The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
Kernel Score: 89% · 441 ratings
Genres: Drama, Romance, War
Released: 1957-10-12
Runtime: 97 minutes
Where to watch The Cranes Are Flying
- Stream: The Criterion Channel
- Free with ads: Darkroom, Artiflix, The Roku Channel
- Rent: Fandango At Home
- Buy: Fandango At Home
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
Veronika and Boris come together in Moscow shortly before World War II. Walking along the river, they watch cranes fly overhead, and promise to rendezvous before Boris leaves to fight. Boris misses the meeting and is off to the front lines, while Veronika waits patiently, sending letters faithfully. After her house is bombed, Veronika moves in with Boris' family, into the company of a cousin with his own intentions.
The Cranes Are Flying parents' guide: ages 11+
Parents need to know that The Cranes Are Flying is a Soviet WWII drama with wartime peril, bombing, and a loveless marriage subplot, but no graphic violence.
- Violence & scariness: Some — Wartime settings include air raids, a bombed home, wounded soldiers, and a bomb shelter, though combat is not shown graphically.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like The Cranes Are Flying
If you liked The Cranes Are Flying, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- Doctor Zhivago (1965) — 87%
- Wings (1927) — 82%
- Firebird (2021) — 82%
- Suite Française (2015) — 83%
- Summerland (2020) — 83%
- Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1980) — 84%
- The Lucky One (2012) — 81%
- Johnny Got His Gun (1971) — 84%
Director
Mikheil Kalatozishvili
Cast
- Tatyana Samoylova as Veronika
- Aleksey Batalov as Boris
- Vasili Merkuryev as Fyodor Ivanovich
- Aleksandr Shvorin as Mark
- Svetlana Kharitonova as Irina
- Konstantin Kadochnikov as Volodya
- Valentin Zubkov as Stepan
- Antonina Bogdanova as Grandmother
- Boris Kokovkin as Chernov
- Ekaterina Kupriyanova as Anna Mikhaylovna
The Cranes Are Flying FAQ
Is The Cranes Are Flying good?
The Cranes Are Flying has an 89% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 441 audience ratings.
Where can I watch The Cranes Are Flying?
In the US you can stream The Cranes Are Flying on The Criterion Channel, watch it free with ads on Darkroom, Artiflix and The Roku Channel and rent it from Fandango At Home.
Is The Cranes Are Flying OK for kids?
Fresh Kernels suggests ages 11+. Parents need to know that The Cranes Are Flying is a Soviet WWII drama with wartime peril, bombing, and a loveless marriage subplot, but no graphic violence.
What movies are like The Cranes Are Flying?
If you liked The Cranes Are Flying, try Doctor Zhivago, Wings, Firebird and Suite Française.