Tarkovsky is a poet.

they're gone
what can i do
what they'll tell me

it's gone
i did what i was told
they did what they had to
we're gone

Evidently, I am not. Thought maybe after reading the entire screenplay that would change.

The copy of 'Ivan's Childhood' I watched had the original Russian audio with Spanish subtitles; two languages I do not speak. So instead of, I don't know, taking 15 minutes to get a better copy, I read the screenplay as I watched.

It sucks cause I love how Tarkovsky films conversation, but I've a new appreciation for the blunt language used here. Little fancy words or riddles, kind of language only makes sense for these characters too. This to-the-point manner of speech is only disregarded for the fluid moments of escapism where every line is a double entendre.