Come and See
Director: Elem Klimov
Year Released: 1985
Rating: 3.5
Uncompromising WWII picture about the atrocities a Russian boy sees committed by the Nazis on his people - not to mention his family - will put off as many as it wins over, since it is unremitting in gruesomeness and blunt in its imagery. It isn't perfect by any means - like a lot of other war movies, it's somewhat one-sided, not mentioning, for example, any accounts of deviant behavior on the part of the Russians, who are viewed as being 'just' victims. But something this haunting, surreal (the soundtrack contains a combination of droning static, disconnected voices and Mozart) and brazen (the image of the main character, filthy, scared and trembling, staring right at you becomes imprinted on your memory) cannot be tossed aside so quickly, and is unquestionably one of the best films from the 80's.
