I was entertained by the idea this film presented. The acting was believable (especially by the 12 year old Ivan, to my astonishment), the storyline was easy to follow and understand, and the underlying cultural messages were- as well- very well presented.
The acting was so convincing that I felt bad for Ivan. I thought "man, this kid has gone through a lot of sadness in his life. Was he brainwashed into reconaisonce or does he truly believe in the cause of the Motherland's strife against Germany?" And then I realized that I was just watching a movie.
The cultural messages of paternal instincts trumping military duty was a nice tie-in from Tarkovsky. I am almost frustrated with him (Tarkovsky). This film had many of the tying elements found in Mirrors, yet it was so much more enjoyable to watch Ivan's Childhood than Mirrors simply (but not only) because it was very easy to follow. No supernatural throw-ins, the flashbacks were distinct dream sequences, and the time period was constant. This is one of his finer works.
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It's almost as if he has had no childhood--the childhood only exists as a "what might have been" in his dreams.
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