Come And See - Lisa's Review

So we kick off the Time Out 100 Best Horror Movies, with a rather odd choice to be in the list.  Coming in at No 100 is war movie 'Come and See'.  The title gives us some clue as to what to expect as it is taken from the book of revelations when John is invited to witness the Apocalypse.

To start off with, I will say I think you need to be in a certain mood to sit down and watch this movie such is its intensity, then there is also the issue of subtitles to contend with.  I intend to give it another watch when my mood better fits, as I feel it does deserve a second viewing.

The premise we have here is one of a teenage Belarusian boy Flyora, who wants to join the Soviet Partisans to fight against the Nazis.  We see him leave his widowed mother and young sisters who are devastated to see him leave and obviously fear for his life.  Sadly for keen young Flyora, he is ordered to stay behind in reserve in the forest while the Partisans move on.  He he meets a young girl, Glasha.


What follows is a depiction of war and its effects on humanity, all seen through the eyes of Flyora.  I'm not going to lie, it can be quite hard going and slow and if you're not in the right mood, you can be very easilly distracted.  This however, should not be viewed as a negative for the movie, as, like I said earlier, it does require a particular mood and attentive viewing.

I struggle with why this movie was placed in a horror movie category.  True, some war movies are very bloody, gorey and downright horrific.  This movie however does not concentrate on the physical effects of war, so therefore has none of the usual gore associated with war movies.  Instead we delve into the psychological and emotional effects of war through the eyes of this young man.

The main thing that struck me about the movie is the incredible performance from the young actor Aleksei Kravchenko.  Why on earth haven't we heard of him?  The director allows everything he wants us to see and feel to be depicted on the face of this young man and he does it wonderfully.  As I watched the movie and witnessed horrible scenes of death and despair, I struggled to imagine how Aleksei portrayed these emotions so well.  The sheer desperation, devastation and hopelessness he manages to convey throughout the movie is incredible.

I loved how the movie took us on a journey with Flyora.  We followed him through the ravages of war and saw the effects as villages were destroyed and burnt to the ground by Nazis.  Every step of the way, that eager and innocent young man slowly changed and eventually evolved into a shell of a person.  After watching 'Come and See' its very easy to see why so many people who have witnessed such scenes struggle with returning to normal life.

This movie is best viewed when you have a couple of hours of quiet time with no interruptions to dedicate to it.  It is probably best viewed without much knowledge as to its contents for its full effect to be possible, which is why I deliberately didn't go into a lot of detail in my review.  I would say if you are interested in war and its effects, especially the psychological damage that is possible, then this is the movie for you.  As I said, I will give this one another viewing when I have a bit more quiet time available as I feel it is deserving of that.

I think you will struggle to find a better performance than the one Aleksei Kravchenko gives here.  I'm glad to say, I can kick off the Time Out Top 100 reviews with a 'Recommended'.