Yuliya Solntseva & Aleksandr Dovzhenko - Poema o more AKA The Poem of the Sea (1959)

Summary:
This is a movie-poem with philosophic and lyric contemplations about the construction of Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, closure of the Dnieper, creation of Kakhovskoye Sea and also about human destinies involved in this great overturn of the region’s life. The action takes place in 1956-57. To the farm chairman’s call the people born in the village located near the Dniepr river that is to be flooded come to say good-buy to their birthplace. It is very hard for the senior generation to destroy their native houses and demolish the gardens as their memories of happy peaceful life and of the dreadful war are associated with them. The young people on the contrary smash down everything old with enthusiasm being sure that it brings nearer the bright future. Spring waters of the Dniepr are out and the Ukrainian village sinks to the bottom of the new Kakhovskoye Sea…
Source : www.mosfilm.ru

Valentina Brumberg & Zinaida Brumberg - Noch pered Rozhdestvom AKA The Night Before Christmas (1951)

From Wikipedia:

The Night Before Christmas (Russian: Ночь пе́ред Рождество́м, Noch pered Rozhdestvom) is a 1951 Soviet traditionally-animated feature film directed by the Brumberg sisters and produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow. The film is based on Nikolai Gogol's story The Night Before Christmas.

The animation features heavy use of rotoscoping, known as "Éclair" in the Soviet Union, and is an example of the Socialist-Realist period in Russian animation.

Mikhail Kalatozov - Letyat zhuravli AKA The Crane's are Flying (1957)

Veronica and Boris are walking in the streets of Moscow and they love each other. Veronica is laughing, cause they are happy together this morning. They see some cranes in the sky. When arriving to Veronica's house they talk about a rendezvous at the bank of the river. And the 2nd World War begins in Moscow. Boris works in a factory and he hasn't got time to speak with Veronica. He has to go to the war ...

Mikhail Karzhukov & Aleksandr Kosyr - Nebo zovyot AKA The Sky Calls (1959)

Quote:
A Soviet scientific expedition is being prepared as the world's first mission to planet Mars. Their space ship Homeland has been built at a space station, where the expedition awaits the command to start. An American ship Typhoon experiencing mechanical problems arrives at the same space station, secretly having the same plans for the conquest of the Red Planet. Trying to stay ahead of Soviets, they start without proper preparation, and soon are again in distress. The Homeland changes course to save the crew of Typhoon. They succeed, but find that their fuel reserves are now insufficient to get to Mars. So Homeland makes an emergency landing on an asteroid "Icarus" passing near Mars, on which they are stranded. After an attempt to send a fuel supply by unmanned rocket fails, another ship Meteor is sent with a cosmonaut on a possibly suicidal mission, to save the stranded cosmonauts.

Ilya Frez - Vasyok Trubachyov i yego tovarishchi AKA Vasyok Trubachyov and His Comrades (1955)

The film tells about the life and adventures of Soviet schoolchildren in pre-war years. About how yesterday's friends - classmates barely do not become enemies. The film is the first shot on the novel - valentina oseyeva trilogy.

Mikhail Kalatozov - Neotpravlennoye pismo aka The Letter Never Sent (1960) (HD)

Quote:
After months of searching, four devoted geologists unearth diamonds in Bolshaya Zemlya. Subsequently cut off from the outside world - and their food supply - by a raging forest fire, the team fights for their lives while attempting to pass along the location of the priceless cache.

Vera Stroyeva - Boris Godunov (1954)

quote from Amazon user: A complement I say, as this not being complete (well, I'd better say severely truncated) it cannot be your sole Boris in a collection; necessary I add, because it preserved a sizable portion of the title part, as portrayed by one of its foremost exponents ever, the great russian bass Alexander Pirogov. This incompleteness is only implied but not clearly stated in the disc's box, which should advise would-be purchasers. So what you get is some kind of "extended highlights" of this, arguably the greatest of russian operas and certainly the most popular. It is a film by Vera Stroieva, made in 1954 as part of a project dear to soviet authorities of putting into film both the lives of Russia's greatest artists and adaptations of their works, to "educate the masses" and of course not being entirely without some ideological hints (or rather more than mere hints). Stroieva made effective use of exterior shots, as well as mixes of "theatrical stage" sequences with other ones filmed inside the Kremlin, which gave the film an intriguing aura and allowed us to look at Boris Godunov from an unusual perspective; the soundtrack was dubbed and lip sinchronised of course, but remarkably well, with results far better than those in contemporary efforts by RAI to film standard italian operas. From the film perspective, it followed the traditions of soviet film making, with stunning images, stark closeups and vast shots of hundreds of extras in the opera scenes involving the people; the soudtrack had to be made on purpose for the project, as the myriad cuts in the score ruled out cutting and splicing existing recordings.

