Wikipedia

Eastern Promises

Eastern Promisesis a 2007 British-Canadiangangster filmdirected byDavid Cronenbergfrom a screenplay bySteven Knight.The film tells the story of Anna (Naomi Watts), aRussian-Britishmidwifewho delivers the baby of a drug-addicted 14-year-old traffickedUkrainiangirl who dies in childbirth. After Anna learns that the teen was forced into prostitution by theRussian MafiainLondon,the leader of the Russian gangsters (Armin Mueller-Stahl) threatens the baby's life, and Anna is warned off by his menacing henchman (Viggo Mortensen).

Eastern Promises
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid Cronenberg
Screenplay bySteven Knight
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPeter Suschitzky
Edited byRonald Sanders
Music byHoward Shore
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 8, 2007(2007-09-08)(Toronto)
  • September 14, 2007(2007-09-14)(North America)
  • October 26, 2007(2007-10-26)(United Kingdom)
Running time
101 minutes[3]
CountriesUnited Kingdom
Canada[4]
LanguagesEnglish
Russian
Ukrainian
Budget$50 million[5]
Box office$56.1 million[1]

Principal photographybegan in November 2006, in locations in and around London. The film has been noted for its treatment of the subject ofsex trafficking,and for itsviolenceand realistic depiction of Russian career criminals, which includes the detailed portrayal of the tattoos which indicate their crimes and criminal status.Eastern Promisesreceived critical acclaim, appearing on several critics' "top 10 films" lists for 2007 and has since become acult film.The film has won several awards, including the Audience Prize for best film at theToronto International Film Festivaland the Best Actor award for Mortensen at theBritish Independent Film Awards.The film received twelveGenie Awardnominations and threeGolden Globe Awardnominations. Mortensen was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Actor.

Plot

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Anna Khitrova, aRussian-Britishmidwifeat aLondonhospital, finds aRussian-languagediary on the body of Tatiana, a teenage girl who dies in childbirth. Anna sets out to track down Tatiana's family so that she can find a home for the baby. Though Anna's mother, Helen, is open to the idea, Anna's Russian uncle, Stepan, a formerKGBfunctionary, urges caution, saying that Tatiana was a prostitute. A business card tucked in the diary leads Anna to the Trans-Siberian Restaurant. The place is owned by Semyon, a seemingly kind older gentleman who, unbeknownst to Anna, is avorin theRussian mafia.Semyon offers to help and Anna gives him a photocopy of the diary.

Semyon's driver, Nikolai Luzhin, serves as the family "cleaner"and bodyguard of Kirill, Semyon's son. Kirill, a drunk who repeatedly disappoints Semyon, authorizes an ill-advised hit on a rivalChechenleader with the help of aKurdishassociate, Azim, and without Semyon's approval. Kirill spits on the dead Chechen's body, calling him apederast,but Nikolai later tells Semyon that the Chechen had been spreading rumours that Kirill is gay. Nikolai removes identifying evidence from the Chechen's body which is then dumped in theThamesby Nicolai and Kirill.

When Stepan finishes translating the diary, Anna learns that Semyon raped Tatiana after Kirill failed to do so, explaining that he would show Kirill how to "break" her. The diary also states that Semyon gave her pills to induce anabortion,and Anna realizes that the baby was fathered by Semyon. Meanwhile, Semyon realizes that Anna knows the truth. He makes a disconcerting appearance in her hospital ward, which is off limits to visitors. Frightened, Anna agrees to hand over the diary in exchange for the location of the girl's family. Later, Anna, Stepan and Helen meet Nikolai in a fast-food restaurant. Nikolai takes the diary but denies knowing about revealing the family's address. Semyon then orders Nikolai to kill Stepan, who soon goes missing.

As Nikolai rises in rank, Semyon sponsors him as a full member, due in part to his protection of Kirill. The dead Chechen's brothers arrive in London seeking vengeance and kill Azim's mentally handicapped nephew, whom Azim had forced to kill the Chechen. Azim confesses his role in the hit to Semyon; he forgives him in exchange for participating in a plan to save Kirill. Azim lures Nikolai into a meeting at a public baths. The Chechens, who are deceived into believing he is Kirill, ambush Nikolai. He manages to kill both hitmen, but is seriously wounded and taken to Anna's hospital.

Yuri, a high-rankingScotland Yardofficer investigating the Russian mafia, meets Nikolai in the hospital. It is revealed that Nikolai is actually an undercoverFSBagent working under license from the British government. Nikolai tells Yuri to have Semyon arrested on a charge of rape, with apaternity testof Tatiana's baby as evidence, which will also allow Nikolai to take over the mafia. When Anna confronts Nikolai, he tells her that Stepan is staying inEdinburghfor his own protection.

Anna spots Kirill entering a lift and finds that Tatiana's baby is gone, replaced with a bouquet of roses. She and Nikolai then rush to the spot on the Thames where Nikolai and Kirill had previously disposed of the Chechen's body and find Kirill sitting by the river, working up the courage to throw in his baby sister. Nikolai and Anna persuade him to give the baby back and Nikolai embraces Kirill, telling him that Semyon is finished, and that they will now be Boss es together. Soon after, Nikolai succeeds Semyon as head of the organization, and Anna gains custody of Tatiana's baby, whom she names Christine.

Cast

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Production

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Filming

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Shooting began in November 2006, and various scenes were filmed in St John Street,Farringdon,London.Filming also took place inBroadway Market,Hackneyand inBrompton Cemeteryin theLondon Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.The "Trans-Siberian Restaurant" is located inThe Farmiloe Building,[6]34St John Street,next toSmithfield Market.This is the 6th most popular film and TV location in London,[7]having also been used forSpooks,PenelopeandBatman Begins.[8]When Anna, her mother Helen, and her uncle Stepan meet Nikolai at a fast food restaurant, this was filmed inBermondsey,south-east London at aWimpybar.

The entrance to the "Ankara Social Club" of the film is actually the front door of a residential flat. The Broadway Market hair dresser known as "Broadway Gents Hairstylist" was changed to "Azim's Hair Salon", where in the film one of the Russians is murdered. The owner Mr. Ismail Yesiloglu decided to keep most of the shop front after filming. In the original script, the name was "Ozim's Hair Salon", but it was later changed to "Azim's" as there is no such name as Ozim inTurkish.The "Trafalgar Hospital" is actually theMiddlesex Hospital,a hospital in theFitzroviaarea of London, which closed to patients in December 2005. The building in central London, which was knocked down in 2008, had the inscription 'Trafalgar Hospital', matching the style and apparent age of the old Middlesex Hospital, inserted into the legend above the main door. The fight scene in the Turkish Baths was filmed on a custom set[9]based on theIronmonger Row BathsinIslington.

Eastern Promiseswas David Cronenberg's first film to be shot entirely outside Canada.

Tattoos

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See also:Russian criminal tattoos

Viggo Mortensen studied Russian gangsters and their tattoos. Mortensen spent a lot of time with a Russian Mafia specialist, Gilly McKenzie (organised crime specialist for the UN) and also consulted a documentary on the subject calledThe Mark of Cain(2000).[10]The tattoos that he wore, according to theNew York Daily News,were so realistic that diners in a Russian restaurant in London fell silent out of fear, until Mortensen revealed his identity and admitted the tattoos were for a film.[11]From that day on he washed off his tattoos whenever he went off the set. Mortensen said of the significance of the tattoos:

I talked to them [authentic gangsters and Gilly McKenzie] about what they meant and where they were on the body, what that said about where they'd been, what their specialties were, what their ethnic and geographical affiliations were. Basically their history, their calling card, is their body.[12]

Violence

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Consistent with the trademark violence in much of Cronenberg's work,Eastern Promisesfeatures a graphically violent fight scene in a steam bath where the combatants wieldlinoleum knives.When asked in an interview about the difference between "gun violence"and" knife violence, "Cronenberg replied," We have no guns in this movie. There were no guns in the script. The choice of those curved knives we use in the steam bath was mine. They're not some kind of exotic Turkish knives, they're linoleum knives. I felt that these guys could walk around in the streets with these knives, and if they were ever caught, they could say 'we're linoleum cutters'. "[13]

Director's commentary

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Adam Nayman ofEye Weeklyreported that director Cronenberg said "just don't give the plot away" and Nayman wrote "his request is understandable." Nayman said "there is one scene – the in-depth discussion of which prompted the director's anti-spoiler request referenced at the top of this story – that should rank not only in his personal pantheon of spectacularly deployed gore but among the most exhilaratingly visceral patches of cinema, period, full stop."[14]Chicago Sun-TimescriticRoger Ebertnoted Cronenberg's quote and agreed, saying: "He is correct that it would be fatal, because this is not a movie of what or how, but of why. And for a long time you don't see the why coming."[15]

Release

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The filmpremieredon September 8, 2007, at the2007 Toronto International Film Festival[16]where it won the Audience Prize for best film on September 15, 2007.[17]Eastern Promisesopened inlimited releasein Russia on September 13, 2007.[16]

