Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Eastern Promises 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 7, 2022

David Cronenberg's "Eastern Promises" (2007) arrives on 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new program with screenwriter Steven Knight; short archival featurettes; and two vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Russians

Strange is a word that usually describes David Cronenberg’s films very well. Why? Because his films tend to visit some pretty unusual places and quite a few are actually spectacular mind-benders that are very difficult to correctly summarize. But Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises is a different kind of strange film. It looks like a mainstream film, it behaves like a mainstream film, and sadly, it fails like a mainstream film.

The events in Eastern Promises take place in London during the ‘90s, which is a couple of decades after the leaders of the Russian mafia have evolved into legit businessmen. Virtually all of these businessmen are either former KGB members or reformed high-ranking communists who have used their connections and stolen money to be amongst the first to leave the collapsed U.S.S.R. and settle in the West. They have restaurants, health clubs, shipping and transportation companies. The wealthiest and most powerful ones are members of a governing body with strict rules and regulations.

Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) works for Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl), an aging boss who runs one of London’s most popular Russian restaurants, but spends most of his time driving and following closely his son, Kirill (Vincent Cassel). Nikolai and Kirill are like best friends and often do some silly things together, but Nikolai never forgets that he is just a servant whose main duty is to follow orders. For his friendship, hard work and loyalty, Nikolai has been promised an important promotion that would make a top figure in the Russian mafia.

The balance of powers in Semyon’s family is disrupted when a pregnant girl dies and the nurse that has tried to save her, Anna (Naomi Watts), becomes interested in her diary. It turns out that the diary contains information that could destroy the reputation of Semyon’s family, so to prevent the disaster Nikolai is asked to intervene, but shortly after he reaches out to Anna a series of unexpected events complicate his relationship with Semyon and Kirill and then nearly cost him his life.

Based on a screenplay by Oscar-nominated British screenwriter Steven Knight, Eastern Promises is a contemporary ethnic gangster film conceived and executed by people that very clearly did not know how to make it appear authentic. It is modeled after the classic American gangster films the likes of Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese shot decades before it, but lacks the right talent and personality to accomplish what these films did. As a result, it often looks and feels like a very unfunny parody that is determined to self-destruct.

The list of obvious flaws is staggering. For example, not a single one of the main characters actually looks, behaves, or sounds like a Russian, and yet the screenplay demands that they all do in some very, very particular ways to enhance the authenticity of the story. Then there are all the western cliches about Russian mafiosi and the ways they supposedly behave in their new homeland. Some are bad, some are terrible, and some are entirely made up. (Here’s some breaking news: not all Russian mafiosi are former convicts with tattoos). On top of this, the exotic Chechen killers look exactly like local gangsters who have been through some rough times and are now willing to work overtime to make ends meet. (Tamer Hassan as a Chechen killer with a British accent? C’mon. This is embarrassing).

The final third is simply intolerable. Mortensen undergoes a surprising character transformation and has his heart melted by Watts, but vows to destroy his boss and the film abruptly ends. Really, it is exactly when it ends, leaving the impression that there is another ninety minutes where the real fireworks are. Also, after orchestrating the ugliest scene in the film, Cassel suddenly becomes a rational bad guy and spares a baby’s life simply because he is asked to do it. Indeed, a very strange film, and definitely one of Cronenberg’s biggest misfires.

Eastern Promises 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of The Eastern Promises is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray offer presentations of a brand new 4K restoration of the film.

Two sets of screencaptures are included with this review. Please note that the screencaptures from the 4K Blu-ray are downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures: #1-19 are from the 4K Blu-ray.
Screencaptures: #20-34 are from the Blu-ray.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master that comes with new Dolby Vision and HDR grades approved by cinematographer Peter Suschitzky. The SDR grade on the 1080p presentation is new as well.

I was incredibly impressed with the way the film looked in native 4K and 1080p. In fact, this is one of only a couple of 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray releases that has managed to leave me equally impressed with the native 4K and 1080p presentations because they both offer top-quality. I am not exaggerating. If your system is properly calibrated, you will see that virtually all of the content looks excellent in 4K and 1080p because the new master is exceptionally well done. Even some of the darker areas where the superiority of 4K usually becomes undeniable look tremendous in 1080p because the visuals are so nicely balanced. Density levels are great, too. I think that with Dolby Vision/HDR enabled in 4K some of the color nuances reveal expanded ranges that strengthen the perception of superior depth, but the difference isn't too big. Darker shadows and highlights look excellent in 1080p, with only select small background information appearing slightly better defined in native 4K. Stability is outstanding. All in all, I think that it is painfully obvious that the new 4K master was incredibly well done, which is why the film looks so convincing in both resolutions. (Note: The 4K Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. The Blu-ray disc is Region-A "locked").

Eastern Promises 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided. Also, English subtitles appear on the screen when some Russian is used.

I viewed the film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. I thought that it was excellent. It has all the strengths you would expect to have while reproducing the native qualities of a contemporary soundtrack. Dynamic balance in particular was outstanding. The dialog is clear and sharp, but some of the accents are quite thick and there is plenty of broken English, so I did use the subtitles a couple of times. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report in our review.

Eastern Promises 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC

• Birthmarks - in this new program, screenwriter Steven Knight recalls how Eastern Promises came to exist and his desire to recreate the lyrical yet tragic world of the modern Russian mafia. The program was produced exclusively for Kino Lorber. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Trailers -
  
  1. Trailer One.
  2. Trailer Two.

• Watts on Wheels - in this archival program, Naomi Watts recalls how she learned to ride a bike on the streets of London. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Two Guys Walk Into a Bath House - in this archival program, David Cronenberg explains how the famous bathroom scene was done and why realism was so important for the identity of Eastern Promises. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Marked for Life - in this archival program, David Cronenberg discusses the character Viggo Mortensen plays and the significance behind his tattoos. Writer Steven Knight, tattoo artist Olegar Fedoro, and Viggo Mortensen comment as well. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Secrets and Stories - in this archival program, David Cronenberg discusses the conception and production of Eastern Promises. Sinead Cusack, Viggo Mortensen, and Armin Mueller-Stahl comment as well. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

Eastern Promises 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The exotic world which the Russian mafia has apparently created for itself could very well be as lyrical and tragic as it is described by screenwriter Steven Knight in the new interview he recorded for this release, but Eastern Promises fails to reveal it. Indeed, this film is so badly mismanaged that it often looks and feels like a very unfunny parody determined to self-destruct in some truly bizarre ways. Some of the characterizations in it really have to be seen to be believed. If your take on the film is drastically different, you will be enormously pleased to hear that Kino Lorber's 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo release is sourced from an outstanding new 4K master that was supervised and approved by cinematographer Peter Suschitzky.