About 2 weeks ago I went into the city with my Dad and his historian-playwright friend to watch Come and See. They had both already seen it, but it was my first time watching it. After leaving the theater I came to the conclusion that Come and See is quite possibly the most horrifying war movie I have ever seen.

Come and See came out in 1985, and it is about a Belarus teenager who joins the local resistance when nazis occupy his country. What’s fascinating about this movie is that although there isn’t a large amount of combat by war movie standards, the combat that is shown is incredibly realistic. Tracer bullets behave correctly unlike in so many other war movies, and I later found out that this was because they used live ammunition whenever the could while making the movie.

Come and See is also very unique among war movies in the way that it portrays the horrors of war. The audience experiences the events happening through the main character, and the transformation of his appearance and demeanor from the start of the movie to the end is shocking.

The film is very psychedelic, and reminds me of another war movie called Cross of Iron, in that both movies’ main characters are out of touch with reality, and often the audience cannot tell what is real and what is imagined. This may turn off some viewers who aren’t comfortable with strange elements like this, but if psychedelic sequences are the main thing that disturb you when watching Come and See, then I don’t believe we watched the same movie.

Come me and See has some of the most uncomfortable and brutal scenes ever featured in a movie. This film does not shy away from any aspect of war, and it does not pull punches. It’s for this reason that if you’re squeamish or easily disturbed, this movie is absolutely not for you. For people who can tolerate seeing this brutal imagery however, Come and See is an incredible work of art, and worth watching.