Come and See
The brief
Klimov's World War II epic follows a Belarusian boy whose face literally transforms from innocent child to hollow-eyed survivor over 142 minutes of escalating horror. The pacing is deliberately suffocating, trapping you in an increasingly surreal nightmare where every frame drips with dread and the sound design will make your skin crawl. Aleksei Kravchenko delivers one of cinema's most physically demanding child performances, aging decades before your eyes without makeup. This isn't a war film you watch, it's one you endure, and it will stick with you for months afterward. For viewers who found Saving Private Ryan intense but want something that makes it look like a Saturday matinee.
The verdict
If you have the stomach for unflinching war horror and appreciate cinema that pushes emotional endurance to its absolute limits, this is an essential and devastating experience that will redefine what you think film can achieve. If you prefer traditional war movies or need any sense of catharsis from your viewing experience, this deliberately punishing nightmare will leave you emotionally shattered and wishing you'd chosen something else.
Watch with
- 👤 Solo viewing for serious film study
- ⚠️ Avoid with children or sensitive viewers
- ⚠️ Not suitable for casual movie nights
Heads up
- Mass civilian casualties including families (extreme)
- Child protagonist in extreme peril throughout (extreme)
- Graphic war violence and executions (extreme)
- Intense psychological breakdown sequences (frequent)
- Disturbing sound design and imagery (frequent)
Credits
- Director
- Elem Klimov
- Cast
- Aleksei Kravchenko, Olga Mironova, Liubomiras Laucevičius, Vladas Bagdonas, Jüri Lumiste, Viktors Lorencs, Kazimir Rabetsky
Official synopsis
The invasion of a village in Belarus by German forces sends young Florya into the forest to join the weary
