Come and See

Or rather Idi i smotri, Иди и смотри, or perhaps even Ідзі і глядзі for the especially orthodox.  Anyhow, Come and See is, in its most basic element, a movie.  It was made in Russia in 1985, back when Russia was the (evil) Soviet Union. This meant its exposure to western audiences was initially quite low.  Perhaps ‘Communist Russia’ jokes would make one believe that was a good thing, but actually the good ol’ CCCP came through with a good film.  I’d even say damn good.  It certainly is entertaining as well beautiful in its own horrifying way.  But, while the elements of aesthetic and entertainment are alone enough to carry a movie (Amelie, for instance), Come and See goes one step further, through providing the audience with tangible historical insight.  

I like to think this knowledge supplements Schindler’s List quite well, and for good reason.  While Schindler’s List specifically targets the Holocaust (the main focus of Global Connections for the past… 2 months?), it doesn’t fully engulf itself in the actual historical event.  I do not say this as a way of insinuating my disapproval of the movie; I felt that Schindler’s List was, too, deserving of ‘damn good’ status, with its tragic (but not too tragic) narrative and endless quotability.  But, I have to agree with most of its ‘critics’, in that it was much less a Holocaust film than an Oskar Schindler film.

Come and See, on the other hand, holds back nothing in its brutal depiction of the Nazi occupation of the Byelorussian SSR.  The story itself certainly does not hold up as well as Schindler’s List; the audience just follows teenage protagonist Flyora as he bounces from one terrifying scene to the next.  However, perhaps such a lack of an intricate plot benefits the greater purpose of the film: the depiction of the inhumanity brought upon the world by the Third Reich.  Now, before you make the point that this movie isn’t about the Holocaust and therefore doesn’t apply to Global, let me remind you that the Soviets died alongside the Jews; they were both equally viable targets of the Wehrmacht.  As a matter of fact, way more Soviets died.  Between two to three times more.  But that’s beyond the point.  Let’s not count murdered human beings (even if they were bastard communists) like beans as a way of determining the worst of a list of incomprehensible acts of inhumanity.  Instead, let’s just remember that the aforementioned victims died for the same reasons: unprompted, but convenient, ethnic and ideological bigotry.  

Now, the question of credibility.  The movie definitely has a political slant.  Once again, the movie was made while the Soviet Union still existed, so they made sure not to depict the Byelorussian partisans reciprocating Nazi cruelty (which in reality they did.  Surprise, war’s no fun for anyone!).  The Soviets are made out to be stoic and noble, fighting bravely through their quiet desperation against their tyrannical enemy.  But the bias truly stops there.  The Nazis’ acts of cruelty are not overdone, even if they seem to be.  After seeing this movie, at least one ex-member of the Wehrmacht confirmed the accuracy of the movie, saying he participated in Nazi activities similar to those seen in the movies. 

Hopefully this movie (or at the very least this accompanying analysis) helps you further understand not only just how inhumane we can be, but also just how little it takes to make us act as so.  Yes, the line between normalcy and barbarism is so much thinner than we think.  Therefore it is our obligation, our duty as citizens of this world, to watch ourselves, and to make sure we do not cross this line.  Don’t believe me?  Then, by all means, come and see what happens when we do.