When 14-year-old Tatiana (Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse), a Russian immigrant, dies after giving birth in a London hospital, midwife Anna Khitrova (Naomi Watts) attempts to make contact with her family in the Ukraine in order to find a home for the baby. The search leads her into a world of prostitution, rape, heroin, and the vory v zakone (Russian mafia).
Eastern Promises was filmed from an original screenplay by British screenwriter Steven Knight.
Those are Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen)'s worry beads. Nikolai's set comes from a real Russian prisoner, who gave them to Mortenson to use during filming. They were made from melted down BIC cigarette lighters. Worry beads are quite common in Southern and Southeastern Europe as well as Russia and it's former countries like Ukraine. They're also common in the Middle East. They typically do not have any religious significance and are mostly a fidgeting toy of sorts.
Three Cupolas (Towers) on back: Three terms in prison;
Virgin Mary with Child on abdomen: I am true to my friends / My conscience is clear (could also mean "prison is my home");
Raven on shoulder: Death, I am not yours;
Starburst on finger: I became a criminal because of poverty and a broken home;
Cross on finger: I was in the Crosses ("Kresty" in Russian, a prison in St. Petersburg);
Black-and-white diamond on finger: I deny official authority / I disobeyed rules while in prison;
Grim Reaper on abdomen: Death is always waiting for me;
Sun and sea with Cyrillic "CEBEP" (север) (north) on back of hand: I was in prison in the север (pronounced "sever");
Crucifix on chest: Professional Thief / I will not betray you;
Skull on shoulder: Stay away from me / Murderer;
Tattoos around ankles: "Where are you going?" and "What the fuck do you care?" written in Russian.
The stars on his knees: he has been made a lieutenant in the vory v zakone and he will never kneel (literally or figuratively) to any authority again, i.e., kneeling on the stars is a grave insult to the new rank. The number of points on each star are also meant to indicate the number of years served in prison -- Nikolai's are 12-pointed. He is also given 2 identical stars on both sides of his chest.
Virgin Mary with Child on abdomen: I am true to my friends / My conscience is clear (could also mean "prison is my home");
Raven on shoulder: Death, I am not yours;
Starburst on finger: I became a criminal because of poverty and a broken home;
Cross on finger: I was in the Crosses ("Kresty" in Russian, a prison in St. Petersburg);
Black-and-white diamond on finger: I deny official authority / I disobeyed rules while in prison;
Grim Reaper on abdomen: Death is always waiting for me;
Sun and sea with Cyrillic "CEBEP" (север) (north) on back of hand: I was in prison in the север (pronounced "sever");
Crucifix on chest: Professional Thief / I will not betray you;
Skull on shoulder: Stay away from me / Murderer;
Tattoos around ankles: "Where are you going?" and "What the fuck do you care?" written in Russian.
The stars on his knees: he has been made a lieutenant in the vory v zakone and he will never kneel (literally or figuratively) to any authority again, i.e., kneeling on the stars is a grave insult to the new rank. The number of points on each star are also meant to indicate the number of years served in prison -- Nikolai's are 12-pointed. He is also given 2 identical stars on both sides of his chest.
There are two theories: (1) It's a threat from Nikolai that if Anna's uncle doesn't back down, he'll kill him by slitting his throat, or (2) It might mean, in light of the uncle's verbal abuse and insult, that Nikolai was trying to shine the man on by saying "You're drunk!" or that he didn't really know what he was talking about.
Borscht is a beet-based soup, generally thought of as a signature dish of Ukrainian cuisine, that is popular all over Eastern Europe.
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- How long is Eastern Promises?1 hour and 40 minutes
- When was Eastern Promises released?September 21, 2007
- What is the IMDb rating of Eastern Promises?7.6 out of 10
- Who stars in Eastern Promises?
- Who wrote Eastern Promises?
- Who directed Eastern Promises?
- Who was the composer for Eastern Promises?
- Who was the producer of Eastern Promises?
- Who was the executive producer of Eastern Promises?
- Who was the cinematographer for Eastern Promises?
- Who was the editor of Eastern Promises?
- Who are the characters in Eastern Promises?Ekrem, Azim, Soyka, Tatiana, Anna, Helen, Nikolai, Kirill, Semyon, Russian Boss, and others
- What is the plot of Eastern Promises?A teenager who dies during childbirth leaves clues in her journal that could tie her child to a rape involving a violent Russian mob family.
- How much did Eastern Promises earn at the worldwide box office?$56.1 million
- How much did Eastern Promises earn at the US box office?$17.3 million
- What is Eastern Promises rated?R
- What genre is Eastern Promises?Crime Drama, Crime, Drama, and Thriller
- How many awards has Eastern Promises won?28 awards
- How many awards has Eastern Promises been nominated for?102 nominations
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