Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Mikkel-egebjerg This movie is breathtaking, it makes you see the war from a different perspective that you wouldn't think about. I knew Germany invaded Russia and what they did, but I was still shocked watching it. It's a shame that most people don't know about this film, because it's just as good as Schneider's list and pianist even better if you ask me.

TheNabOwnzz If there were ever a film that could be called the ultimate anti-war film which shows the horrors of war and the dehumanization of its main characters in such a disturbing way that it will leave an absolutely depressing impact on you it is definitely Elem Klimov's Come and See. Most of the time we see this film from Florya's point of view ( A teenage boy ) to show us truly how the war impacts those that were full of innocence before it started. The first half hour or more of the film consists of setting up his character, his connection with his family and with the young woman Glasha later on. It is a bit of the odd man out in the film as while still being depicted as grim it is not a very disturbing or depressing start. However, when the first bombs fall, you are immediately into this highly powerful and immersive masterpiece, because of things such as letting us hear the temporary deafening situation of our main character by letting us hear it with the audio, and deafening out all other sounds so we truly also begin to feel it as if it were happening to the audience. Also noticeable is the frequent use of extended trackingshots shot with a steadicam which are ofcourse always a great addition to improve immersion because in a long continuous take we can see everything our characters are doing, and are not subjected to constant different angles which always take a couple of seconds ( or less, but still, it takes time ) to keep that immersion.The acting is of top notch quality the entire movie, and especially the teenage main character Florya played by Aleksey Kravchenko is exceptional with his desperate facial expressions and his increasing dehumanization throughout the film. The violence is so powerful in this film because anything bad could happen to our main character at any time and primarily because Klimov allows us to see the incredibly disturbing facial expressions of Florya in silence after such an event numerous times, so we can truly reflect on how terrible these events were, and to show how further down the path to madness he was getting. The soundtrack is haunting and eerie ever since the first bombs fall in the film, and all this makes gives it a kind of horror esque feeling which doesn't happen all that often in war films. Platoon is often called a great anti-war statement, but Platoon has lighthearted scenes with some witty dialogue, whereas when the violence starts in Come and See, it is basically one ride akin to peering into the depths of hell itself.I would say the later chapter of the film is a bit too focused on trying too hard to let us hate the Germans while creating a bit of a lack of characterization, yet the entire village burning scene is so emotionally draining to the extreme, edited so well and filmed with such grace that this doesn't truly matter to the overall quality of the film. The visuals also speak for themselves, with one hellish picture after another when the violence starts bursting out, and this is enhanced by the incredible use of sound and sound editing to create a narrative in itself. However, this doesn't mean that the film doesn't have a narrative, as this is established so well in the first half hour or forty five minutes of the film.This all sums up Come and See as one of the most powerful of all war films, due to its ability to show violence as such an inhumane action due to its incredible visuals, sound, facial expressions & acting. It is highly disturbing and it is not for the faint hearted, as its depressing nature and soundtrack and realistic portrayal of the brutality of war result in a terrifying experience, yet it is also one of the few war films that is able to truly move you with its honesty and brutality.

shakercoola An expressionist, graphic retelling of true events during 1943 when 628 villages and its inhabitants were destroyed by invading German forces. The director was on a mission to bring the terrible acts to light; he bluntly and angrily portrays the mania and brutality of the German SS and the genocidal attitudes of the German soldiers. The protagonist, a boy hoping to defend his family, offers resiliance and dignity, and but endures the anguish of war. There is some light relief too showing the camaraderie of the unfortunate beleagured souls, and his lot as a boy in a man's war.

tomsview "Come and See" was on a list of the 10 most disturbing films you will ever see. It deserves to be.Not that it is full of gratuitous gore; much of the horror is just glimpsed; dolls discarded on the floor of a deserted house; a pile of bodies briefly seen at a distance. Much of the horror simply plays out on the face of Florya (Aleksei Kravchenko), the teenage boy at the centre of the story.I was stunned by the film, and there is not much to add to the many thoughtful IMDb reviews here; only a few comments on the technique of this film that makes it so compelling.Critic Tim Lott wrote in 2009 that the film "makes Apocalypse Now look lightweight". It's an interesting association, because other critics pointed out similarities in the structure of the two films. Both are journeys where the central character experiences events that escalate until the true horror overwhelms them. Captain Willard's journey into the 'heart of darkness' is not that different to Florya's; both see things along the way that violate their senses.A great deal of "Come and See" has a lyrical quality, especially Florya's brief stay in the forest with Glasha (Olga Mironova) - it's troubling that the girl who is taken by the Nazis at the end looks so much like her. However, all the while, there is that ominous, shapeless hum on the soundtrack. You sense everything is not well and soon you will see things you cannot unsee. So much is told through those close up faces. But it is the face of Florya, aging before our eyes, which reaches into the soul.Although the film was made a few years before the end of the Soviet regime, one can't detect too much of a political agenda in the way the story plays out - the events it portrays are well documented and disturbingly true. Maybe the retribution handed out to the captured Nazis at the end symbolises what happened in the war - what was done going East was repaid as the war headed West.This masterful film doesn't really fit the definition of a standard war film; it is more of a cautionary tale. To paraphrase George Orwell a little, when people start to feel 'more equal than others', it opens the way for evil to happen.