English, baby!

Eastern Promises

Date: Mar 19 2008

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Three naked men wrestling in a sauna. Sounds like the start of an adult movie, but it’s really just a scene from a new thriller.

Eastern Promises is the story of one man’s ties to the Russian mafia. Nikolai, played by Viggo Mortensen, is doing everything he can to advance in the mafia until a beautiful nurse played by Naomi Watts interrupts his work and he begins to question what he’s doing.

But Marni and Mason seem most interested in what they call “the best fight scene ever.” And the male nudity.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Mason

Marni: So you know what movie I finally saw over the weekend?

Mason: Uh…Garfield the Movie?

Marni: Oh, no please. No. Very, very intense. One of the best fight scenes ever…

Mason: Oh dude, no, wait. No, I think I totally know…Is there some Lord of the Rings alumni in it?

Marni: Ah, there would be. The king would be the alumni.

Mason: Totally Eastern Promises.

Marni: Oh my God. What a great movie.

Mason: Crazy fight scene.

Marni: Yes! Like one of the craziest ever, but just phenomenal. I mean, it was a great film.

Mason: I wonder if they CGI-ed some things because I don’t imagine how you could spend that much time onscreen naked and not really show anything.

Marni: Well, you know, I think if anyone can do it, it’s Viggo.

Mason: Not with someone who is like, tussling around that much and like, stabbing people with pencils. I don’t know what he did, but…

Marni: He was everywhere.

Mason: He was gruesome.

Marni: He was all over the place. And yeah, you didn’t…You got some. You saw a little, but not too much. But aside from that fight scene, which was spectacular, just he was so amazing in that role. I mean, we were like just watching it, just fearful of him. I mean, totally believable as a…

Mason: ...bad ass.

Marni: Yeah. exactly. As a…

Mason: ...bad ass!

Marni: ...Russian mobster and so much insight into the Russian mafia with the tattoos and all the history and…

Mason: ...and a cool, cool movie.

Marni: Yeah.

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3

Go Super to Ask Ebaby! teachers your questions!

The iTEP^® test

Sponsored by

Schedule an iTEP^® test and take the official English Practice Test.
Take Now >

Discussion

Marni and Mason thought the naked fight scene in Eastern Promises was amazing. But Mason thought it was almost too good. He thought there must have been computer generated images (CGI) because they didn’t show much nudity even though the actors were naked.

Marni gives the movie more credit, saying that if anyone could do a naked scene without nudity, it would be Viggo Mortensen. No matter what, Mason and Marni agree that Viggo Mortensen was incredible in the movie.
It’s a bold statement to say that Eastern Promises has the best fight scene ever. What do you think the best fight scene is?

Comments

1 through 20 of 36
Next >
1 2

miffoo

Slovakia

I haven’t seen this movie:)

Sawdestination

Mexico

It screens today at the movies. I don´t know if I could try to see it, but I hope so.

And the best fight I´ve ever seen is the fight between Uma Thurman and Daryl Hannah in Kill Bill Volume 2.

raymundo

Mexico

Hi everybody. I haven´t seen that movie, but in my opinion the best movies of action are the bruce lee´s pictures. i like to see all kind of pictures like this and movies of cartoons too. like sherk, ants, horton and others.

bye everybody.

Aleta

Serbia and Montenegro

David Cronenberg is his own master,still ready to throw in the sort of scene few other directors could dare.

Bankly

China

it is a interesting and funny film !!!!

as a chineseman , by knowing the culture of my country , i think it is a legend which had happened during the anti-japan war time , maybe it is unreal ,but i still believe that a real story like that happened!!!!

raymundo

Mexico

hi everybody, in my ow point of view, i don´t like to see this kind of pictures. but each person have their likelies nad their passions.

see you soon, have a nice day everybody.

sunnylinda

China

who said that rubbish? chinese movies will go to the world?? silly. the best film which u said is lust caution?? itis so rubbish.. they only know take off clothes, what else?? rubbish.

sunnylinda

China

hey, i don't like that naked film, why she ( tangwei) so pop in hollywood but not in china? i think she is so dirty to do that. inorder to make money , she can do anything. if i were her mom, i will kill her. caz men from all over the world are talking about her size..

stephen zhou

China

so….very interesting!

zhangling-985922@163.com

China

I think that ok!It’s just a flim,we can learn something from it,and think a lot

jiahui.lei

China

hmm,,i haven't seen it. but i don't like moves with so much CGE,cuz it is not real.by the way, i like action movies .

basi_mca23

India

hey i like fight scene .i want to become a fighter in the real life also.i think is avoidable in life because everybody is fighting for their living.i mean fighting means face the challenges boldly….........

xuanbinger

China

HOW SHE MOVE is good for you

SARUNius

Slovakia

Ah, my Angels, my angels….
You must PRACTICE MORE!
You know, you must make wood cry….
now, Im in the beginning of movie.

Eydo

Turkey

I haven't watched it, but could be a good movie to show how the dirty jobs are.

Eydo

Turkey

I haven't watched it, but could be a good movie to show how the dirty jobs are.

lito5000

Benin

as far as i'm concerned i think this movie is really great

gauravp7

India

'Eastern Promises' I think fight scence is not very eassy hence, CGI moive is not good,

wilson77

China

It's really normal today that the naked actors don't show much nudity. Specailly in the eastern movie like Chinese move. Usually, they will should the back of the actor or the key places will be covered by something else like hands, vase and etc. We can distinguish it from porn movie. I am really curious about the move Estern Promises. Hope I have a chance to see it. See the mobster, gangster. From someone's prespective, they are gruesome, but sometimes, i feel they are really cool:)