Come and see a boy who was robbed off of his youth and was forced to be a man through the horrors of war.

Rating: 10/10 (30 July 2010)

Come and See aimed to tell not just another story of WWII, but the one that we have probably missed to recount. The Nazi occupation of Belorussia was almost overshadowed by the accounts of Holocaust, nevertheless, it was as tragic as the latter's story. This is not about the heroics of a few soldiers or the betrayal of a comrade. This is the story of the witnesses and casualties of war, the ones who were left unarmed and defenseless from extreme brutality. Elem Klimov's portrayal may not give you the adrenaline rush caused by heavy action fight scenes and he may not have shown a lot of bloodshed, but without a doubt, he will make you weak. He left me psychologically exhausted. The excellent sound design which gave a feeling of turbulence throughout the film will leave you in discomfort almost as if you were being assaulted. My senses were abused. The excruciating face of Florya, the image Glascha saw at his home and the whole scene of the village burned were all unforgettable and haunting. I was traumatized. Klimov's way of storytelling is not simply by making you watch it unfold, he will give you a sense of almost being there right beside Florya. And together, you are both scarred and changed for life.
This film is the epitome of anguish and madness brought about by war. It will remind you that when the war is over and done, there are physical and psychological wounds that will never heal and there are boys and girls who will never be children again. What I appreciated most about Come and See is that it was not your typical glamorous war film. It stayed true, closest to the heart of the story it wanted to tell.