The art of war.

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2012)

My, oh, my.
I love war movies. I always have. Growing up, I loved Black Hawk Down, Saving Private Ryan, Thin Red Line, the list goes on. These film, while all very telling, are not "Come and See."
Directed by Elem Klimov, this tale which follows a boy, Floria, as he discovers and entrenches himself in the perils of World War 2 is not for the faint of heart or the casual mind. Shot against a backdrop of World War 2 Russia, this film will show you everything the aforementioned American made films do not and likely won't ever. Very dark by nature, immaculately styled, and grim in authenticity, this film combines some of the best qualities of cinema and slaps you in the face for two and a half hours.
Many time during the film did I cringe as I felt as if I were growing up through the war-torn eyes of Floria. I felt for him, yet I also felt my soul harden as his had. A female character, Glasha, also had me mesmerized in such a gruesome, uncomfortable way.
This film is not the most touched I have ever been by a film of this genre, but I could definitely feel the nuances of finding your way through a battlefield the first time. It is something I doubt I will ever feel again from a film. It does lack the typical Hollywood overly eccentric, dumbed-detail version of war- the kind of script that has you crying because three Ryan Brothers have given way to war and only one remains. But, this film one up's that on the level of which you can come to understand how understanding war can be such a traumatizing and inhumane experience and you can understand a little better the cost our freedom has come at.