East-West (2000)

Kino

Love the Hard Way

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CinemaSource

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: Apr 7, 2000

Running Time: 120 mins. (V)

Additional Notes: dialogue French and Russian

Country Of Origin: France

Country Of Origin: Russia

Country Of Origin: Spain

Country Of Origin: Bulgaria

starring: Sandrine Bonnaire, Oleg Menshikov, Catherine Deneuve, Sergei Bodrov, Jr, Tatiana Doguileva, Rene Feret, Grigori Manoukov, Atanass Atanassov, Bogdan Stupka, Meglena Karalambova

director: Regis Wargnier

When Russian-born French doctor Alexei returns to the Soviet Union in 1946 with his French wife, Marie, and their little son, Russian officials tell Alexei to divorce Marie, whom they suspect of being a spy. Alexei stands by his wife and soon the three are sent off to Kiev, where Alexei becomes a factory medical officer and the family is forced to live in an old mansion-turned-tenement. Marie and Alexei are trapped in a harsh, paranoid totalitarian state, and their predicament exacts its toll on the marriage until Marie becomes inspired by the arrival of Gabrielle, a celebrated French actress who awakens Maries desire for personal freedom and repatriation.

In this post-World War II subtitled drama, an migr Russian doctor returns to the Soviet Union with his French wife and child only to find that life is everything but what Stalin promised.

Story

Worried about French spies, the Soviets are immediately suspicious of the wife, whose life is quickly put in danger. Soon, every day is a hard-fought battle for freedom.

Acting

Sandrine Bonnaire, who is captivating as the wife, Marie, exceptionally matches Oleg Menshikov's cool detachment as Alexei, the…