In the United States and Canada, the film opened in limited release in 15 theatres on September 14, 2007, and grossed $547,092 — averaging $36,472 per theater.[18]The film opened in wide release in the United States and Canada on September 21, 2007, (expanding to 1,404 theaters) and ranked #5 at the box office, grossing $5,659,133 — an average of $4,030 per theater.[18]The film has grossed $56,106,607 worldwide as of March 17, 2019 — $17,266,000 in the United States and Canada and $38,840,607 in other territories.[1]

The film took part in competition at theSan Sebastian Film FestivalSeptember 20, 2007.[19]The film was shown at theLondon Film Festivalon October 17, 2007, and was released in the United Kingdom on October 26, 2007.[16]

Reception

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Thereview aggregatorRotten Tomatoesreported that 89% based on 198 reviews, with an average rating 7.70/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "David Cronenberg triumphs again, showcasing the Viggo Mortensen's onscreen prowess in a daring performance. Bearing the trademarks of psychological drama and gritty violence,Eastern Promisesis a very compelling crime story. "[20]OnMetacritic,the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[21]

Todd McCarthy ofVariety,[22]David Elliott ofThe San Diego Union-Tribune,[23]and film critic Tony Medley noted the twists in the film.[24]Roger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Timesgave the film four out of four stars and wrote "Eastern Promisesis no ordinary crime thriller, just as Cronenberg is no ordinary director ", and said that" Cronenberg has moved film by film into the top rank of directors, and here he wisely reunites with Mortensen "who" digs so deeply into the role you may not recognize him at first. "Ebert said the film has a fight scene that" sets the same kind of standard thatThe French Connectionset for chases. Years from now, it will be referred to as a benchmark. "[15]

J. HobermanofThe Village Voicesaid "I've said it before and hope to again:David Cronenbergis the most provocative, original, and consistently excellent North American director of his generation. "Hoberman said the film is" directed with considerable formal intelligence and brooding power "and continues the trend of" murderous family dramas "seen inSpiderandA History of Violence.Hoberman called the film "graphic but never gratuitous in its violence", "garish yet restrained", "a masterful mood piece", "deceptively generic" and said the film "suggests a naturalized version of the recent Russian horror flickNight Watch."When describing the cast, Hoberman said" Mueller-Stahl may be perfunctory... butVincent Casselliterally flings himself into [his role] "and" Mortensen is even more electrifying as Nikolai than inA History of Violence".[25]

Chris Vognar ofThe Dallas Morning Newsgave the film a "B+" and said "The film's genius performance belongs to the venerableArmin Mueller-Stahl,who plays the family head with a twinkling eye and an air of avuncular, Old World charm. "Vognar wrote" Where some may see melodrama, Mr. Cronenberg locates timeless, elemental struggles between good and evil, right and wrong. But he makes sure to place a mysterious gray area front and center, personified here by Mr. Mortensen's Nikolai ", writing" Nikolai Luzhin is... likeRay Bradbury'sIllustrated Man... only more dangerous "and" scarily Enigma tic. "Vognar wrote thatEastern Promisesshares themes of "ambiguous identity and rage-soaked duality" withA History of Violenceand said both films "have a lock-step precision and both take a sly kind of joy in subverting genre expectations." Vognar saidEastern Promises"is a little too mechanical for its own good... but the mechanics also produce an admirable crispness and sense of purpose, a sense that the man behind the camera knows exactly what he's doing at all times."[26]

Film Journal Internationalcritic Doris Toumarkine said the film is a "highly entertaining but sometimes revolting look at a particularly venal branch of theRussian mob."Toumarkine wrote that Mortensen and Watts" are intriguing moral counterpoints. They are also the key ingredients that makeEastern Promisesa highly delectable and cinematically richborshtthat upscale film fans will devour. "She described Mortensen's performance as" startling, "called Watts" touching, "Cassel" particularly delicious, "but said" Mueller-Stahl,Cusack,andSkolimowskidon't have as much to chew on. "She said the film" is also blessed byHoward Shore's restrained score, which lets the film's other estimable elements breathe through. "Toumarkine also said the film is" essentially a character-driven crime thriller but is also a bloody tour de force laced with considerable nudity and sexually bold content that will rattle the squeamish. "[27]

