The 1985 film “Come and See” directed by Elem Klimov has gained a reputation as one of the most visceral war films ever made.
The film, which depicts the horrors of WWII from a Russian perspective, was inspired by the book “I Am from the Fiery Village” which featured first-hand accounts of the Holocaust.
Director Klimov began work on the film in 1977 in anticipation of the 40th anniversary of V-Day.
He noted that while the world was familiar with accounts of horror from other parts of Europe, they did not know about the massacre of Khatyn in Byelorussia.
“I understood that this would be a very brutal film and that it was unlikely that people would be able to watch it. I told this to my screenplay coauthor, the writer Ales Adamovich. But he replied: ‘Let them not watch it, then. This is something we must leave after us. As evidence of war, and as a plea for peace’”, Klimov stated.
The film was shot entirely on Belarusian soil, and Klimov made it his mission to recreate the horrors of WWII as realistically as possible.
The film features non-professional actors each speaking Belarusian, and utilises dark, grainy cinematography and adjusted audio levels to reflect the ongoing torment of war.
This creates an unbearable air of grief and hopelessness throughout the film.
To further enhance the realism of the film, Klimov employed naturalistic colours, extreme close-ups and multiple Steadicam shots.
Additionally, the guns in the film were often loaded with live ammunition instead of blanks.
This created a heightened sense of terror on set as the actors could better react to their surroundings and channel the fear of the soldiers of WWII.
The terrified looks on the actors’ faces are all genuine.
Though it was a dangerous filmmaking practice, it undoubtedly helped to create one of the best WWII films ever made.
