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The plot of the movie Eastern Promises (2007) depends on Russian gangsters and prostitution things. However, I didn't find the word "promise" in any expression of the movie's characters. Why is it called "Eastern Promises"?

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I don't think there's definitive word; this blog post speculates:

The title could cover a dozen meanings, one being the promises told to poor young Eastern girls about a better life in the West.

This is somewhat corroborated by this interview with Cronenberg:

I remember when I first picked up the script and saw the title, Eastern Promises. I thought, this sounds like a cheap perfume, especially since in North America, “Eastern” doesn’t mean Russia, whereas in England it does.

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This is almost certainly a reference to an advertising slogan that was in use in UK for decades, and part of popular culture.

"Full of Eastern promise" the slogan for Fry's Turkish Delight bar.

Here's an example from 1960

and here's an example from the 1980s

The imagery in the adverts is sexual. The phrase was sometimes used in British slang to mean a woman being ready for sex.

So, a film about sex workers who are ready to have sex, and they come from the East.

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  • I have to wonder whether the sword was intended to suggest 1001 Nights. Ew.
    – Anton Sherwood
    Commented Jun 14, 2023 at 16:52

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