Podcast Summary: Dear Movies, I Love You

Episode: Bleak Week 2026 – "Come and See" (1985)
Hosts: Millie De Chirico & Casey O'Brien
Date: January 13, 2026

Overview

This episode of Dear Movies, I Love You kicks off the show’s first-ever "Bleak Week," where the hosts confront the most devastatingly sad films to match the doldrums of January. Millie and Casey focus on Elem Klimov’s harrowing anti-war masterpiece, Come and See (1985), grappling with its legacy as one of cinema’s most emotionally grueling experiences. The tone is self-aware, alternating between comic relief (Millie’s imaginary K-pop band antics) and sincere, deeply felt discussion of the film’s power. The episode also includes a “Sad Libs” segment, creating a darkly humorous movie trailer, and concludes with thoughtful companion film recommendations.

Episode Structure & Key Segments

1. Winter Blues & K-Pop Band Antics (00:34–11:00)

• Hosts’ Mood: January has both hosts in a depressive slump due to post-holiday gloom and dreary weather.
• Millie’s Solution: In a burst of comic escapism, Millie reveals she’s "started a K-pop band" called Infinite T, complete with elaborate lore, a massive lineup (“27 members, which is kind of a middle-sized K-pop group”), rap skills (“I am the main rapper, because I am an excellent rapper.” [03:41]), and fantastical album projects.
• Casey’s Reaction: Playful banter about K-pop industry excess and possible sideline careers during bleak months.

“If you’re feeling a little bit sad, a little bit lonely, maybe you’re inside, they can’t go out to play because it’s raining, they’re snowed in. Start a K-pop band.” – Millie [07:54]

2. Defining ‘Bleak Week’ (11:01–13:00)

• Concept: Inspired by film programming events, "Bleak Week" involves watching and discussing films universally acknowledged as emotionally punishing.
• Reason: January, the “bleakest month of the year,” felt like the perfect time for this experiment.
• Film Choice: The hosts quickly realize the actual experience of viewing Come and See is far bleaker than they’d anticipated, joking about regretting the premise.

“We both watched it and I think we both regret the decision to make this episode, but here we are and we’re following through.” – Casey [11:47]

3. Film Diary: Recent Watches (15:50–23:52)

• Millie: The Greatest Night in Pop (2024) – A documentary about the making of “We Are the World.”
  • Comments on the nostalgic power of the song, the logistical feat of gathering its all-star cast, and tidbits such as Waylon Jennings storming out.
• Casey: Witchtrap (1989) – At an underground screening; hilariously bad acting and unintentionally Lynchian tone.

4. Main Discussion: Come and See (1985)

Film Context & Reception (24:04–31:35)

• Overview: Soviet/Belarusian WWII anti-war film; non-professional actors; protagonist is a teenage boy, Florya, played by Aleksei Kravchenko.
• Notoriety: “Kind of an unwatchable masterpiece.” (Millie [30:44])
• Performance Praise: Kravchenko’s acting is regarded as one of film history’s greatest child performances.
• Personal Connections: Neither host had previously watched the entire film due to its reputation and intensity.

“It’s one of those ‘you gotta strap the fuck in for it’ kind of movies.” – Millie [14:52]
“He physically transforms throughout the course of the movie.” – Casey [25:03]

Plot & Style Breakdown (33:41–58:21)

• Opening: Set in occupied Belarus, 1943. Florya finds a gun and eagerly volunteers for war, against his mother’s desperate wishes.

  • The hosts reflect on the complex allure of military romanticism and the personal relatability via family histories.
  • “My dad joined the Navy because he liked the outfits the best, which I think is really funny.” – Millie [35:33]

• Experience of War:

  • Florya’s initial enthusiasm turns to trauma when his camp is bombed and he returns to find his family gone, eventually realizing their deaths at Nazi hands.
  • Scenes described as "gruelling," particularly the endless bog sequence and the “nightmarish” village massacre.

