Runtime: The version I saw was 137 minutes long
Directed by: Elem Klimov
Starring: Aleksey Kravchenko, Olga Mironova, Liubomiras Laucevicius, Vladas Bagdonas, Juri Lumiste
From: Mosfilm/Belarusfilm
This is an excellent motion picture... which I might never see again. There are great reasons as to why:
For a long while I've known of this Soviet Union (in the area now known as Belarus, to be more exact) film, which is why I only saw this last night; it has a reputation that precedes it of being incredibly bleak and depressing. Motion pictures like that I can't just watch one night; I need to be in the proper mood for such an experience. Well, all the preparation I could do was not enough for the ordeal that Come and See was. This movie is excellent and does deserve all the lofty praise it has received at sites like Letterboxd; It is just that it is so brutally effective at delivering its incredibly potent and virulent anti-war message, it may not be something I ever watch again, so grueling was it for me. What people have said about this being incredibly affecting and moving, they were correct.
The fact that the lead is a 13 year old boy (who in real life was like 15 when the film was made) is rough enough; he wants to join the resistance movement, which is a bunch of random guys with guns getting together and bringing the fight to the German soldiers. His mom's reaction is what you'd expect but this son (Florya) is excited to join. Quickly, he realizes how miserable war really is and later he discovers just how appallingly evil some human beings can be. He is in a number of different situations and eventually his spirit is broken... his childhood has ended and from all the shots of his face throughout the film you see his innocence has shattered and he will be a husk of a human being for the rest of his life, a person who will be haunted by all the horrifying experiences he had in a short amount of time.
The performances throughout are solid (especially from young Olga Mironova; her Glasha is a nice contrast to the lead) but it is Aleksey Kravchenko as Florya who is astounding in this movie. He really sells the character and you being able to understand exactly how he feels at any given moment is one of the reasons why this movie is so devastating. The movie is incredibly blunt about World War II atrocities and apparently the German troops did all of the appalling acts you see in the movie. It is well shot also, with the camera moving around in a way that is not overly flashy. The dreary look of the cinematography is perfect for the film, along with the musical score. I heard it described as “rhythmically amorphous” and that seems appropriate. It is not a traditional score and instead is a series of low tones; it works for this film.
To reiterate, all the discussion about the movie being a masterpiece... along with it being so disturbing and realistic that various images and moments will stick with you for a long time, that is all true. As real bullets and bombs were used during production, no wonder Kravchennko looks as if he ages by many years from beginning to end.
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