The Thief (1997)

In 1946, a soldier fathers a child then dies before its birth. Jump to 1952: on a train, the child and his mother meet a handsome soldier who makes a play for her. She accepts. Posing as a married family, the soldier finds them a rooming house where he becomes everyone's favorite through his good looks and generosity. Meanwhile he gives the boy, Sanya, lessons in life: to fight back, to win at all costs. The child's mother, Katya, is head-over-heels in love with Tolyan, the soldier, but the relationship becomes rocky when Tolyan's true plans for the rooming house become clear. It starts them on a treadmill of flight that risks Katya's life, Tolyan's liberty, and Sanya's trust. Written by
The Thief (1997)

A cute tale of a young boy growing up although with serious subject matters. Life was certainly hard in Russia after the war, but strangely most of the characters seemed to be either traveling on the train or just hanging out.

Special Features:
1. International Trailer
2. Photo Gallery
3. Behind the scenes: from the 1997 Venice Film Festival