Come and See is one of the greatest war films ever made and one of the finest achievements of Soviet cinema. A devastating account of the Nazi occupation of Belarus during World War II, it tells the story of a young boy's abrupt loss of innocence when he joins the Soviet resistance and is thrust headlong into the brutal horrors of combat. Featuring terrifyingly authentic battle scenes and poetic, almost surreal imagery, director Elem Klimov has fashioned a vivid and unforgettably powerful portrait of the atrocities committed by men in the name of war.
Filmmakers have attempted to portray the horror and reality of war on countless occasions. None of them however come close, in terms of realism, authenticity and power when compared with Elem Klimov's final picture, 'Come and See'.
Set in Belarus during 1943, when the country formed part of the Soviet Union, the narrative follows Florya, a young teen who voluntarily joins the Soviet partisan resistance against the German war machine sweeping Europe.
Florya is the essence of youthful innocence and exuberance. Initially, Klimov strikes a mysterious, surreal and lightly farcical tone. Florya enlists himself as a guerrilla fighter and is comically left behind at camp. Here, he meets Glasha, a young girl his age and what follows I can only describe as an 'Alice in Wonderland' moment. They are playful, running through the trees, quick to laughter and tears; Klimov reiterating the purity and naivety of youth. However, all of this comes to a stark end as the tranquillity and the spell Klimov has cast is utterly shattered as explosives rain down total destruction.
The imagery that precedes this is stunning and nothing short of horrific. Come and See is fundamentally a coming of age story. As the film progresses and Florya witnesses scenes of terror and brutality, we see his features transform from being fresh faced and expressive to aged and soulless. The last act of the film features one of the most horrific scenes I have ever watched, closely followed by an outstanding fantasy sequence.
Where as many directors would choose to embellish their films with showy cinematography, grand music, epic battle scenes and preachy dialogue to elicit emotion, Klimov has opted for the arduous path. He has created a visceral, raw and harrowing motion picture; one that draws you in and drops you amongst the chaos. It is the perfect composite of image, performance and sound.
In summary: Come and See is an invitation to bear witness to the devastation and carnage of war. Klimov's masterful direction is bound to leave you stunned and overwrought.
We will publish your review of Come and See on DVD within a few days as long as it meets our guidelines.
None of your personal details will be passed on to any other third party.
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy
