Come and See

Colour, 35 mm
USSR, 1985, 133 min
Section: World War II: 60 Years After

Synopsis

In the summer of 1943, 14-year-old Flyora is a naïve Belorussian boy, determined to join the partisan resistance movement. By the end of the story, he is a human wreck, from whose face all traces of childish innocence have disappeared forever. Flyora suffers greatly, yet still manages to experience tragicomic moments and his first erotic enchantment. His suffering was shared by the majority of Belorussians who grew up during the Second World War. At that time, the Germans in Belorussia initiated the policy known as ‘scorched earth’, which included burning the inhabitants of over six hundred villages alive. Elem Klimov shot the film chronologically, which greatly helped the actor in the leading role, Alexei Kravchenko, in identifying with his character. Flyora’s deranged inner self was articulated not only through the actor’s performance, but to a large extent through the camerawork and sound editing, a strange counterpoint to which is created by Mozart’s music.

About the director

Elem Klimov (1933, Volgograd - 2003, Moscow) originally studied aeronautic engineering. From journalism he moved to film direction, graduating from Moscow’s Film School (VGIK) in 1964. That same year he debuted with the satirical comedy Welcome (Dobro pozhalovat ili Postoronnim vkhod vospreshchen), continuing with the same genre in the film Adventures of a Dentist (Pochozhdyenia zubnogo vracha, 1965). Despite popularity with audiences, he decided to turn his attention to historical themes. He had considerable difficulties with the censors during the making of Agony (Agoniya, 1974-81). After the tragic death of his wife, the director Larisa Shepitko, he finished her ecological project Farewell (Proshchaniye, 1982). Unexpectedly, Klimov’s last film was to be the war drama Come and See (Idi i smotri, 1985). He headed the Soviet Filmmakers’ Union from 1986, but resigned from this post after two years. He was considering an adaptation of Dostoyevsky´s The Possessed and Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita, but this costly project collapsed for lack of funding.