My father's film triumph at Venice Film Festival *

My father's restored 1985 classic Come and See won the Venice Classics program. The new restored copy was a smashing success with the audience and considering the great competition from the works of people like Antonioni, Forman, Spielberg and Godard it's truly great news.

 

Sadly not the new restored version but the vintage trailer for Come and See for those who never saw it.

 

Stunning.

 

Oh, absolutely. Made my day. Considering that many people are afraid to even watch the movie, given it's reputation as the scariest/most brutal war film ever.

 

They should be told that war is scary and brutal. It is a powerful film, truly evoking the biblical apocalypse. To me, it seems like that kind of film, along with something like Tarkovsky's "Stalker," that could only come out of the Soviet film industry, but rarely did.

 

Great film. Are they going to release at least a blu-ray of the restored version?

 

It was a miracle films like that, including Come and See did come out. Gorbachev came to power in early 1985 and the film which was shot in 1983-1984 had no problems in passing the censorship once it was complete. One year earlier and would be stuck in endless Goskino censorship committees like my father's and mother's earlier films (Agony for example) were for years. In fact the film was stopped on the screenplay stage in 1978 due to the original title "To kill Hitler" once the censors heard that my father meant "One has to kill Hitler in himself". Weirdly, the second title, taken directly out of the Bible didn't raise any eyebrows. My mother's The Ascent (another biblical and brutal film on the same subject as Come and See) was also lucky to pass the censorship in 1977 despite it's obvious biblical nature (a story of Christ and Judas retold in WW2 Belarus) due to the fact that Belarus Communist Party boss Masherov was a former partisan and WW2 hero himself, fell in love with a movie and strongly backed it against the censors. The film of course went on to triumph in Berlin, getting the Grand Prix Silver Bear prize but it was sheer luck. Had Masherov not seen the film it would be cut mercilessly or shelved for good.

 

It's already out in Russia. I don't know about the international release yet. Also heard about the japanese Blu-Ray coming out this year.

 

I'm not sure if the international release will have the same cover. Can't say I like this one.

 

Wow, thanks for the background information. That was exactly what I was thinking. A field rife with contradictions, politics, and chance. It is a miracle indeed, but then again, a film like "Come and See" wouldn't have been made in Hollywood at all, because of different aesthetics, commercial expectations and what not. I don't envy anyone trying to make an artistic statement in film industry, wherever they are!

I think it's time I get to know those other films, too.

 

How about a little background on Elem Klimov?

And do you know anything about this blu ray release?
Come and See Blu-ray

 

If you haven't seen Agony and The Ascent - well, Criterion released a great DVD twofer of two of my mother's most famous films Wings/The Ascent and I'm sure Agony (named Rasputin in several countries) is easy to find as well.

 

What do you want to know about him? He was my dad, I think I know pretty much everything about his background. I think this is the recent japanese Blu-Ray. I haven't seen it yet, sadly so I can't comment on the picture/sound quality.

 

I never heard of the films you've mentioned about about either of your parents but they all seem to get great reviews.
How many years were each of them directing films?

 

Well, to make the long story short my mother made her debut Heat in 1964 and her last one The Ascent in 1977. She died in a car crash while filming Farewell the follow up to The Ascent in 1979 at the age of 41 along with 5 other members of her film crew. My father finished Farewell after her death. She made 4 full feature films as well as one short one Homeland of Electricity in 1967 which was completely banned and nearly destroyed. My father made his debut Welcome (Or no Trespassing) - one of soviet most popular comedies of all time (let's just say as classic as Some like it Hot in US) also in 1964 and went to direct 6 movies before being elected as the First Secretary of USSR's Filmaker's Union in 1985 were he plunged into perestroika activities head on, saving many banned movies from "the shelf" as we used to say back then. Sadly he never made another film and Come and See was his last one. He passed away in 2003 at the age of 70.

 

Mid 70's. Can't say that these 2 guys made 2 of the most brutal and heavy war films of all time?

 

Wow. Congratulations.

 

For those who don't know, Come and See is a brilliant, chilling anti-war film, set against the backdrop of the German occupation of Belarus. Because of its stark realism of Nazi atrocities against the civilian population, it is very difficult to watch, but it is also mesmerizing in its portrayal of the horrors of war. Antonkk, your father was a superb director. I had no idea that you were his son. A movie fully worthy of meticulous restoration.

 

completely agree. much prefer brutal realism where war movies are concerned and not the kumbaya, nationalistic nonsense of a fluff piece dressed up as serious cinema a la Dunkirk.

Antonkk: warmest congratulations to both you and your father's spirit

 

@antonkk
thanks for info. I am very sorry about your mom. I will have to check those films out.

 

Like many Americans I'm sure, I'd never heard of this. But its on my radar now, and I hope to see it.

 

"Come And See" is a great movie, it had great reviews in Europe at the time of release (1986, if I remember correctly). Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" was very influenced by the way Klimov filmed the war scenes.

It is great to have Elem Klimov's son as a forum member.

 

Thanx!You're right about Spielberg. Just like Coppola was heavily influenced by my mother's The Ascent (he even sent a private jet to pick fly her from NYC to LA because he wanted her advice on Apocalypse Now finale) Spielberg was a big fan of Come and See. Actually, they were friends in the mid 80's- early 90's and IIRC he told my father that he made the whole Private Ryan AND Schindler's List crew watch Come and See twice. And he wasn't the only one in Hollywood. Sean Penn stated numerous times that Come and See is his favorite movie of all time. I find it rather hard to believe since it's not the kind of movie you want to watch time and time again if you know what I mean.

 

Thanx! I haven't seen Dunkirk yet and heard VERY conflicting reviews but I sure will since I was always interested in the events of 1940.

 

Thanx! At least Come and See always had good picture quality. It was my mother's The Ascent that always looked dark and grainy. A couple of years ago I presented it during Karlovy Vary film festival and was rather worried that the young modern viewer would appreciate it despite all the grain of rather lousy picture quality. Was shocked at the 5 minute long ovation at the end. Thankfully it was also restored last year and at the 30th Anniversary screening in Moscow I was blown away by the picture quality. It's as good as it's likely can be and better than Criterion release and Alfred Schnittke's immortal music sounds as chilling as it possibly can.

Here's the Ascent theme from Larisa documentary (sadly in dire need of restoration as well)