Samson Samsonov - Poprygunya (1955)

From Mosfilm.com:
A screen version of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's short story of the same name (Poprygunya). The film won a Silver Lion of St. Mark and the Pasinetti Prize ( a prize awarded by Italian film critics) for best international film at the 1955 Venice International Film Festival.

Aleksandr Borisov - Krotkaya aka The Meek One (1960)

Based on the short story "A Gentle Being" by Dostoievski.

Yakov Bazelyan & Sergei Parajanov - Andriesh (1954)

A major foreshadowing of Paradjanov’s later work, the visually prodigious Andriesh is an entertaining tale about a young shepherd who is given a magic shawm (a flutelike instrument) to help him conquer his foes. With its flying sheep, evil wizards, and storm demons—all captured in the gloriously artifical palette of fifties Soviet color stock—Andriesh has the kind of eye-popping, whirlwind weirdness of Paradjanov’s last films, Suram Fortress and Ashik Kerib.

Mikhail Kalatozov - Letyat zhuravli AKA The Cranes Are Flying (1957) (DVD)

The triumphant success of this film started with its winning the first prize at the Cannes festival in 1958, where an excellent acting by Tatiana Samoilova was also recognized. After that the picture was welcomed in numerous world’s movie theatres. This is a story of love that could not be destroyed even by war. Boris is felled by an enemy’s bullet in action. Veronica is devastated: she has lost her lover, her parents, her home. As an act of despair, she attempts to find a new family for herself, but only loses her self-respect. She is finally redeemed by rescuing a little boy from being run down by a car. She finds strength to continue living, refusing to believe that Boris is dead. Veronica would not stop waiting for him. Life for her is love, and its loss is equivalent to death…

Grigori Chukhrai - Ballada o soldate AKA Ballad of a Soldier (1959) - (DVD)

Amazon.com:
Grigory Chukhraj's poetic odyssey of an accidental hero on a six-day pass is a sentimental journey through the ideals of the Soviet state in World War II. Vladimir Ivashov is the fresh-faced signalman whose trip from the Russian front to visit his white-haired mother becomes a series of detours as he stops to help the loyal comrades, fellow soldiers, and salt-of-the-earth civilians (as well as a few shirkers and scoundrels) he meets along the way. On a transport train he even falls in love with a pretty young stowaway, a feisty blond girl-next-door on her way to visit a wounded boyfriend. Delicately photographed and gently paced, this deliriously romantic road movie is undeniably Soviet in its celebration of patriotism and collectivism, but Chukhraj transcends politics with delightfully vivid characters and a deft mix of comedy, melodrama, and romance. --Sean Axmaker

Marlen Khutsiyev - Vesna na Zarechnoy ulitse aka Spring on Zarechnoy Street (1956)

A young school teacher Tanya works at a night school for working people. But it's uneasy to get used to grown-up men, their constant attempts at flirting, their sometimes too manly jokes and comments. She is especially irritated by Don Juan-like behavior of Sasha Savchenko. She avoids his advances, and Sasha becomes so upset that he drops out of school. After a while, Tanya gets used to this new for her environment, finds in her heart an attraction to Sasha, and there comes Spring, exams time...

Mikhail Kalatozov - Vikhri vrazhdebnye AKA The Hostile Whirlwinds (1953)

Description:
About the life and work of F.Dzerzhinsky in 1918-1921.

Sergei Parajanov - Pervyy paren aka The First Lad (1959)

A gem from Paradjanov's early oeuvre is a musical agitation film or a romantic comedy, made by the young director under the guidance of Alexander Dovzhenko and set in the immense fields of the collectivised Ukraine. The social realism is replaced by colourful, convivial and dancing shots of the “Pabieda” (Victory) kolkhoz, where peasant women sing in the fields, and boys march with banners glorifying revolution. Against this backdrop, intense romantic feelings have reached a climactic stage; tailor Sidor Sidorovich, farmer Jushka and soldier Danila Petrovich all dote on the fair-haired Odarka. It is Jushka and Danila who engage in overt hostility; the initial “gentlemen’s” contest turns into an outright confrontation, resulting in miserable Jushka being increasingly more desperate and scorned by the villagers.

