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45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Trapped in Stalinist nightmare, August 6, 2000
I saw this movie at a cinema in Southern California, surrounded by elderly Russian immigrants. It had such an emotional impact that at least one lady was overwhelmed and required physical assistance leaving the theatre when it ended. "East-West" is a stunningly open Russian/French-produced film about life in post-war USSR. Although the characters are composites, the story is based on cruel historical events. When Stalin "welcomes back" all expatriated Russians, Alexei is overjoyed to leave his long self-exile in France and sail to his beloved homeland. Aboard ship, he and his fellow passengers celebrate their imagined homecoming to the glorious "Workers' Paradise". None of them has any idea of the brutal changes which have occurred under "Uncle Joe's" regime. Only betrayal awaits them. Upon the instant of their arrival, they are thrust into a nightmare of totalitarianism from which there is seemingly no escape. Many of the returning countrymen are arrested or executed as "traitors of the state". Alexei, as a physician, is considered valuable and spared, although his French wife comes under immediate suspicion and surveillance. How their sudden culture shock, loss of human rights, miserable living conditions, persecution, and bleak future inexoribly erode their marriage is heart-breaking. The film would be overwhelmingly depressing, but love, hope, heroism, and sacrifice can prevail even under the iron hand of Stalin. I highly recommend this video. Although unflinchingly honest about the Soviet system, it treats the long-suffering Russian people with sensitivity and compassion.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An emotional, beautiful story of love, and deception., August 16, 2000
This beautiful movie is about a couple and their child's experience living in and trying to escape from Stalinist Russia. The husband (Alexei, played by Oleg Menshikov) is Russian, and his wife Marie is French. When the Soviet Union decides to call back its emigrees, they return to Russia with their little child, As soon as they return, they realize that it is not as they had thought it would be. They are immediately interogated, terrorized, and threatened by the state. In the poverty of Kiev, they befriend Sasha (Sergei Bodrov Jr.), a swimmer, who is full of potential, and who wants out of Russia too. As the story progresses, they realize that they have a chance to escape... The ensueing drama is intense, and great sacrifices are made... Suspenseful, and emotional, this movie is a must see. The Russian background is beautiful, the acting superb, and the story touching. A must see for anyone who appreciates foreign films.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This film took my breath away, July 20, 2000
The story of one family's sacrifices for one another makes you value that which so many of us take for granted. Not only is this film an excellent recreation of life in Post WWII Russia, but it also has you cheering on the characters as you follow the story of Alexei, a Russian emmigrant who fled Russia only to return many years later with his family following the end of the second World War, Marie, his French wife, and their son. I appreciated how the film realistically showed that families weren't perfect, and that families did not necessarily mean blood relations, but instead those you loved and cared for. Catherine Deneuve is as strong as ever as she places an actress who tries to help Alexei and Marie escape the horrors they find in Russia. This film was not suprisingly nominated for Best Foreign Film 1999. For French speakers, it's easy to follow, despite the captions, and exciting to watch when you realize how much of the language you can grasp and understand. At least, it was for me. If you want a deeply moving film, then this is the one for you.
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