Eastern
Promises was a 2007 film of David Cronenberg. Its main characters were Nikolai
(Viggo Mortensen) and Anna (Naomi Watts). Nikolai was the driver of the father
and son Semyon and Kiril, respectively. The image projected on him in the
beginning of the film was someone who is bad and a killer. However, the plot of
the film developed and changed this image when he met Anna, a midwife in a
hospital in London.
The
film started with Tatiana, a pregnant teenager, who arrived bleeding in the
hospital. Anna was the midwife during the labor. Because Tatiana died giving
birth to her baby, Anna had the desire to give the baby to Tatiana’s family.
Her only clue to the family was the diary of the teenager.
The
diary was written in Russian. Anna asked her uncle, Stepan, to translate it but
her uncle refused and told her not to be involved in other’s business. She
found a card in the diary leading her to Semyon, an owner of a restaurant.After
hearing about the teenager’s story, Semyon immediately volunteered to translate
it. Little did Anna know that it was Semyon who raped Tatiana when she was 14.
It
was in the restaurant during Christmastime when Nikolai and Anna first met.
Anna had arrangements with Semyon so she and Nikolai often saw each other in
the restaurant. When Nikolai found out about Tatiana’s case and was asked to
settle down the issue with Anna and her family, his loyalty was tested. He
became attached to Anna making it hard for him to do something against her.
Stepan,
on the other hand, translated a part in the diary and found out that it was
Semyon who raped Tatiana. He immediately told Anna about this and the whole
family was alarmed, knowing that Anna had arrangements with such people. Anna
became terrified with Nikolai because he was working for Semyon. However, in
the end, Nikolai helped Anna in getting the baby from Kiril. He betrayed Semyon
and parted ways with Anna since he was already a member of the mafia he longed
since childhood.
The
writer did a great job in creating the twists of the story. The thought of
Nikolai helping Anna in the end was not seen in the beginning of the film. Nikolai
as a round character made the film unique from other crime thriller films. The
director, on the other hand, also complemented the film with the execution of
the scenes. The movie was intense and impactful for the audience.
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