“Come and See/ Иди и смотри” is, without a doubt, the most horrific and saddening war movie I have ever seen. Yet it is also masterful, and done in such a way that could never come out of Hollywood. It is the story of a young boy, no older than thirteen, who endures the most unimaginable trauma and loss at the hands of the Third Reich during World War II. Through frequent close-ups of his numbed, anguished face and long stretches of droning voicelessness, Florya’s emotions run to the surface, first the fruitless denial of his family’s death, then helplessness in the face of the monolithic evil that has come to Belarus.
The central theme of Come and See is the destruction of innocence and the corruption of all young souls by the harsh realities of the world. As the film progresses, Florya’s face begins to subtly age, a boy forced to become a man almost overnight.
Pt. II, or the 60 Scariest Non-Horror Films I’ve Ever Seen:
#1 - Come and See (1985), dir. Elem Klimov
(This is one of the greatest films ever made, as well.)
