A “masterpiece” WW2 film hailed as the best ever made is streaming in the UK. Come and See (1985) is a Soviet epic historical anti-war drama set during the German occupation of Byelorussia (now Belarus).
The story is told from the perspective of Flyora (Aleksei Kravchenko), a Belarusian teenager who enlists in a partisan unit fighting back against the invaders. During the course of the fighting, he bears witness to atrocities carried out by Germany’s forces, and risks being consumed by the hideous violence that surrounds him in an unflinching exploration of the the horrors of war. It was directed by Soviet filmmaker Elem Klimov, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ales Adamovich, who was himself a member of a partisan unit.
It’s based on Adamovich’s own 1971 novel, Khatyn, and on I Am from the Fiery Village, a collection of survivor testimonies to which he contributed.
But viewers be warned, Come and See is a notoriously tough watch, with The Criterion Channel website describing it as “perhaps the most visceral, impossible-to-forget antiwar film ever made”.
Fans have flocked to IMDb to describe the profound impact it had on them.
One argued that it’s the best war movie ever, writing: “I have seen quite a few war films. However, this is the best portrayal of real war and its horrible consequences.
“The film does an amazing job-for example the main character look at his face expressions in the first 1/4 of the film compared to the last 3/4th of the film. What an amazing job of displaying the horrors of war and way ahead of its time.”
Another said its among the greatest, and that Klimov’s “stunning work stands amongst such works in which the horror and sorrow of conflict are made fresh over again for the viewer, left to stumble numb from the cinema thereafter”.
A third said it’s “one of the rare films that I can remember being emotionally drained upon its conclusion”.
“The expression on my face as I sat there watching the credits scroll by seemed as worn and broken as that of the protagonist, Florya.”
A fourth called it an “overwhelming masterpiece” and “one of the most realistic films ever made”.
A fifth said: “I wish this film had more acclaim. It’s right up there with many Great War films. The most truthful, raw portrayal of WWII to date,” calling it: “relentlessly miserable”.
The film has a 15 certificate and contains strong violence and Holocaust footage – so viewer discretion is advised.
Come and See is streaming now on Mosfilm’s YouTube channel. Mosfilm has been one of Russia‘s most important film studios for decades, and shares many acclaimed Soviet movies to watch for free. The movie is also available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.