East-West

French with English subtitles

RATING: R

STARRING: Sandrine Bonnaire, Oleg Menchikov, Serguei Bodrov, Jr., and Catherine Deneuve

DIRECTOR: Regis Wargnier

DISTRIBUTOR: Sony Pictures Classics

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Older teenagers and adults

SUMMARY: The French movie East-West compellingly examines the human capacity to survive and resist amidst the oppressive and seemingly hopeless conditions of Stalinist Russia. A doctor returns to the Soviet Union to help rebuild the country after World War II, but must sacrifice his ideals to keep his family out of the labor camps. When his wife's attempts to escape to freedom fail, the doctor risks his own lif,to help her and his son escape. He realizes there is a price to pay for the freedom of others, and his love drives him to make an ultimate sacrifice.

East-West features wonderful acting. The skills needed to convey the subtle and often unspoken emotions are a treat to watch. The grim reality of life under Stalin is communicated with the minimum of violence-just enough for the gravity of the Golovine's situation to hit home. There are, however, some sexual situations and brief foul language. A complex movie, EastWest exposes viewers to elemental instincts of survival, love and freedom. The movie pays deep respect to the power of love and hope in overcoming oppression.

CONTENT: Moral worldview with redemptive elements of sacrifice and some humanistic elements, more critical of oppression than the political nature of Communism; very few obscenities, mainly referring derogatorily to women during an interrogation scene; one shooting death without blood and two brief interrogation scenes with slapping of woman; one scene of implied sex with brief backside nudity and two extramarital affairs depicted, including living with a mistress; rear nudity and woman exposes bra briefly; some subdued social drinking and some scenes of mild drunkenness; and some questionable immoral relationships, including a public affair and a hidden affair, plus some deception revolving around plots to escape.

Quality: * * * * Acceptability: -2

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Mar 10, 2000
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