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"East-West"
If Steven Spielberg had directed "East-West," tens of millions of Americans would have seen it and critics would have proclaimed it his "masterpiece." But Regis Wargnier directed it, and it's got subtitles and French and Russian actors, and so only those who pay close attention to Academy Award nominations --- "East-West" was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film --- tracked this remarkable film down. The plot is based on a historical tragedy. After World War II, the USSR invited exiles to return to Mother Russia. But the country that "welcomed" the exiles home was a harsh, quixotic police state --- no sooner had refugees cleared the border than they learned the horrible truth. And then there was nothing they could do about it. Among those refugees is Alexei (Oleg Menchikov) and his wife Marie (Sandrine Bonnaire). The Russians suspect her of espionage and take her passport. She decides at once that she must somehow return to France. Easier said than done. This virtual imprisonment takes a toll on the marriage. And yet this is a great love story, for Alexei --- a doctor --- slowly learns how to manipulate the system to help his family get free. Marie tries another path. Your heart weeps. Action-adventure? Yes, because death is a random visitor in a police state. Any mistake, any careless remark, and you can disappear. So there is a tension here that is more real than in most dramas --- this carries the weight of reality. Equally thrilling: the presence of Catherine Deneuve. For her fans, this is one of her best roles, right up there with her part in Wargnier's " Indochine. " Butler won't spoil your pleasure by revealing more. Let him just say, as they do in this country, "Trust me on this."
-- by Jesse Kornbluth, for HeadButler.com To buy "East-West" from Amazon.com, click here Copyright 2004 by Head Butler Inc. |
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