Movies |
East-West
directed by Regis Wargnier
By
Published: Oct 08, 2015
Category:
Drama
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 mostly in Russian and French, with 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 — bothered to track this remarkable film down. A pity. Let’s correct that.
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.
“East-West” is the story of one couple. Marie is French. She married Alexi, a Russian doctor, in Paris. Think she’s going to like Russia?
The largest trouble is political. Stalin is ruthless and crazy, a lethal combination — everyone in Russia is under surveillance. But the personal informs the political. Marie is independent, outspoken — in a word, French. In a culture that rewards cunning and silence, she’s destined for trouble. 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. [To buy "East-West" from Amazon or stream the video, click here.]
This virtual imprisonment takes a toll on the marriage. And yet this is a great love story, for Alexei 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. "
“East-West” has the sweep of a historical pageant and the drama of a political thriller. At the same time, it’s a portrait of a marriage under enormous strain. Something for everyone.
