A Test of One's Mettle

Rating: 7/10 (8 February 2011)

It would be very, very hard to recommend this movie to a stranger. Picture it: "This film was very moving, it just breaks your heart what happens to these people, it's all so horrible...hey wait, where are you going? Please, come back!" It's impossible to say that I felt good, in any definition of the word, after watching Come And See. The Belarusian countryside is shot beautifully, its depiction of Nazi war crimes is terrifying, and yes, the fate that befalls its main character is heartbreakingly sad. But there's so little that is actually said, I was not certain that this film was actually meant to have a protagonist.
I'm afraid to say that I eventually gave up on this film. It blasts horror into the viewer's eyes like a shotgun held directly up to one's eye socket, and it actually ends up numbing you. I gave up caring about what happens to the protagonist, because by that point, death would actually be merciful.