A Must See

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 2006)

Put simply, 'Come and See' is one of the best films I have ever seen. It is also one of the most effective anti-war statements ever produced and many of its images still resonate today, particularly the dark and bleak ending. It works better as an experience rather than as entertainment and should definitely be watched in a single sitting.
Amazingly shot, filmed and acted, it serves as one of the pinnacles of Russian Cinema. That being said, it is not a film for the faint of heart. Althrough the actual atrocities in the film make up only a small part of the film, the scene is unrelentingly brutal and there is a prevailing sense of dread throughout the film.
Also, there is much controversy about the ending sequence of the film and many people view the film as anti-German and merely Russian propaganda. Personally, I view the film, at face value, as a warning about the dangers of fascism rather than being anti-German. 'Come and See' is not simply a case of condemning Nazism but rather a wider view that everybody has the capacity to do what Hitler did.
'Come and See' cannot fail but provoke a reaction in an audience, which very few films actually do and because of this it is universally worth seeing. It is definitely a film that lingers in the memory.