Horrifying, stunning and powerful

Rating: 8/10 (9 June 2010)

"Come and See" is a Russian film that was filmed about the post soviet era. It shows how Russia was invaded by the Nazis. It was to me a very haunting and disturbing film that portrays to the viewers some of what went on in World War II on the Russian front. It starts off kind of difficult to understand, and I wasn't sure what certain characters were doing. But shortly after, I found that this was going to be a great film. The title of the movie is basically saying, "Come and see what war is all about"...and the movie shows it like no other. My professor showed it in my film class and prepared us for the gore. It was brutally realistic with most of the scenes that will stay imprinted in my mind for a long time. The movie did stick to the Soviets as the good guys, but really portrayed the casual brutality of the Parisian warfare. There were two scenes that really stuck out to me that I felt were very powerful, but also so disturbing. The first one was when the main character by the name of Flor, and a girl he befriended have to run for their lives as bombs are being thrown all around them. The only way to get to the other side is to swim through a sewage-like swamp, barely being able to keep their heads above. It was not only excruciating, but disgusting at the same time. God only knows what was in that swamp, and they had no other choice. Plus the background noise and music made the scene so intense it kept me at the end of my seat. The second scene that I found I still can't get over is when the Nazis brutally destruct a Russian village. It is a horrific, and such a sad scene that I almost couldn't even watch. A shed was burnt down full of civilians in it...children, women and men burnt alive. You could hear the people screaming and crying for help as the Nazis sat back and laughed and clapped, and embraced each other. And they all start to shoot at the shed also, the scene was terrifying and unforgettable. The sight was just horrific, along with the yodeling and music in the back round. The whole scene was just a gruesome massacre. The ending I found to be quite touching in an odd kind of way, but I will leave that for the viewers. Overall I found the movie to be really good as I rarely watch films like this. It did remind me a little of "Saving Private Ryan", which was another horrifying war movie that I had seen a long time ago. "Come and See" is a great movie as long as you are prepared to be shocked and see some brutal scenes. But it is a take on the reality of what can, and does go on at war. I think it is a film that if not all, at least most adults should see.