Spoiler Warning: This discussion contains some spoilers. It could be an entire gag from a comedy or in-depth conversation concerning events in the second act.
"For poetic reasons, I suggest you take his blood."
David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises is actually my first Cronenberg film. It’s not his specialist body horror occasion but is instead a British-set film about Soviet gangsters. I found it to be a delightfully violent crime thriller, with an airtight runtime and simple, effective storytelling.
Viggo Mortensen is the highlight, with easily the best performance I have seen him put in yet. His cold, calculated movements in the face of his Vory v Zakone brethren, but a human warmth the moment they turn their backs. He smashes it out of the park. I love his aesthetic and just the overall emphasis on the stories that every character’s tattoos tell. It’s a neat visual method of storytelling that filmmakers often don’t use at all or overuse to the point of parody. Eastern Promises nails the sweet spot just in between those two polarities. Watts is great, in a more secondary role with less demanding work asked of her. Regardless, without her, the film would struggle, and her consistent performance is worth mentioning. So too, Vincent Cassel and Armin Mueller-Stahl in the more recognisable antagonistic roles. The performances are all vital to making every mark land; I think they do that extremely well.
The narrative is framed exquisitely, lending well to late revelations and sensible narration. It helps to keep the runtime under control and deliver a strong story without dragging things out. The editing is clever, leaving much to the imagination and only offering answers at the precise moment you think your thoughts are confirmed. It’s a credit to the pacing and the filmmaking on display that nothing gets lost over the course of the film. Indeed, placed centrally amongst all of the mob family dynamics, is a killer action sequence. A naked knife fight in a steam room with multiple deep wounds and multiple gruelling punctures is the centrepiece of the film; masterfully shot and suspenseful with every angle change and cut, it will ring in my mind for days to come.
Eastern Promises is beautifully made. There’s a lot of space for different interpretations, some far more interesting than others when certain motivations are revealed. I prefer Cronenberg’s laid-back approach, only shooting what he deems totally necessary, and it’s all backed by rock-solid performances from actors you’d expect nothing less of. Sign me up for more.
Connor Clarke Film 