Florya's horrific odyssey

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2006)

Soviet cinema is unique for creating some of the most true to life World War II films in the world. Considering the Soviet form of government, this is surprising. Come and See, however, opines to avoid the bombastic battle scenes of most war movies and instead chooses a more ethereal reflection to depict the Second World War as none of us have ever seen before.
The film follows Florya, an adolescent and naive partisan trying to do his part in the fight against the German onslaught. But, seen as too young to offer substantial aid, the grizzled veterans decide to leave him to watch the camp. What occurs over the next 146 minutes is not unlike what occurs in Homer's fable. He roams the countryside, meets those of his age and older and tries to endure in this hellish inferno. By the end, Florya is not the same boy he and the audience sees at the beginning. The message is direct; there are seldom any heroes in war, just death and survival.
Almost immediately, one will notice the uncommon cinematography utilized throughout the movie. Steadicam shots are in ample supply here and are normally not this well done. A verbal plot is nearly non-existent, the images alone carry most of the film's weight. And while Florya, acted by Aleksei Kravchenko, was in his mid-teens at the time, his realism and emotion are beyond his years.
One of the best, if not the best, war movies I've ever seen.