Eastern Promises

2007
R
1h 40m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

266K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

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A teenager who dies during childbirth leaves clues in her journal that could tie her child to a rape involving a violent Russian mob family.A teenager who dies during childbirth leaves clues in her journal that could tie her child to a rape involving a violent Russian mob family.A teenager who dies during childbirth leaves clues in her journal that could tie her child to a rape involving a violent Russian mob family.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

266K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,723

300

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 28 wins & 74 nominations total

Photos109

+ 102

Top cast51

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Naomi Watts

Anna

Viggo Mortensen

Nikolai

Armin Mueller-Stahl

Semyon

Josef Altin

Ekrem

Mina E. Mina

Azim

Aleksandar Mikic

Soyka
(as Aleksander Mikic)

Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse

Tatiana
(as Sarah Jeanne Labrosse)

Lalita Ahmed

Customer

Badi Uzzaman

Chemist

Doña Croll

Nurse
(as Dona Croll)

Raza Jaffrey

Doctor Aziz

Sinéad Cusack

Helen
(as Sinead Cusack)

Jerzy Skolimowski

Stepan

Tatiana Maslany

Tatiana
(voice)

Vincent Cassel

Kirill

Shannon-Fleur Roux

Maria

Lillibet Langley

Violin Girl

Mia Soteriou

Azim's Wife

Director
- David Cronenberg
Writer
- Steven Knight
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The tattoos around Nikolai's - Viggo Mortensen's character - ankles read "Where are you going?" and "What the fuck do you care?" in Russian. Mortensen thought that they were hilarious, that 'one foot doesn't respect the other.'

Goofs
After Nikolai was accepted by the mafia bosses, he gets his stars tattooed. When he is in the public bath, the tattoos seem to be completely healed. However, when they are entering the baths, a slight redness is perceivable around the stars. There was one day between these scenes. While the usual for a tattoo is to be brighter at first, it can be assumed that between the particular individual's skin, the lighting and the humidity of the baths, a normal tattoo could seem to be more healed than it actually is.

Quotes
Anna: Why are you doing this, why are you helping us?
Nikolai Luzhin: I can't become king if someone else already sits on the throne.

Alternate versions
In India, the theatrical release was cut in spite of receiving an A (adults only) rating. A sex scene, an offensive scene involving the cross and a grave and nudity during the fight sequence were censored. Also removed was the shot of stabbing in the eye.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Shoot 'Em Up/Eastern Promises/Fierce People/The Brothers Solomon/In the Shadow of the Moon (2007)

Soundtracks
Just a Little
Written by Michelle Escottery, John Hammond-Hagan and George Hammond-Hagan
Performed by Liberty X
Courtesy of V2 Music Ltd.

User reviews493

Review

Featured review

10/10

Viggo Mortenssen and David Cronenberg together again

Russian mobsters, a rainy, murky London, a midwife and Viggo Mortensen makes this David Cronemberg film a perfect companion piece to his "A History Of Violence". My two favourite films of this idiosyncratic and fascinating director. Naomi Watts and motherhood go beautifully together and it's her gutsy maternal instinct that throws her in a world populated by truly horrible people. The trick is, we go with her and within that brutal world we meet some memorable characters. Viggo Mortensen, what an actor! His fearlessness is riveting, he's also beautiful beyond words. We think we can read him but we doubt our own thoughts, he's in total control of his character and of his audience. He has the face of an icon and he underplays it, over playing it. If you see History Of Violence and Eastern Promises you'll understand what I mean. This is not a film to like but to love and I loved it.