By hook or by crook, debates about most war films usually focus on their essence and whether Come and See is just a fleeting glimpse of that. Even François Truffaut and Steven Spielberg have argued that many directors cannot effectively make anti-war films because they either end up being too fun or too unpleasant. Most directors, critics, or just people in general would agree that Come and See, directed by Elem Klimov, is one of the most influential war films ever made.
This 1985 Russian film is one of the most devastating films about anything, and it is bound to leave most viewers feeling like they have just witnessed an arthouse bummer.
Elem Klimov’s portrayal of Come and See as a fleeting glimpse is raw and unflinching. It shows Nazi soldiers launching a massacre in Soviet Byelorussia in 1943. All the epic scenes disturb and fascinate in new ways, transforming Klimov’s lens into a portrait of a man consumed by fire. Originally titled Kill Hitler, Come and See ranks up there with other disturbing masterpieces like Apocalypse Now, The Seventh Seal, and Requiem for a Dream.
The title comes from the Book of Revelation: a testament to the Lamb of God. The Book of Revelation opens the fourth seal of the scroll. John hears the fourth beast’s voice say, “Come and see.” He then sees a pale horse, with Death and Hell following behind. In the vast, impenetrable jungles and plains of Soviet Byelorussia, Klimov created a lush yet bleak landscape for death.
He traps hell in a soul-crushing rage, which stays on the face of a teenager forever. The film takes a circular journey, returning to where Klimov started, with a series of close-up shots that give it a classic existential touch.
Come and See begins its unsettling glimpse with a strange scene: a man yells orders to someone who is nowhere to be seen on the beach. It turns out he is calling the children to hide among the reeds. They play war games and dig in the sand, searching for weapons that were hidden or lost in past conflicts. Florya, the main child character, is about 14 years old and lives with his family nearby.
In 1943, Hitler’s troops attacked the Soviet Republic of Byelorussia, and Florya dreams of becoming a heroic partisan to defend his homeland. He wants to leave home and volunteer, even though his family forbids it. Eventually, he goes anyway, is accepted, and is forced to replace his new shoes with worn-out veteran boots while the warrior unit takes him in.
Florya is still young and even looks younger than his age in the early scenes, but he gradually becomes older as the film progresses. At first, when he is posted as a guard, he wants to do a good job and is told to shoot anyone who does not know the password. At one point, he even challenges a girl who is barely older than him, telling her not to shoot him because he has never shot anyone. After they grow closer, Glasha, the innocent girl, dreams of a future despite the chaos around them.
Florya could improve at talking, but he is mentally slow, which does not stop him. Come and See follows Florya’s journey through this chaotic, fleeting world, pausing to focus on the horrifying details. After being separated from Glasha, there is a scene where they return to his family’s farm. He is expecting a warm welcome, but when they get there, no one is around. The soup pot is still hot, but suddenly, he realizes where his family might have gone. He runs off with Glasha to an island in the swamp, ignoring the horrifying sight he does not want to face.
The point of view shifts, and the noise never stops, leaving Florya unable to look away from the horror. He finds himself in a village when Nazi invaders arrive. There is a tense scene where they methodically round up all the villagers and lock them in a warehouse. The images bring to mind the Holocaust, but when Florya enters with the crowd, his eyes stay fixed on a window far above the floor.
The only instinct for survival is to avoid death, no matter who else is gathered there—parents, children, babies. The Nazis call for all healthy men to step forward. The fathers stay with their families, but Florya rushes out through the window. However, the Nazis set fire to the warehouse, and the double-locked doors lifting in despair is a terrifying sight. They had no choice but to take the long way out.
They can only stand behind, watching helplessly. Many Russian films have depicted the horrors of Nazism, even though Adolf Hitler is often used as a convenient target for political allegory. Come and See is more than just a fleeting glimpse; it shows human cruelty and evil, both politically and on a human level.
