids exposure and faints]].

* WholesomeCrossdresser: Shura. Her uniform starts as a costume for a masked ball, and later serves as a mean to get into army.

* DudeWheresMyRespect: Averted. [[spoiler:After guerrillas find out about Shura's true identity, they have no problem with continuing to treat her as their friend. Granted, it would be very different if they didn't see her fighting alongside them before.]]

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Shura gets through a lot of trouble, risking her life on numerous occasions, but finally [[spoiler:earns genuine respect from Vasiljev's guerrillas, not to mention finding a love of her life]].

* PaperThinDisguise: Completely averted. Golubkina, while quite attractive as a girl, really does look (and sound) like a young man when in uniform — to the point when even first-time viewers might not realize at first that it's the same character. Director tested lots of actresses before finding one capable of pulling it off.

* SweetOnPollyOliver: Played with. Rzhevsky considers Shura, in her uniform, as a friend. [[spoiler:After learning the truth, however, he quickly realizes he is in love with her.]]

* TranslationConvention: When Shura [[spoiler:infiltrates the French headquarters, she poses as a French lieutenant.]] The dialog on screen is in Russian, although we are supposed to assume she is speaking French while talking to enemy officers. Justified, as French was indeed very popular among Russian nobles at the time, so it's very probable that she had a good command of French; [[spoiler:also, she poses as not a Frenchman, but a Spanish, which might explain away any imperfections.]]
* TrappedByGamblingDebts: In the beginning of the film, Rzhevsky is not at all eager to marry, but loses a lot of money in card games, and is saved by his uncle, who demands in return that Rzhevsky marries.

* BetaCouple: Pyotr Pelymov and Louise Germon, who have quarrelled the previous winter but clearly still care for each other. They reconcile by the end of the film.

* BookBurning: Shura sneaks into the French lines as a spy, wearing a French uniform. She finds a French regiment bivouacked in her family's mansion, with French officers chucking her uncle's books into the fire for warmth.
* BossFight: Averted. Although there is a big fight near the end of the film, none of the hero's opponents shows any exceptional skills.

* SpoiledSweet: Louise Germon is a world-famous singer who is provided with means of comfortable travel even in the midst of war. She is also a genuinely kind-hearted woman, desperately trying to make peace between Rzhevsky and Shura and being among the first to rush to Shura's aid when it seems the latter is wounded. The play also mentions that it is she who nurses Azarov when the latter is sick, delirious and in captivity.