Bruce Westbrook of theHouston Chroniclegave the film one star out of four and said it had a "contrived plot" and wrote "what it's really about, more than sensitivity for displaced people or social analyses, is violence — hideous, gruesome, over-the-top violence." Westbrook said "For Cronenberg, such cheap sensationalism is business as usual, and this far into his career, that business has slipped into artistic bankruptcy." Westbrook wrote the film "isn't about Russian gangs so much as Cronenberg's own dark passions not just for violence but excruciating carnage, which he brandishes mercilessly" and that the film was "a stifling descent into grim shock and disturbing awe."[28]

Accolades

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Eastern Promiseswon the Audience Prize for best film on September 15, 2007, at the2007 Toronto International Film Festival.[17]The film received threeGolden Globenominations for the65th Golden Globe Awards,being nominated forBest Motion Picture - Drama,Best Original Scoreand aBest Actor – Motion Picture Dramanomination for Mortensen, but the film failed to win any.[29][30]The film was nominated in five different categories in theBritish Independent Film Awardsfor 2007, and won in one category: Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film (for Mortensen).[31]

Mortensen was also nominated forAcademy Award for Best Actorat the80th Academy Awards,[32]but told the Associated Press: "If there's a strike I will not go." — a reference to the ongoingWriters Guild of America strike.[33]On February 12, 2008, thestrikeended, and he attended the ceremony, although he lost the award toDaniel Day-LewisforThere Will Be Blood.Eastern Promisesreceived twelve nominations at the28th Genie Awards,tying with the filmShake Hands with the Devilfor most nominations, and won seven, Best Supporting Actor (Mueller-Stahl), Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Musical Score, Overall Sound, Sound Editing.[34][35][36][37]It was also the last TIFF People's Choice Award winner to not win any of its Oscar nominations untilSteven Spielberg'sThe Fabelmansin 2022.

Top ten lists

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The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007.[38]

Cancelled sequel

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Speaking in August 2010, Cassel said that a sequel was discussed with Cronenberg whilst they were filmingA Dangerous Method.Cassel suggested that the sequel will be filmed in Russia with Cassel and Mortensen reprising their roles.[40]In April 2012, producer Paul Webster toldScreen Internationalthat a sequel was in the works, which would reunite director Cronenberg, writer Knight, and actor Mortensen. The film was said to be made by Webster's new production company Shoebox Films in collaboration withFocus Featuresand was to begin production in early 2013.[41]That August, however, Cronenberg stated thatEastern Promises 2was "dead": "We were supposed to start shooting 'Eastern Promises 2' in October... [But] It's done. If you don't like it talk toJames Schamusat Focus. It was his decision. "[42]On December 2, 2020, Knight revealed that the sequel became the upcoming separateMartin ZandvlietfilmSmall Dark LookstarringJason Statham.[43]

