Come and See (1985)

The word 'war' is one of the few words in the English language that can elicit a reaction from anyone who hears it. Some may feel a sense of exhilaration, some may feel a since of dignity, some may feel a sense of disgust and regret. War is a touchy subject, and something that I feel has only been successfully captured in two films. Come and See, is one of them.

 

Smarts

97%

Come and See focuses on a young Byelorussian boy named Florya (played brilliantly by Aleksi Kravchenko) thrust into the throngs of war during World War II. During the second night of his tour, he is left behind; the Byelorussian army figured they'd be doing him a favor. He meets up with a girl named Glosha and the two form a quick bond. Immediately, their serenity is destroyed by bombs as planes blitz the area in which the two were staying. In one of the film's best touches, a bomb explodes near Florya; for the rest of the film, there is a subtle hum that never lets up. This just builds to the evocative and successfully rendered atmosphere that director Elem Klimov is able to create.

From this point on, the film branches out into different zones of warfare, showing the immediate and lasting effects of World War II, not only on the country side, but on the protagonist. In a sense, this is one of the most horrific coming of age films ever produced. Florya's progression is marvelous; in the beginning, he is wide eyed and willing to jump into war to serve his country. By the end of the film, he has come to view the atrocities of war and their results first hand. The audience is rendered much like Florya by the end of the film as we watch him symbolically destroy a framed photograph of Hitler.

The film's ability to transport you into the mind of its protagonist is both amazing and daunting. Because we are in Florya's shoes, we must witness the same events he does. Klimov's style is mostly point and shoot; he often directly frames characters as they speak to the camera. There are a few stedi-cam shots as the Nazis invade an innocent village, and there are many excruciatingly long shots of various peril that are executed throughout the film. Klimov does an outstanding job of showing us his story through the eyes of his character.

The film is meticulously crafted to create a bewilderingly intense environment that does not let up throughout its runtime. The most obvious method of attaining this feel is with the ominous, unfocused glare in most of the shots. This creates a gritty and realistic tone, something that a more polished war film likely would not have been able to achieve. The film is surreal at numerous points; strange animals are scattered throughout the film, frustrated villagers create an effigy of Hitler using a real skeleton melded with clay; rain pummels a forest and changes to bright colors only to have a bomb interrupt the obscure beauty; and in the film's final moments, one of the film's most horrific ordeals, Florya destroys a framed picture of Hitler.

 

Popcorn

95%

Come and See is the most harrowing film I have ever seen. The director never loosens his grip on the audience throughout the 140 minutes he has us in his grasp. Viewers with eyes unaccustomed for the brutal and macabre may be forced to turn the film off midway. There are no exits for the film's characters, and Klimov forces that idea through the viewer as well. The mood that the film creates is such that even when nothing is occurring, we are still on the edge of our seat, fighting to keep our eyes glued to the screen. We are in war, just as Florya is. We are witnessing the atrocities that abound, just as Florya is. We are no longer in our living rooms, safely viewing staged events at a distance; we are transported into the Byelorussian countryside as the Nazis are invading. This is an experience that I believe many viewers will have a hard time fully embracing, but those few that do will be forever changed.

No other film has ever been able to so successfully convey the tone of war that Klimov's Come and See does. From the battered and jolted visuals to the isolated sound effects, this is as real as war can get on a television or movie screen. Though the film isn't necessarily entertaining, it is shocking, and if you are able to handle the horrifying aspects of war that Klimov is presenting, simply turning the film off becomes an impossibility.

The acting in the film is all fantastic. Though the film uses more grunts and snarls than true conversations, everything is fully realized and perfected by the cast. Each actor is able to transform themselves into their battered characters. This is the drive of the film; everything is completely realistic. There is no tongue-in-cheek joking. This is war. Even the actors feel that it is war. Some of the scenarios that Florya and the other characters go through are simply rattling. The only way to describe the acting in the film that so deftly handles this subject matter is immaculate.

 

Final

Chances are, you have never heard of this film. In my humble opinion, no other film has ever portrayed the horrors of war as effectively as Elem Klimov's Come and See. Though the film's visuals and content may be too much for some viewers, those brave enough to sit through it will find it an engrossing study of warfare through the point of view of a moldable mind. Completely different from all other films of the genre, Elem Klimov's underseen Come and See is a true masterpiece.