East/West

"An unforgettable story of love, betrayal and survival."

1999 2h 1m FR

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 75

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

June 1946: Stalin invites Russian emigres to return to the motherland. It's a trap: when a ship-load from France arrives in Odessa, only a physician and his family are spared execution or prison. He and his French wife (her passport ripped up) are sent to Kiev. She wants to return to France immediately; he knows that they are captives and must watch every step.

“An unforgettable story of love, betrayal and survival.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Catherine Deneuve
Gabrielle Develay
Sandrine Bonnaire
Marie
Oleg Menshikov
Aleksei Golovin
Sergei Bodrov Jr.
Sasha Vasilyev
Tatyana Dogileva
Olga
Bohdan Stupka
Colonel Boyko
Ruben Tapiero
Seryozha, à 7 ans
Erwan Baynaud
Seryozha, à 14 ans

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Régis Wargnier
Writers: Rustam Ibragimbekov, Sergei Bodrov, Louis Gardel
Languages: French, Russian
Countries: Bulgaria, France, Russia, Spain

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 52% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, Russian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: Bulgaria, France, Russia, Spain.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Régis Wargnier, shot by Laurent Dailland. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Patrick Doyle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Hervé Schneid shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Catherine Deneuve and Sandrine Bonnaire and Oleg Menshikov carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Régis Wargnier directs. Laurent Dailland behind the camera. Patrick Doyle scores. Hervé Schneid cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Bulgaria, France, Russia, Spain. Dialogue in French, Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 52% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
227 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, Russian.
4International production across 4 countries: Bulgaria, France, Russia, Spain.
5Directed by Régis Wargnier, shot by Laurent Dailland. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Patrick Doyle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Hervé Schneid shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Catherine Deneuve and Sandrine Bonnaire and Oleg Menshikov carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "An unforgettable story of love, betrayal and survival.".
10IMDB entry: tt0181530 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Only 75 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.