Mikhail Kalatozov - Neotpravlennoye pismo aka The Letter Never Sent (1959)

Description: A year after his The Cranes are Flying won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Kalatozov re-teamed with cinematographer Sergei Urusevksy and leading lady Tatyana Samojlova to shoot this story about four geologists on an expedition to find diamond deposits in Eastern Siberia. As the team confronts the raging elements of nature—including a tremendous forest fire—that nearly wipe them out, the film questions the sacrifice of human lives to further scientific progress. An intriguing example of new Soviet cinema, The Letter’s striking visuals and bold camerawork recall Kalatozov’s poetic documentary Salt for Svanetia (1929), which brought him fame for its visual bravado and powerful Communist propaganda.

Sergei Vasilyev - Geroite na Shipka aka Heroes of Shipka (1955)

Quote:
The film won the Best Director Award at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival

from imdb:
The film focuses on a key event in the history of Bulgaria - the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation \1877-1878\, after which the Bulgarian nation won its Freedom. The film follows the crucial moments of the war. Thousands of extras were used to depict the crossing of the Danube and the battle of Stara Zagora. At Stara Zagora the leading elements of the Russian army \the so called Forward squad\ and the Bulgarian volunteers met the army of generalissimo Suleiman pasha, fought bravely and, after all, were pushed back to the strategic Shipka pass. The defense of the pass in august 1877 proved to be one of the most famous battles, fought on Bulgarian soil. It also became a legendary victory for both the Bulgarians and the Russians. It is, of course, the climax of the film, with vivid battle sequences. The Russo-Bulgarian military comradeship is shown here at its best with a lot of memorable moments. The film then brings us to the siege of Pleven, where the army of marshal Osman pasha was surrounded, and, after several bloody assaults by the Russian forces, eventually was urged to surrender in November 1877. The film also shows the passing of the Balkan mountain range and the march to Constantinople, where, in a small suburb of the Turkish capital, called San Stefano, the cease-fire agreement took place \3.03.1878\ and Bulgaria emerged after 500 years of oblivion

Mikhail Kalatozov - Vernie Druz'ya AKA True Friends (1954)

Quote:

Like many Russian films of the mid-1950s, True Friends sings the praises of collectivism. V. Merkuryev stars as Nestratov, who while rising to success as an architect becomes an insufferable boor -- and even worse, an individualist. Two of his old friends, one a surgeon and the other a horse trainer for the state, show Nestratov the folly of his ways. In the end, our hero is more than happy to embrace the edicts of working together for the common good. Saving True Friends from wallowing in its own propagandas are the engaging performances of its cast and the sprightly direction by Mikhail Kalatozov.

Ivan Pyryev - Idiot AKA The Idiot (1958)

SYNOPSIS: Upon Prince Myshkin's return to St. Petersburg from an asylum in Switzerland, he becomes beguiled by the lovely young Aglaya, daughter of a wealthy father. But his deepest emotion is for the wanton, Nastasia. The choices all are forced to make lead to great tragedy.

IMDB wrote:
In the period 1955-60 some absolutely incredible movies were made in the Soviet Union. This is no exception. Based on the classic novel, the script of course holds masterpiece quality. Visually, it's also a masterpiece. The music is one of the most dramatic soundtracks I've heard. And not least, Yuliya Borisova in the role of Nastasia Philippovna gives the most charismatic acting performance I've ever seen. Throughout the movie I simply couldn't wait for her to get into the frame again whenever absent. I've never ever been this hypnotised by an actor or an actress before (and I've actually given that careful thought). The other actors also give stellar performances. As the events unfolded, I felt this movie pushed the script to its ultimate limits. At the end, you will find yourself filled up with uncontrolled emotions that you don't even know the name of. The movie is so dramatic that some people may find it unrealistic, but I assure you: these characters are out there in the real world, and this play may have relevance to anyone's life. At some point, most people with brains will seek out this story. My tip is, don't read the book. Don't see any theatre play or movie based on it but this one. Though the movie may take a lifetime to find - *it's worth it*!

Ivan Pyryev - Belye nochi AKA White Nights (1959)

Story "White Nights" by Fyodor Dostoevsky shot by Ivan Pyryev. Petersburg 1840s. A Dreamer, living in a big city for a few years and all the time he is alone. But one summer in St. Petersburg's White Nights on the Neva, he meets Nastya. Five nights walking around the city, young people talk about themselves. With all the passion and tenderness of its nature the dreamer falls in love with Nastya. The girl, has feelings of despair of former lover, Dreamer promises to marry her. Unfortunately, the happiness is short-lived ... Nastya is regaining his old love, and Dreamer is alone again.

1960 - Certificate IV IFF Film Festival in London-60
1960 - Best Film of 1960 (with the films "The Ballad of a Soldier" and "Revenge") by a decision of the British Film Institute