The Spirit Of Russia & The Microcosm Of A Childs Innocence

Rating: 10/10 (26 July 2012)

"Come and See", a film directed by Elem Klimov is the paradigm of anti-war films; brutal, sober, and gut-wrenching. From the darkest moments of the film (The Church being burnt to ashes) to the "lightest" moments of the film (Flyora and Glasha laughing at each other), Klimov never lets go of the hell bound gas pedal.
Director: Elem Klimov, born July 9th, 1933, lived during the Battle of Stalingrad. In fact, his mother, her baby, and himself, had to evacuate from their home on a makeshift raft in order to survive (Wikipedia). Klimovs experience with this displacement is very apparent in Flyoras attempt to survive; florya is constantly leaving new friends and safe places in order to survive at all costs. Yet, what truly makes Klimov a special director is his unusual attempts to eek every last drop of acting out of Flyora and Glasha. For instance, Klimov has allegedly hypnotized Kravchenko to make him gaze empty looks of depression and hopelessness. As well, in the scene where Flyora and Glasha attempt to cross the boggy swamp, Klimov allegedly told the child actors to attempt to cross and all he would do is roll the camera. Talk about method direction!
Sound Track: Although most amateur directors think capturing images is the most important part of the film, what you hear is just as important. Of course, images from "Come and See" are astounding (Such as the long take of them walking across the swamp), but in that scene, it is the soundtrack that makes it even more dramatic and sensational. The swelling of low frequencies and the rumbling of muddy sounds feed off an eerie vibe that this swamp is not your average swamp; it is a death trap, sucking in hopeless children closer and closer to their death. And without the shrieks and moans of Glasha -- the yelps for parents that are dead, the moans for Gods that aren't there, the cries for friends that are murdered -- Come and See would not be the riveting and disturbing film it is. The sound track sets a tone of discomfort, where sitting in my chair watching the movie, it was the deep haunting frequencies that chilled my bones just as much as the fear stricken Russians.
Acting: Just as Italian Neo-Realist used amateur actors to convey a more gritty realism (Such as in films like the Bicycle Thieves directed by Vittorio De Sica), Klimov pulled Flyora and Glasha from Russias streets to star in his daunting epic. While this may seem crazy -- the idea of giving two amateur child actors the lead in a film -- the soul of Russia and real knowledge of the Mother countries sufferings translated seamlessly to their characters actions. In fact, Kravchenkos acting was so "method" that his hair turned blonde during filmmaking, and once again, he was under hypnosis nearly 50% of the time. While most people can easily look "scared" or "depressed" if they are an experienced actor, the gut feeling and soul feeling of knowing the unimaginable terror of war seen through the eyes can only be accomplished by either the $20 million dollar actors or the real actors who know the Russian war story.
Cinematography: The cinematography in "Come and See" is miraculous. At least every frame in the film deals with one of the five senses; smell, touch, taste, sight, hearing. Obviously, hearing and seeing are the easiest, but it the smell, touch, and taste that are more difficult to come by. In one scene where Flyora is back in his home and after it has been raided by Germans, he sits down at his table and eats food. Yet, it is clear to Glasha, and unclear to him, that his family has been kidnapped as everything in the house is thrown around and flies buzz in every corner. In this moment, viewers can smell the rotten stench of sweat, tears, spit, blood, and bad food just from the buzzing of flies, the eerie colors of the house, and the bloodied teddy bears strewn on the floor. When Glasha and Flyora walk through the swamp, viewers can almost touch the swamp, feeling the sticky and disgusting feel of thick mud encompassing their tiny bodies and wrapping around them, sucking them down into dirty brown water as it seeps through their childish pores. Even more, you can taste the burnt flesh of the village farmer as he lays on the ground with his skin rotting away and burnt to shreds. These scenes are not just haunting for their images, but for how the cinematography interacts with more than 3 of viewers senses at all times.
Overall, Come and See is a brilliant war story that never truly leaves the viewer for years to come. Nothing has ever scarred my mind and changed my views on war than "Come and See". To physically watch the life be sucked out of a child, not just in film, but in reality as well, is the most disturbing and saddening faucets of life. Eat before you see the film, because "Come and See" will definitely take you down a haunting, chilling, journey into the world of death and the city of hell.