Eastern Promises

“Eastern Promises” is another hard-to-watch masterpiece from David Cronenberg that takes the viewer deep into the unsavory realm of the Russian Mafia. By not glorifying anything along the way, he paints a savagely realistic image of what these individuals are really like and, personally, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Every frame of this multifaceted picture is raw and in the cut, so even if we find most of their actions to be ethically repugnant, we can’t help but be engulfed by the profound character study that eventually unfolds.

Viggo Mortensen turns in yet another frighteningly engaging role as Nikolai, a driver determined to work his way up the ranks by performing gruesome tasks to prove his loyalty to the family. His conflicted attachment to this brutal underworld becomes even more absorbing when we discover his true motivations, because they come at a point when the audience’s impression of this character couldn’t get any worse.

Mortensen’s fearless dedication to authenticity takes on a whole new meaning during an incredibly fierce scene in a public bath house in which Nikolai fends off two men while covered in nothing but prison tattoos. This is truly a great scene, because Nikolai’s vulnerability manifests itself in such a way that we no longer buy the fact that he’s “just a driver.”

As for the rest of the plot, the central conflict revolves around a woman who dies during childbirth and leaves her daughter with no relatives anywhere near London. Her diary is full of incriminating evidence against the Russian family and later becomes a bargaining chip for Anna (Naomi Watts), the well-meaning nurse who ends up taking possession of it. Once Anna realizes the power that accompanies such a scandalous item, she begins to fear for not only her own life, but the baby’s as well. Watts has a wonderful turn here, but she often feels like the lone woman caught up in this heavily male-dominated atmosphere full of profanity and reckless violence.

In addition to Mortensen and Watts, Vincent Cassel and Armin Mueller-Stahl both deliver Oscar-worthy performances that further contribute to the film’s ever budding moral complexity. When their characters clash on screen, the audience is treated to some classic battles between two despicable human beings who have no place for weakness or accountability in their daily schedules.

Although the subject matter may offend some, Cronenberg has engineered a magnificently crafted piece of crime fiction that may very well be the best of his career. A great film is one that constantly challenges its audience by evoking a wide array of emotions that linger long after the credits have rolled. When we see the final shot of Nikolai sitting alone at a table, that’s exactly how I felt.

- **** out of 4