Eastern Promises - a review
October 29th 2007 13:11
‘Sometimes if things are closed, you just open them up.’ Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen)
This is exactly what Naomi Watts does in Eastern Promises. The world portrayed is a dark, grimy one set in London's expatriate Russian underworld. David Cronenberg (A History of Violence and Naked Lunch) directs the script written by Steve Knight. This is another Viggo/Cronenberg collaboration, their last one being the acclaimed 2005 film A History of Violence.
Steven Knight wrote Dirty Pretty Things, a graphic, despondent story about a young immigrant working in a hotel who becomes involved in an illicit trade in transplanted body parts. Dirty Pretty Things is a film that still remains graphic to me, highlighting the despair of people that are not seen, and the underclass that almost don’t exist to the rest of society.
It was while during our recent trip to the States and England that we saw Eastern Promises. My husband didn’t know much about it and as I was in holiday mode I hadn’t retained much information even though I had read several articles. I was slightly apprehensive, not because of its effectiveness, rather its level of violence.
Well, I wasn’t wrong about the violence, in fact the opening scene proved my fears, where a man’s throat is severed. But there is much more to the film than only that component. The violence needed to be explicit, to clearly show the brutality of this underworld. I soon came to predict when a violent scene was looming and close my eyes or look away, but the audience’s response would tell me what I didn’t want to see for myself.
Anna Khitrova (Naomi Watts) is a midwife at a London hospital. She becomes emotionally involved as a result of her own person experiences when a young girl dies after giving birth. The identity of the girl is unknown, all that is left is a diary written in Russian. Anna becomes almost obsessed in trying to find out more about the girl and her family. She wants to find relatives who could look after the child rather than the baby being handed over to Social Services.
Her only clues are the diary and a business card for a restaurant called Trans-Siberian run by Semyo (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and his son, Kirill (Vincent Cassel). The business is a front for their less sanitary dealings in the mafia world which primarily include human trafficking girls from Russia and forcing them into prostitution in England. The family is part of the Vory V Zakone a ruthless secor within the Russian mafia that emanated during the Stalin era. Members are identified by their distinctive tattoos signifying past kills.
Anna turns to her Russian-born uncle Stepan (Jerzy Skolimowski) in the hope that he may be able to translate it and obtain more information. He urges Anna to be cautious. So does her mother, but Anna does not adhere. She continues to search for the truth as Semyon becomes more interested in her and the diary. She does not realise that she is actually dealing with the person responsible for the crime. After she continues to delve, she then learns that Semyon raped the girl who was a prostitute and Semyon is the father of the child.
Merciless Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) is Semyon’s chauffer. He rebukes any involvement when Anna questions him, consistently saying ‘I am driver.’ His silence is sexy, yet lethal. He is played, with flawless control; he remains controlled and taciturn while charismatic. It seemed dangerous to move your eyes from the screen, he is that enigmatic. When it is his job to dispose of dead bodies, we do not see any emotion. However, we do see glimpses of compassion flit across his face when he meets Anna. Here he hints that he could be a man capable of goodness.
I’m sure you know something of the brutal sauna fight, which has become a focal talking point. It was another one where I cringed and I wouldn’t say I was alone in that reaction. I don’t want to say too much as is one of those scenes you have to see for yourself.
For me, the difficulty with seeing these sorts of underworld films is that I’m feeling unnerved for a few days when I go back into the real world outside of the cinema. It is almost as though I am looking over my shoulder. As uncomfortable and eerie as the feeling is, it does show the effectiveness of the film. The screen world seems closer; its existence seems more possible.
Instead of posting the film trailer which I think has been widely shown, I thought a Cronenberg interview would say more. Cronenberg re-examines of themes and motifs that seem to be consistent in his films: the ties of family and culture that bind criminal organisations; honour among thieves and revenge. This interview shows his meticulous dedication to creating the best film he can and the steps he takes to achieve this. Additionally, I have included a link to a site entitled David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen and the Hard Work of Killing that explains among other themes, the culpability of human skin that we see through the display of tattoos signifying past killings. The combination of the two mediums creates a strong feeling of how Cronenberg comes to make his films and his aims behind his actions.
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
This one is top of my list of must sees at the moment..the Viggo/Cronenberg connection seems to be effective, will definitely post a review once Ive viewed it.
Comment by katyzzz
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katyzzz
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Morning John
Thanks for your comments, glad you liked the review. I can see why it's on your list, it definitely is worth seeing and I think more so at the cinema.
As you said, the Mortensen and Cronenberg collaboration does seem to be effective as well as intriguing. I just added a link in the last paragraph to an interview with Mortensen and Cronenberg that further delves into the connection.
I'm looking forward to your review and hearing what you think.
Tracy
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
This is an effective mix of actual violence and imagination, not all violence was shown (it didn’t need to be, it was understood), and it certainly wasn’t gratuitous. Rather, it needed to be shown to show the world that they were living in.
Byeee
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
I have heard about this one. Again I`ll have to come back once I have watched it, i don`t like to go into a movie knowing too much... I`ll be baaaaaack!
Ash
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Nice to see you. I know what you mean...luckily I have the memory of a newt so I can forget a lot of what I read!!
Byee
PS Looking forward to hearing what you think of it....
Comment by Louie
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Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Good to see you. Yes, I find violent films hard but this has a definite context and purpose. Mortenson was enigmatic, he played his role perfectly.
Tracy
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
Sounds like the film isn't everyone's cup of tea. But I'll keep an eye out for it.
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
He is, he's chilling, impenetrable and unnerving but sexy too (well, I thought so anyway-I have a thing for on-screen bad boys).
Yes, it's not for everyone, but it is an interesting one, done extremely effectively.
Nice to see you,
Tracy
Comment by Simon Marks
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Comment by Miswanderlust
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I have been struggling as I decide whether or not to see this movie. I do not like violent movies. I heard through the grapevine that this is a great movie. Thanks for the great review.
Mis
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
I agree:
He most definitely captures the essence of his role...I couldn't stop watching him and trying to work him out, he is enigmatic.
Thanks for popping in,
Tracy
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Thank-you for the compliment.
I know what you mean, I’m also not drawn to violent films, but this is different. It had an effectual merge of violence and imagination, not all violence was shown, but it didn’t need to be, it was understood. And it certainly wasn’t gratuitous, rather it was used to shown the world that they were living in. A scary world...
It’s a chilling film, but one I would recommend. Hope that helps.
Byeee
Comment by Theresa
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This is one I wasn't going to rent, but now I am.
You made this sound so intriguing...thanks for a great review.
Theresa
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Comment by postmoderncritic
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Padsoc
Great review, I just got the DVD and am drooling over Viggo to my heart's content.
Just a minor correction: The tattoos don't symbolise the vor's kills, but their sentence times, and what kind of crime they specialise in. There are a few other things they symbolise too, but I've forgotten them - I just heard Viggo talking about it in one of the interviews that pop up when you finish watching the one you've inserted here. (The still is of him wearing a red shirt, if you're interested.) Apparently the marked body is like a resume.
Hope you're well!
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Yes, Viggo is definitely droolable isn't he?
Thanks for that info, I'm always happy to be corrected. Wow, so the body is like a resume...what a concept.
Thanks for popping in,
Tracy
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Daily Inspirations
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Padsoc
I just put up some thoughts on Eastern Promises on PmC, if you're interested/have time!
Cheers ~
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
I spotted your post this morning and ear-marked it for some afternoon reading
Tracy
Comment by Stephen 7
Cronenberg and Mortensen.
Enough said.
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life