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War as a Protagonist: Philosophical Problems in the film Come and See by Elem Klimov

Abstract

The article examines the main theoretical problems of depicting war in cinema and analyzes how they are solved in E.G. Klimov’s film Come and See. Traditional war cinematography focuses on heroic actions and personal sacrifice, often portraying plots of national historical mythology on the screen. The war, placed in such a framework, looks like a fascinating and spectacular action. The author argues that Klimov seeks to get away from this model. Although he takes as a basis an ideologically conventional plot about the struggle of Soviet partisans against the invaders, he sets the task of conveying, first of all, the horrifying and traumatic effect that hostilities have on the participants. In this aspect, it becomes possible to parallel with the intention of the 19th century war theorist Karl von Clausewitz to debunk the views of “armchair” theorists and highlight the factors under the influence of which war turns into “the realm of physical exertion and suffering.” These factors include danger, physical stress, lack of knowledge, and accident. Klimov’s Come and See, in contrast to previous works of military cinema, consistently simulates the impact of these factors on both the hero and the viewer. According to the author, the main difference is that Clausewitz deduces in his theory the figure of a military genius, i.e, someone who, through experience, competence and fortitude, is able to overcome unfavorable circumstances and impose his will on the enemy. There is no such figure in Klimov’s film; we see war through the eyes of a teenager who is not ready for it either physically or morally. Although in the course of the film he begins to gain experience and change internally, in the end he is broken and devastated. As a result, the film turns out to be neither a pro-war nor an anti-war statement, but a full-fledged study of the nature of war and an attempt to reconstruct the specific experience that is formed under its influence.

About the Author

Roman V. Gulayev
National Research University Higher School of Economics
Russian Federation

Roman V. Gulyaev – Ph.D. in Philosophy, Senior Lecturer of National Research University Higher School of Economics.

Moscow



References

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Review

For citations:


Gulayev R.V. War as a Protagonist: Philosophical Problems in the film Come and See by Elem Klimov. Russian Journal of Philosophical Sciences. 2021;64(6):124-146. (In Russ.)



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ISSN 0235-1188 (Print)
ISSN 2618-8961 (Online)