Eastern Promises

directed by David Cronenberg
written by Steven Knight
UK, Canada, USA 2007

David Cronenberg's new film is most definitely not one to be messed with. Nikolai, played by an intense Viggo Mortensen, makes all attempts to hold true to an old school warrior's code of ethics, unflinchingly chopping fingers, stabbing enemies in the eyes, and selling out friends and family in the name of masculine domination of the hierarchy. His vertical mobility within the establishment, in the face of some tough decisions, is an almost perfect representation of Western values today. So many references to the KGB (one of the most badass real-life organizations in the history of societal regulation) as weak and worthy of scoff and scorn could only be seen as a major slight, and likewise a major assertion that for all those years behind the iron curtain there was an even more badass masculinity in charge - the mob.

The Russian mob, though virtuous in all the ways that make Western Capitalism such a potent and patriarchal sovereignty, apparently still embodies some of the mystique of the more spiritual hemisphere. This is a mere side note in Cronenberg's film, albeit an interesting one. The violent and self-gratifying value system adopted by a willing Nikolai, in the name of a more traditionally noble cause, is a much more powerful statement.

Not only is sexual dominance at the forefront of this excellent and thrilling story, but the phenomenon of sexual attraction can't help but surface. The violence in this film is pornographic in nature, as in much of Cronenberg's work, but Nikolai's sexiness lies in his domination of his environment, both physically and socially. Vincent Cassel's Kirill can't keep his hands off the guy, automatically responding to manipulation and force with acquiesence and devotion. The entire tradition of homophobia within this organization points directly to sexual politics and confused attractions. In Kirill's mixed-up world, he's not sure whether to respond to an alpha male with resistance or acceptance. If we're supposed to love a bad boy, how do we take it when he makes to destroy us?

It's the feminine world that balances this argument. Naomi Watts' Anna Ivanova refuses to love the badass Nikolai, and even to the end, she never learns the truth about the man. This doesn't matter. It's not about facts with sexual attraction, it's about attraction itself. The nice guy was in there, and in a healthy display of sexual preference, Anna refused to succomb to that sexy violence. Male domination has existed forever, but female judgment has consistently kept it in check.