“Come and See”

The gnarliest, true to life World War II film I’ve ever seen. The Russian “Saving Private Ryan”.

I first stumbled upon “come and see” probably thirteen years ago, looking through the foreign section at Tower Records. Such an intense cover, a young boy is held at gunpoint by SS Officers. It looks real, documentary real. But it’s not. I’ve had a copy of this film for years, and for years I’ve never watched it. I think I was frankly a little scared. Scared to watch a Soviet film, scared to watch one with such a daunting cover. The film is a masterpiece, a terrifying peak into Belarussian History. A must see for any cinema fan or historian.