Come and See - An accurate depiction of war.

Rating: 8/10 (3 April 2020)

I find it interesting that 75 years after world war II, a film made in 1985 depicting the events of the war would have such a relevance in the year 2020. I believe that it's entirely due to it's accurate depiction of war and how it corrupts innocence. I could make lists upon list on how various details in the film make it such a work of art, but in this review I want to specifically talk about the main character and how he is relevant to some teenager / young adults in modern times, thereby making the film so astounding.
In today's world we often misunderstand what effect actually has on the state of countries and the individuals that fight in them and a large cause to this is the glorification of war in films and video games. We often think that if we went to war it meant that would be seen as national hero and a true strong independent man. Which is the exact mindset Florya (the protagonist) starts out with. This is shown through his refusal to listen to his father and mother's warnings and through his envy of his superior's authority and company. But as he sees how war effects the people and the land around him he soon realizes that his ambitions were nothing but delusions blinding him from the truth of what war truly meant. So he fires his rifle for the first time not out of ambitions or honor but out of pure hatred for the war and what it had done, which doesn't necessarily cause the viewer to feel hatred but it creates an understanding and sympathy towards Florya and his anger towards the war. What a powerful ending.
Having the main character start out in the viewers mind set is genius, as it creates a connection between the character and the audience from the start and makes his emotions feel more genuine. That's because the character is processing the events fort the first time just like the audience. Which is also why it is so important to show the true reality of how things happened and not shying away from it, by cutting to black or another scene, because it would create a disconnect between the character and the viewer.
In summary Come and see is such an amazing film due to it's accurate depiction of war and the effect it has on the human mind by showing us the perspective of a naive boy. I would recommend this film to anyone who doesn't have PTSD and would definitely recommend it as an essential piece of cinema for film scholars and cinephiliacs.