Set in post-WWII Leningrad as two female soldiers return from war and attempt to rebuild their lives in the ravaged city.
Movie Beanpole with English subtitles.
BEANPOLE is a Russian historical drama in which two women struggle with trauma in the immediate aftermath of WWII.
Sexual violence
A man and a woman are coerced to have sex with one another against their will. There are verbal references to a woman being forced into sex work in return for food and protection.
A woman accidentally smothers a child to death while paralysed by a seizure; the child is mostly hidden, but we hear him struggling to breathe. A scene of consensual sex features moderate thrusting detail but no visible nudity. There are occasional references to suicide, including fleeting images of bloody detail in the aftermath of an off-screen suicide attempt. In another scene, a paralysed patient dies by voluntary euthanasia. There are brief outdated references to disability, including use of the term ‘retarded’. Naked women are shown washing in a bathhouse, with natural full frontal nudity, and there is further natural breast nudity in a scene in which a woman bathes alone in her room. Other issues include references to infertility and abortion.
Sex & Nudity
moderate
Sex & Nudity Reason
Masha is having sex with Sasha in the car.
A toddler age boy is bathed. There is a brief view of his genitals from the side. This and the other referenced bathing scene are entirely non-sexual.
There is a second scene where a woman bathes herself topless for a minute.
One scene takes place in a city bath in which we can see dozens of completely naked women, including Iya and Masha. This scene is essential in telling the story, as a bodily abnormality of a character that drives an aspect of the plot is revealed.
Iya is having sex with Nikolay Ivanovich while Masha is lying next to them.
Iya takes off her pants and underwear and lies next to Masha in bed. Then Nikolay Ivanovic gets on Iya and they have sex while Masha is lying next to them. This scene is more disturbing and intense than erotic. It may be heavy for some viewers.
Violence & Gore
mild
Violence & Gore Reason
Iya breaks another man's arm off-screen, drags Sasha out of the car and beats him.
Masha's nose is bleeding a lot of times. Not too gory.
Iya throws Sasha out of the car and beats him. Iya is also breaking a man's arm off-screen. Not too violent.
The tram that Masha is in is crushing a tall girl. Masha leans over and sees the tall girl under the tram. It is not gory or frightening but very intense and depressive because of that the long girl is first thought of Iya.
Profanity
none
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking
mild
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking Reason
Some casual drinking and smoking.
Drugs: None
Frightening & Intense Scenes
severe
Frightening & Intense Scenes Reason
The movie is extremely intense and most of the scenes from the beginning to the end can be found heavy by young or sensitive viewers.
Scene are Intense, rather than Frightening
Masha threatens Iya and Nikolay Ivanovich that she'll tell on them in NKVD, then she forces them to have sex so she can raise the child that Iya will born for her. The "threesome" scene is very uncomfortable to watch.