In a small quantity of trivia, Elem Klimov tried to hypnotize the protagonist, Kravchenko, during one of the film’s most devastating scenes, but he was unsuccessful because Kravchenko refused. On the other hand, Klimov manages to captivate the audience. He is a natural storyteller with incredible emotional depth. He transforms Florya from a child into a wary, prematurely adult figure. Many viewers are so caught up in Florya’s anxiety that they might overlook Kravchenko’s artistry, but his expressive features really draw the audience in, sparking deep thoughts.
Klimov also uses sound and images in an unconventional way to shape the film and highlight Florya’s future.
The innovative sound design filters out audio partly through Florya’s broken ears and soul. It also reflects the director’s sensibility, especially with Strauss’ waltz, which plays when Florya can barely keep his footing. The sound creates a nerve-wracking, crackling realism during the destruction of the village, only to stabilize into a climactic moment of enlightenment. Aleksey Rodionov used a Steadicam, not for subtle effects, but to trace the chaotic, irrational movements with sharp, frantic motion.
The subjectivity of the film, tied to Florya’s perspective, shifts to include other characters’ viewpoints. The S.S. Major Sturmbannführer is the ultimate Nazi monster: a heartless creature with an unsettling pet simian. He is almost methodical in his assassination orders, showing a detachment and power that Florya can never possess.
Even though Florya survives, his mind is shaken by shock, and he has left seeing himself as part of the horror. People might think the portrayal of the Nazis is exaggerated, but the truth is far worse.
The final title card says the Nazis burned down more than 600 Byelorussian villages, killing everyone inside, and includes original footage of Holocaust victims. It is hard to believe Florya could survive all the horrors he witnesses. In an interview, Klimov told Ron Holloway that Ales Adamovich, the film’s screenwriter, was the same age as Florya in the film. Adamovich and his family fought with partisans and witnessed the genocide the Nazis carried out on Byelorussian soil.
Come and See stands out because Klimov uses facts to fuel the imagination about the disaster, offering fresh perspectives on every scene. He captures the despair of the village elder’s face, neck, and burning shoulders. Just when we expect Klimov to look away, he lets the viewer see the beauty of the beacon shining into the night before the horror resumes. His sensitivity to color and texture makes the swamps and forests feel like they are shifting the perspective itself.
A mini-story of resilience and baptism ends when a partisan named Rubezh takes Florya and Glasha to a group of survivors. The film blends realistic moments with expressionistic touches, using symbolic revenge, like creating a statue of Hitler and carrying it around.
Come and See shows brutality in vivid detail, even when it is wrapped in exaggerated, muted nightmares. The swamp Florya and Glasha cross has a thick, gelatinous top layer that looks like evil, vivid skin. There is also a moment when Florya, who is involved with cows that will feed the hungry troops, is in a foggy field when machine-gun fire erupts.
The animal’s death is shown through a series of images, reflecting the inevitable end of life. The cow’s life is cursed in some way. However, its death is utterly incomprehensible. The nightmare escalates when Florya gets too close to artillery bombardment in the first sequence. The voices become inaudible and deafening, and there is a faint ringing, turning the frustrating silence into a painful reality.
There is a strange scene in the forest, with the sun setting through the leaves. Suddenly, a gloomy Mozart piece plays on the soundtrack, almost like it is bidding farewell to despair.
References
- Adamovich, A. (1985). The War in Byelorussia: Personal Accounts and Cinematic Portrayals. Soviet Literature Review, 22(1), 12-19.
- Holloway, R. (Interviewer). (1985). Interview with Elem Klimov on Come and See. Film International, 3(2), 78-85.
- Klimov, E. (Director). (1985). Come and See [Film]. Mosfilm.
- Rodionov, A. (Cinematographer). (1985). Camera Work in Come and See and the Use of Steadicam in War Films. Journal of Cinematic Techniques, 7(4), 100-112.
- Spielberg, S. (1993). War and Peace in the Filmic World: A Director’s Perspective. Film Theory and Practice, 18(2), 38-42.
- Truffaut, F., & Spielberg, S. (1994). The Role of Anti-War Films in Cinema History. Cinema Studies Quarterly, 12(3), 45-56.
