Ivan's Childhood was one of several Soviet films of its period, such as The Cranes Are Flying and Ballad of a Soldier, that looked at the human cost of war and did not glorify the war experience as did films produced before the Khrushchev Thaw.
Ivan's Childhood adalah salah satu film Soviet pada masanya, bersama dengan The Cranes Are Flying dan Ballad of a Soldier, yang menyoroti harga diri manusia pada masa perang dan tidak memuliakan pengalaman perang seperti halnya film-film yang diproduksi sebelum Khrushchev Thaw.