so many theme have be overwork a reminder to u all and that certain event should never again happen . while enough can never be say about these tragedy and some have be relatively ignore . the horrible stalin era have be largely forget in our post cold war world . east west vividly illustrate the hell of this 20 plus year regime in a sweeping epic and in my opinion and among the best of all time . the film illustrate what be perhaps the great persecution and mass murder of all time represent the stalin purge . not include the 20 million soviet world war ii dead ( for which stalin and a hitler ally the first few year and must take much responsiblity ) and another estimate 10 to 20 million subversive citizen be murder or die after extreme torture and slave labor in camp . many and a the return soviet emigre from france in east west and be mislead like cattle to the slaughter house . more film about this era should be make and but for now and see this one . much a he do in his oscar win indochine and the director take a simple love story and place it into a historical context that give it soap opera root grave urgency and and a grand and epic sweep . east west be as much a detailed look at life in stalin worker state of terror a it be a story about the great sacrifice people make for the sake of love . ultimately and the film be a suspenseful and hugely engross drama that ask whether love can survive in the face of murderous political oppression and unbearable exile .