East-West (Est-Ouest)
Directed by Regis Warnier.
East-West is a grand film in every respect. It manages to capture the suffering of a whole people by portraying the life of a French woman who chooses to follow her husband back to his homeland, the USSR, during the Stalin era.
Marie and her Alexei realise, as soon as they arrive in Odessa with their son Seioja, that life is not going to be what they expected. Only because Alexei is a doctor, does the Soviet regime spare his family and send them all to Kiev. Marie soon finds the confinement of their single room in a communal apartment unbearable. She speaks little Russian. All she wants to do is return to France where they had a happy life together. Instead, despite the strength of their love, Alexei and Marie gradually grow apart. He conforms to the rules of the party and she can no longer bear his submissiveness and betrayal.
East-West is such a strong film. It has an extremely authentic look and feel to it, which no doubt is the result of the intimate collaboration between the scriptwriters, two of whom are Russian. Regis Warnier, the Frenchman who directed as well as co-wrote the film, says he was fascinated by the way his Western point of view was broken down. This distinctively foreign feel is only part of what makes East-West such an amazing cinematic experience. The intensity of the way the actors carry their roles and the skill with which Warnier handles his material are other contributing elements. Not one scene is out of place. The cinematography is simply magnificent. Sandrine as Marie and Oleg Menchikov, who actually doesn’t speak a word of French, as Alexei give their characters the weight they need to tell the incredibly sad but beautiful story.
To make a film about a time in history that many people are still afraid to speak of, or would rather forget, is a brave and admirable venture. East-West is an important film which finds just the right tone. It was nominated for both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe as best foreign film — and it is definitely one of the most moving films I have ever seen.
Sol
