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Eastern Promises [DVD]

DVD ~ Viggo Mortensen

3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (51 customer reviews)

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	89% buy the item featured on this page: Eastern Promises [DVD] 3.5 out of 5 stars (51) �4.88
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Product details

Actors: Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel
Directors: David Cronenberg
Format: PAL
Language English
Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
Number of discs: 1
Classification: 18
DVD Release Date: 25 Feb 2008
Run Time: 96 minutes

Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (51 customer reviews)

ASIN: B0010VXMP8
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 5,781 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

David Cronenberg's signature obsessions flower in Eastern Promises, a stunning look at violence, responsibility, and skin. Near Christmas time in London, a baby is born to a teenage junkie--an event that leads a midwife (Naomi Watts) into the world of the Russian mob. Central to this world is an ambitious enforcer (Viggo Mortensen) who's lately buddied up with the reckless son (Vincent Cassel) of a mob boss (Armin Mueller-Stahl, doing his benign-sinister thing). Screenwriter Steve Knight also wrote Dirty Pretty Things, and in some ways this is a companion piece to that film, though utterly different in style. The plot is classical to the point of being familiar, but Cronenberg doesn't allow anything to become sentimental; he and his peerless cinematographer Peter Suschitzky take a cool, controlled approach to this story. Because of that, when the movie erupts in its (relatively brief) violence, it's genuinely shocking. Cronenberg really puts the viewer through it, as though to shame the easy purveyors of pulp violence--nobody will cheer when the blood runs in this film. Still, Eastern Promises has a furtive humour, nicely conveyed in Viggo Mortensen's highly original performance. Covered in tattoos, his body a scroll depicting his personal history of violence, Mortensen conveys a subtle blend of resolve and lost-ness. He's a true, haunting mystery man. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com

Stills from Eastern Promises (click for larger image). Photos by Peter Mountain.

Vincent Cassel (left) and Viggo Mortensen (right).	Armin Mueller-Stahl.	Viggo Mortensen (left) and Naomi Watts (right)
Viggo Mortensen (left) and Naomi Watts (right).	Naomi Watts.	Armin Mueller-Stahl (left) and Naomi Watts (right).
Mina E. Mina (left), Vincent Cassel (center) and Viggo Mortensen (right).	Vincent Cassel.	Viggo Mortensen.

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Customer Reviews

51 Reviews

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

Average Customer Review

3.5 out of 5 stars (51 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dirtier, not so pretty things, 20 Dec 2007

By	Demob Happy "jamesewan" (London / Grenoble) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

With 'History of Violence' David Cronenberg initially seemed to have made a change of direction from the 'body horror' genre which he popularised. On closer examination however, both that film and 'Eastern Promises' - which share Viggo Mortensen in the lead role - graft classic Cronenberg themes on to more prosaic contexts. There is less pseudo-science and fantasy about these films (the former set in suburbia and the latter in the London criminal underworld) but they are no less powerfully subversive for that. Cronenberg has claimed that his films should be viewed "from the point of view of the disease", and it is the corruptive nature of criminal violence that provides the physical stigma in both these films.

In 'Eastern Promises', Vigo Mortensen's menacing Russian Mafia goonda Nikolai's body is heavily marked by the 'vory v zakone' tattoos that tell a story of a life in crime. Cronenberg films these marks as dark, almost cancerous stains, which is redolent of his earlier works such as The Fly. The violence is again unflinchingly visceral, in particular in a centre-piece fight in which a naked Nikolai fends off a knife attack in a Turkish bath. The vivid lacerations of the skin force the the viewer to confront their debilitating physical impact. Imagine if Cronenberg had filmed Reservoir Dogs, he certainly would not have spared us Mr Blonde's severing of the cop's ear, but rather given it a close up.

'Eastern Promises' begins with a hemorrhaging fourteen-year-old Ukranian prostitute dying in childbirth. The baby survives, but its violent eruption also suggests that hallmark of the 'body horror' genre, the alien bursting from the stomach in Ridley Scott's classic. The fact that the baby is the product of rape on a virgin compounds this notion of the physical contamination. The purity of the prostitutes' naked bodies are shown in stark contrast throughout the film to the sinewey and beastial tatooed torsoes of Nikolai and Kirill.