“This movie is going for the jugular.” – Millie [40:25]

• Directorial Choices:

  • Frequent direct-to-camera stares create intense viewer discomfort.
  • “Every time the characters look directly into the lens, I’m like, they’re looking into my soul.” – Casey [42:35]

• ** Emotional Violence:**

  • The horrors are often implied, not shown via gore, but the emotional brutality is unrelenting.
  • “I just felt at, like there was like a sense of risk watching this movie…” – Casey [31:35]

• Climactic Atrocity:

  • The infamous church burning sequence—hundreds of villagers murdered—is described as the film’s core emotional devastation.

“It’s like a nightmare. […] It’s the bleak cherry on the bleak sundae.” – Millie [58:30]

• Aftermath and Ending:
  • The film ends with an iconic, reverse-montage of Hitler’s life as Florya fires on his portrait.
  • Both hosts discuss the feeling of accomplishment at having finished the film, yet stress its importance and its rarity as a truly effective anti-war statement.

5. Historical and Political Resonance (52:15–62:21)

• Real-Life Context: The film’s production was long delayed under Soviet censorship, reflecting both the scars and sensitivity around WWII’s impact in Belarus and the USSR.
• Modern Parallels: Hosts draw connections to present-day atrocities, the universality of war-induced trauma, and the dangers of fascist impulses both then and now.
• Filmmaker’s Statement: Klimov’s intention was to “leave evidence of war, and a plea for peace.”

6. Comic Relief: Sad Libs (62:43–71:40)

• Premise: Hosts create a deliberately “saddest film ever” movie trailer through a Mad Libs-style word game.
• Results: Amusing, absurd concoction featuring a beaver named Miss Piggy, a hero named Tommy Watermelon, and the line “the Daisy that Smells Bravely.”
• Purpose: Lifts the mood after the heaviness of the main discussion.

7. Employee Picks: Bleak, But Essential Movies (72:03–74:57)

• Millie’s Pick: The Ascent (1977) by Larisa Shepitko – Another World War II-set Belarusian film, offering a thematic companion to Come and See.
• Casey’s Pick: All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) – Cites the similar effectiveness in dispelling any “romanticism” about war.

Notable Quotes & Timestamp Highlights

• On Bleakness and Humor:
  “This is what we call ‘Bleak Week.’ It’s a chance to really, really just, you know, dive into sadness and misery, just face it head on.” – Millie [11:01]

• On K-pop Distraction:
  “Start a K-pop band. Do it in secret, have a bunch of members, a bunch of concepts ready, and I promise you, your mood will improve.” – Millie [07:54]

• On War Cinema:
  “It’s really hard to make an anti-war war film because it’s so exciting. And there’s usually a victor. And the people you’re following are usually victorious … [but] Come and See really makes me not want to go to war.” – Casey [73:30]

• On Directorial Purpose:
  “I understood that this would be a very brutal film and it was unlikely that people would be able to watch it. I told this to my co-author … he replied: ‘Let them not watch it then. This is something we must leave after us as evidence of war and as a plea for peace.’” (Casey quoting Klimov) [51:37]

• On Endurance:
  “I feel like I accomplished something by finishing it … Sometimes you have to like, go through it, go through the thing and process the difficult art.” – Millie [58:29–60:03]

Takeaways

• Come and See stands as a milestone in anti-war cinema—its brutal honesty and immersive style making it unforgettable, but not easily rewatchable.
• The hosts use their trademark blend of wit and sincerity to make emotional space for such heavy material, advocating for engaging with “difficult art” while using humor to maintain sanity.
• Contemporary parallels highlight the continued relevance and necessity of such films.
• “Bleak Week” is both a tongue-in-cheek and very real cinematic challenge—one tempered by the healing power of movies, community, and, sometimes, Mad Libs.

Timestamps for Key Sections

• Opening banter & K-pop segment: 00:34–11:00
• Bleak Week intro & setup: 11:01–13:00
• Film Diary segment: 15:50–23:52
• Main Come and See discussion: 24:04–62:11
  • Plot/Style/Performance: 24:04–47:20
  • The church burning & climax: 47:20–50:03
  • Political/historical context: 52:15–62:11
• Sad Libs segment: 62:43–71:40
• Film recommendations: 72:03–74:57

For more insights and updates, follow @dearmoviesiloveyou on Instagram and stay tuned for next week's “How Stella Got Her Groove Back.”