Realism vs Militarism: Elem Klimov’s Depiction of War

Abstract

The article examines how film ‘Come and See’ by Elem Klimov corresponds to ethical problems of classical theory of war. Soviet reviewers tended to interpret it as an opposition between humanity and inhumanity of Soviet and Nazi sides respectively. We assume that Klimov’s film depicts not only World War II, but the very essence of war as such, according to Clausewitz – violence as a way of compelling an enemy to do our will. Partisan war can be viewed as a method of wearing out enemy forces without decisive battle, but it provokes terror upon civilian population and becomes more violent and bloody than conventional war. Clausewitz views it as a last resort for government at war. Klimov’s film approaches Clause­witz’s theory not only in evaluation of partisan warfare, but also in the main ethical idea: both belong to the tradition of realism, which views military violence through expediency. In military situation, violence is not immoral per se, but is considered to be moral or im­moral according to its expediency, i.e. the balance of results it achieves and of number of victims and collateral damage. Both Klimov and Clausewitz oppose not war itself, but mili­tarism, i.e. attempts to glorify and romanticize it.