Peter returns to South Africa after a holiday in Ireland . While sitting outside at a table he meets Irish journalist Liana . Meanwhile in The Middle East a family of Christians grieve for a family member murdered in a bombing
With a title like THE EASTERN BRIDE you might conjure images about a touching romantic love affair between an 18 year old girl from Bangkok marrying a 93 year old Westerner . This isn't how the story plays out but is just as satisfying as having sex with a 93 year old . From the outset we're shown a setting of The Middle East and just in case you don't think it's The Middle East a caption appears saying " The Middle East " . If you need any more information that's too bad but I think it's safe to say it's not The Lebanon or Israel . No matter who says what to whom no information is forthcoming except to say something like " It's really great being in the Middle East , the Middle East can be a terrible place , I'm glad you're enjoying the Middle East etc etc " . It might actually be set in Iran because the Iranians are Indo-Aryans hence the country is called Iran because none of the inhabitants of the Middle East resemble Arabs . Neither do they resemble the Indo Aryans of Iran , or indeed Pakistan . Instead they resemble the dark skinned Indo-Aryans found in India . Since this is a South African UK production I'm guessing that there wasn't enough Arab actors available to play the main characters ? It's very difficult to buy in to the film when it goes out of its way not to name this country and has a large Indian cast
The storytelling too lacks a ring of truth . Peter coincidentally meets Liana has some cheeky banter with her then it cuts to Peter driving Liana around town in an expensive open top car . It really makes Liana look like a gold digging slapper who is no doubt giving Peter hard core sex simply because he's the type of bloke who has a well paid job and can afford expensive cars . This is almost certainly not what the scene is trying to do but that's what it comes across as . Of course Liana exists so in the cause of plot function someone has to visit China so the film can point out that Christians are oppressed in China while Peter exists to point out to the audience that Christians are oppressed in The Middle East . There's signs that this is edited to the point of incoherence . The scenes are cut while people seem to be in mid sentence and I'm puzzled as to what Masoud's crime was
This is a well meaning film . Of course it has an agenda in pointing out that Christians are oppressed but to be fair with slightly more development it could easily have ticked all the boxes for an Amnesty International inspired movie , after all do you know that blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan ? It's also something of a stretch comparing murder by insurgents in the Middle East in to being the same sort of moral level as to China wanting an entirely secular society . But regardless of who produced it and what it's trying to say it's a highly unsatisfying film from a dramatic view point
With a title like THE EASTERN BRIDE you might conjure images about a touching romantic love affair between an 18 year old girl from Bangkok marrying a 93 year old Westerner . This isn't how the story plays out but is just as satisfying as having sex with a 93 year old . From the outset we're shown a setting of The Middle East and just in case you don't think it's The Middle East a caption appears saying " The Middle East " . If you need any more information that's too bad but I think it's safe to say it's not The Lebanon or Israel . No matter who says what to whom no information is forthcoming except to say something like " It's really great being in the Middle East , the Middle East can be a terrible place , I'm glad you're enjoying the Middle East etc etc " . It might actually be set in Iran because the Iranians are Indo-Aryans hence the country is called Iran because none of the inhabitants of the Middle East resemble Arabs . Neither do they resemble the Indo Aryans of Iran , or indeed Pakistan . Instead they resemble the dark skinned Indo-Aryans found in India . Since this is a South African UK production I'm guessing that there wasn't enough Arab actors available to play the main characters ? It's very difficult to buy in to the film when it goes out of its way not to name this country and has a large Indian cast
The storytelling too lacks a ring of truth . Peter coincidentally meets Liana has some cheeky banter with her then it cuts to Peter driving Liana around town in an expensive open top car . It really makes Liana look like a gold digging slapper who is no doubt giving Peter hard core sex simply because he's the type of bloke who has a well paid job and can afford expensive cars . This is almost certainly not what the scene is trying to do but that's what it comes across as . Of course Liana exists so in the cause of plot function someone has to visit China so the film can point out that Christians are oppressed in China while Peter exists to point out to the audience that Christians are oppressed in The Middle East . There's signs that this is edited to the point of incoherence . The scenes are cut while people seem to be in mid sentence and I'm puzzled as to what Masoud's crime was
This is a well meaning film . Of course it has an agenda in pointing out that Christians are oppressed but to be fair with slightly more development it could easily have ticked all the boxes for an Amnesty International inspired movie , after all do you know that blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan ? It's also something of a stretch comparing murder by insurgents in the Middle East in to being the same sort of moral level as to China wanting an entirely secular society . But regardless of who produced it and what it's trying to say it's a highly unsatisfying film from a dramatic view point