Written by Steve Knight, whose previous credits include Stephen Frears' decent 'Dirty Pretty Things', 'Eastern Promises' is a darker, more claustrophobic film. Its characters undergo torturous physical - even spiritual - transformations in a way that deliberately undermines and clouds its conclusion. One suspects the Russian accents have been overdone in places, but this is as unsettling and provocative as cinema gets.

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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vory v zakone, 26 Dec 2007

By	Gisli Jokull Gislason "Jokull" (Iceland) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

Vory v zakone - Thieves in law.

This movie left me very pleased, the script is very good, nothing is over explained but every thing connects. There is a constant threat of menace all through the movie and the portrait of the Russian mafia is dark and sinister, not the men to be trifled with, in fact stay away.

So it is no place for a warm hearted midwife looking for the origins of a new born baby. Her investigations take her face to face with the inner circle of the mafia, a place no one should go. Drugs, assassinations, human trafficking, prostitution - it is a dark world that shuns the light and attention.

With strong preformances by Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen and Vincent Cassel it is the script that shines through. The directing is good and when there is violence it is no holds barred and all the time the potential for more is just below the surface.

It is a good and believable film. Highly recommended.

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully shot classy thriller, 26 Mar 2008

By	Antonio Moncayo (Zaragoza) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Viggo Mortensen is a rara avis among actors with a wide range of performances , in this superbly shot movie plays a Russian mafia henchman but there is more that meets the eye.

Nearly all the other performances are excellent including Naomi Watts ( although nothing compared to Mullholland drive ) .The locations provide a classy and airy feeling that adds danger to the movie transforming a quiet residential part of London into a lawless suburb.

The movie did not do well in the box office and went almost into DVD which is pity as most people will miss this superbly directed film.

Running for over 90 minutes the story is nicely rapped up in the end.with a bit more tension and a good soundtrack this movie could have done a lot better however most people who watched it will enjoy it.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Britain-based gangster film since The Long Good Friday
This is a fantastic film; the best gangster film set in Britain since The Long Good Friday. Viggo Mortensen is superb as the driver and hitman for a Russian mob and Naomi Watts... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Mr. Andrew Elliott

5.0 out of 5 stars Great movie - great buy
This is an unforgettable movie. A strong story and very strong acting. Worth seeing, again and again... Thanks to Amazon for speedy delivery and good service.

Published 3 months ago by A. L. Ruthjersen

4.0 out of 5 stars Dirty,unpretty things
This film by Cronenburg is a hybrid.It doesn't do what it says on the tin,what it tries to do is more interesting but it doesn't quite come off. Read more

Published 5 months ago by technoguy

2.0 out of 5 stars Eastern Promises
I had been looking forward to this movie - mainly because of Viggo Mortensen (who will always be Aragon to me). Was I disappointed? YES I WAS. Read more

Published 7 months ago by Rosaline Maher

3.0 out of 5 stars Violence and Gore
I am not one who knows a good actor from an excellent actor or a good producer from a bad producer so I will not be going into those areas, I'll leave them for somebody else... Read more

Published 7 months ago by Mr. Raymond A. Miller

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Movie despite the violance
I am not a lover of gangster movies or violance and saw it only because I heard that Viggo was named for an Oscar, I did not regret one minute watching it the 1st, 2nd and 3rd... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Kordatzis Nikolaos Kon

1.0 out of 5 stars ONE OF THE WORST FILMS EVER
This is a very poor film and what a waste of money and a waste of vigo's time he can play much better roles then this, i went to the cinema to watch this and was boored and... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Santino

4.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent mafia thriller
Intelligent thriller that gets the mood and timing just right. And Viggo Mortensen is excellent.

Published 10 months ago by AD

4.0 out of 5 stars Brutal and engrossing, and you'll learn how to use snippers to clip off a corpse's frozen fingers
Is it possible to take seriously a movie where the violent highlight is a vicious fight in a public bath? Read more

Published 11 months ago by C. O. DeRiemer

2.0 out of 5 stars Would have been 4* if it wasnt for the last 20 minutes
I'm not a Cronenberg fan but after seeing the fantastic 'A History of Violence' and hearing some good word of mouth reviews I decided to check out Eastern Promises... Read more

Published 11 months ago by An avid reader

› See all 51 customer reviews...

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