Previously watched film #3
Come and See is a 1985 Russian war film starring (and introducing) both Aleksei Kravchenko (Florya) and Olga Mironova (Glasha) and directed by Elem Klimov. It's a beautiful and terrible example of soviet cinema. I've heard it compared to Tarkovsky's seminal 1962 war film "Ivan's Chilhood", which more people have seen in the west (Tarkovsky being similar to directors like Kurosawa, Leone, Godard and Truffaut in regards to western recognition), but I honestly like Klimov's film better.
Speaking of Truffaut, he clearly hadn't seen this movie when he said "There is no such thing as an anti war film, because war, by it's very nature, makes for exciting spectacle."
Well, this movie is actually very low on exciting spectacle. It doesn't so much make you want to pick up a gun (or, to cheer on those that have) as hide under a rock.
In this purpose, it is an absolute success. It is maybe the most terrifying, intense, horrible account of war that has ever been captured on celluloid. If another film exceeds it in those regards, I might not want to ever see it (for my own sanity). In one scene, a girl is brutally raped by Nazis. In another, a church full of children is burned to the ground. It's an incredibly real feeling depiction, while still being, at times, completely absurd.
The film is an account of Nazi occupation of Belarus (at the time part of the USSR). It follows a young boy named Florya, who witnesses the whole thing. Along the way, his family is killed, he becomes deaf and he meets a girl named Glasha. Neither lead had acted in a film prior to this.
Despite this fact, they both give terrifically traumatised performances. Aleksei Kravchenko particularly, is incredible. Some people would say that he's overacting, but this is exactly how I think a person would act under these conditions. This makes sense, as it's a very method performance. So method, in fact that the director wanted to have him hypnotized after shooting was finished. Unfortunately, this ended up not being particularly effective. Olga Mironova plays an even more disturbed character. I'm just going to describe her performance as "bat**** crazy". In the best possible way.
The music compliments what's happening on screen perfectly. It's seriously some if the most provocative movie music ever. I guess you could describe it as ambient, but, like, the most unsettling ambient music EVER (okay, probably not, but when paired with the movie...). There are also a lot of points where classical music is mixed with what's already here, which is used to great effect. At some point, I'd like to do a full review of the soundtrack, but that's for another day.
The picture was largely shot on steadicam (a cylindrical thing that keeps the camera steady -- I want one). It also looks like, at times, they used a lot of practical lighting (that is, light that was available in the environment rather than light from on set lights). The colours are very drab and muted. Most of the time, greens and browns dominate. When all of this is put together, it gives the movie a very real feel. Often, it looks like a documentary (if a documentary had feature film type production, that is. It by no means looks rushed or on the spot). I also noticed a few split diopter shots (a lens split in two parts, with each part having a different focal length, often used to get deep focus, see
THIS). Rather than simply using these shots for deep focus, the film creates some really beautiful visual compositions.
So, what did I think? Well, to put it simply, Come and See is a masterpiece, and among the greatest war movies ever made. I can't recommend it for the faint of heart, but if you want to see something truly great, go and see.
10/10