References

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  1. ^abc"Eastern Promises(2007) ".Box Office Mojo.IMDb.Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  2. ^Mitchell, Wendy (November 20, 2006)."Cronenberg starts London shoot for Eastern Promises".Screen International.RetrievedJune 23,2022.
  3. ^"Eastern Promises".British Board of Film Classification.RetrievedNovember 9,2014.
  4. ^"EASTERN PROMISES".BFI.org.uk.Archived fromthe originalon September 25, 2013.RetrievedApril 11,2012.
  5. ^"Eastern Promises".The-Numbers. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  6. ^"Pictures of the Farmiloe Building at LocationWorks".[dead link‍]
  7. ^"BA London Eye Tops List of London's Most Popular Film Locations".August 21, 2006.
  8. ^"Location of the Month June 2005".FilmLondon.org.uk.Archived fromthe originalon May 25, 2008.RetrievedOctober 9,2010.
  9. ^Per DVD commentary.
  10. ^John Clark (September 9, 2007)."Viggo Mortensen digs into naked emotional turf".New York Daily News.Archived fromthe originalon December 2, 2008.RetrievedSeptember 26,2007.
  11. ^Nanna Louise Teckemeier (January 18, 2007)."Viggo is frightening (original Danish title: Viggo er skræmmende)".Ekstra Bladet(in Danish).RetrievedSeptember 26,2007.
  12. ^"Oscar acting nominees speak out".NyDailyNews.February 21, 2008.RetrievedOctober 15,2013.
  13. ^"Eastern Promises".Film Society Lincoln Center.RetrievedMarch 10,2013.
  14. ^Adam Nayman (August 30, 2007)."INDELIBLE INK".Eye Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon May 22, 2011.RetrievedOctober 22,2007.
  15. ^abRoger Ebert(September 14, 2007)."Eastern Promises".Chicago Sun-Times.Archived fromthe originalon October 12, 2007.RetrievedOctober 22,2007."Just don't give the plot away," Cronenberg begged in that interview. He is correct that it would be fatal, because this is not a movie of what or how, but of why. And for a long time you don't see the why coming.
  16. ^abc"Eastern Promises(2007) – Release Info ".IMDb.Amazon.Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  17. ^abTamsen Tillson (September 16, 2007)."'Promises' wins best film in Toronto ".Variety.RetrievedSeptember 17,2007.
  18. ^ab"Eastern Promises(2007) – Weekend Box Office Results ".Box Office Mojo.IMDb.RetrievedSeptember 26,2007.
  19. ^"San Sebastián International Film Festival 2007".MUBI.RetrievedJune 1,2021.
  20. ^"Eastern Promises".Rotten Tomatoes.Flixster.RetrievedDecember 30,2024.
  21. ^"Eastern Promises".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.Archived fromthe originalon December 10, 2007.RetrievedDecember 13,2007.
  22. ^Todd McCarthy (September 8, 2007)."Eastern Promises".Variety.RetrievedSeptember 14,2007.
  23. ^David Elliott (September 13, 2007)."A history of violence".The San Diego Union-Tribune.Archived fromthe originalon October 17, 2007.RetrievedNovember 15,2007.
  24. ^Tony Medley."Eastern Promises".TonyMedley.RetrievedNovember 15,2007.
  25. ^J. Hoberman (September 11, 2007)."Still Cronenberg".Village Voice.Archived fromthe originalon September 16, 2007.RetrievedSeptember 14,2007.
  26. ^Chris Vognar (September 14, 2007)."Eastern Promises".The Dallas Morning News.Archived fromthe originalon October 12, 2007.RetrievedSeptember 14,2007.
  27. ^Doris Toumarkine."EASTERN PROMISES".Film Journal International.Archived fromthe originalon May 17, 2008.RetrievedSeptember 14,2007.
  28. ^Bruce Westbrook (September 14, 2007)."Hideous, gruesome, over-the-top violence".Houston Chronicle.RetrievedSeptember 14,2007.
  29. ^"65th Golden Globe Awards Nominations & Winners".GoldenBlobes.org.Archived fromthe originalon May 24, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 19,2008.
  30. ^"Hollywood Foreign Press Association 2008 Golden Globe Awards for the Year Ended December 31, 2007".GoldenGlobes.org.December 13, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon December 14, 2007.RetrievedDecember 13,2007.
  31. ^"British Independent Film Awards 2007 nominations".British Independent Film Awards.Archived fromthe originalon December 26, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 24,2008.
  32. ^"80th Academy Awards nominations".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Archived fromthe originalon January 23, 2008.RetrievedJanuary 22,2008.
  33. ^Stephen M. Silverman(January 22, 2008)."Viggo Mortensen Won't Cross Oscar Picket Line".People.Archived fromthe originalon January 23, 2008.RetrievedJanuary 22,2008.
  34. ^Maria Kubacki (January 29, 2008)."Violent mobsters, Alzheimer's and genocide: It's Canadian cinema!".National Post.RetrievedJanuary 30,2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  35. ^Etan Vlessing (January 29, 2008).""Promises," "Devil" each nab 12 Genie nominations ".Reuters.RetrievedJanuary 30,2008.
  36. ^"Eastern Promises and Shake hands With The Devil Lead in 2008 Genie Award Nominations"(PDF).Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.January 28, 2008. p. 4. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on February 20, 2009.RetrievedJanuary 30,2008.
  37. ^"28th Genie Awards".Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.Archived fromthe originalon February 13, 2009.RetrievedJanuary 30,2008.
  38. ^"Metacritic: 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.Archived fromthe originalon January 2, 2008.RetrievedJanuary 4,2008.
  39. ^Travers, Peter (December 19, 2007)."Peter Travers' Best and Worst Movies of 2007"Rolling Stone.Retrieved December 20, 2007.
  40. ^"Exclusive: Vincent Cassel Back for Eastern Promises 2".ComingSoon.net.Archived fromthe originalon August 15, 2010.RetrievedAugust 8,2010.
  41. ^"Paul Webster".Screen International.RetrievedApril 23,2012.
  42. ^Lyttleton, Oliver (August 14, 2012)."Exclusive: Focus Features Pull The Plug On David Cronenberg's 'Eastern Promises 2'".The Playlist.Archived fromthe originalon August 17, 2012.RetrievedAugust 14,2012.
  43. ^Sneider, Jeff (December 2, 2020)."Jason Statham to Star in Russian Mob Movie 'Small Dark Look' at Focus".Collider.RetrievedJanuary 24,2021.
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