The Immigrant Movie Poster Image

The Immigrant

age 16+
(i)

 

Somber, wrenching historical drama has brief nudity.
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  • Review Date: May 20, 2014
  • Rated: R
  • Genre: Drama
  • Release Year: 2014
  • Running Time: 117 minutes

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What parents need to know

Positive messages

Loyalty to family is important, especially during hard times. And if you find yourself abandoned and alone, you need to be able to draw on a deep well of strength and resilience to see your way through. Also, hope can fuel you through most hardships. On the downside, women are treated like second-class citizens, called names by men, and discarded after sex.

Positive role models

Ewa is absolutely devoted to her sister, Magda, and she won't let anything stand in her way when it comes to reuniting with her. Orlando is flawed and not always dependable, but he does brighten Ewa's miserable existence, if only for a short while.

Violence

A man stabs a family member with a knife and later is seen disposing of the body. He's also shown brandishing a firearm, an object that's later used to threaten someone. A man is shown dragging a dead body to the trash. Two men tussle over a woman.

Sex

Women's bare breasts are shown as part of a nudie show. The participants are also instructed to parade themselves so that male clients can pick which one they'd want to sleep with. Men are shown buttoning their trousers, presumably after sex with prostitutes. A couple kisses.
 

Language

Infrequent use of words including "s--t" and "f--k." Women are called "whores."

Consumerism
Not applicable
Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Characters are shown drinking absinthe and liquid opium, sometimes to oblivion.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Immigrant is a fascinating 1920s-set historical drama that deals with some heavy topics -- prostitution, for example -- that are too mature for younger viewers. Some scenes reveal the brutality inherent in trying to survive, especially during the hard-scrabble times depicted here. Expect some violence (a fatal stabbing, for instance), nudity (mostly breasts), swearing (infrequent use of words like "s--t" and "f--k"), drinking, frank talk of prostitution, and characters who are tortured and troubled. On the upside, there are positive messages about loyalty and hope.

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What's the story?

In 1921, Ewa Cybulski (Marion Cotillard) arrives in New York City from Poland with her sister, Magda (Angela Sarafyan), sure that wonderful lives are in store for them in this new country. Their uncle and aunt await, and opportunity is everywhere. But at Ellis Island, they hit the first of many hurdles: Magda has tuberculosis, and she has to stay there and get better or she'll be sent back. What's more, their relatives haven't shown up, and Ewa gets branded a woman of questionable morals and is in danger of being deported. In steps Bruno (Joaquin Phoenix), a "fixer" of sorts who also runs a brothel out of a theater (the actresses are a stable of prostitutes). Bruno is quickly enamored of Ewa, who agrees to participate because she has to pay for her sister's medical care -- and because Bruno is connected to Ellis Island authorities, who can be bought with bribes. When Bruno's cousin, the magician Orlando (Jeremy Renner), also grows smitten with Ewa, trouble overwhelms everything and everyone.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

THE IMMIGRANT is a complex tale that's beautifully shot in gritty, dreary hues; Cotillard's face -- and the strength she communicates with the smallest of gestures -- are the brightest spots. She's perfect as Ewa, who has to build a hard shell around her as she navigates a world she neither sought nor understands. With her, the film's dense plot makes sense. Still, it's brutal in the way it coats each character with a specific misery. Humanity, too. The bad guys aren't necessarily all bad, and the good aren't necessarily so innocent.

Though it's ultimately a satisfying film, The Immigrant is loses its narrative focus in the end. It sputters to its conclusion as if on the last drop of fuel. A betrayal doesn't feel hard-won; in fact, it's expected, detracting a little bit from the movie's triumph as a deeply felt story. Even so, while you watch, you feel specially chosen to have been invited on Ewa's journey, as difficult and wrenching it may be.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about how The Immigrant portrays sex and relationships. Are they presented positively? Negatively? A mix? Do you think the movie's depiction of prostitution is historically accurate?

  • Does this film show a different side to the immigrant experience? Can you imagine what it would be like to arrive in a new country and not know whether you and your entire family could stay? And that you might be separated because of rules you're not aware of?

  • Are the characters role models? Which ones are intended to be "bad" and which "good"? How can you tell?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:May 16, 2014
DVD release date:April 7, 2015
Cast:Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Renner, Joaquin Phoenix
Director:James Gray
Studio:Weinstein Co.
Genre:Drama
Run time:117 minutes
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:sexual content, nudity and some language

This review of The Immigrant was written by

S. Jhoanna Robledo
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Quality

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  • Very Good: Engaging; good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging; good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging; OK learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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Parent of a 1 year old Written bymikey0720 September 4, 2015
age 18+

Very Moving & Heartbreaking

The plot is great, the story is great. It teaches lessons of loyalty, courage, God's love, and what to do when you hit rock bottom. There is nudity in it though, which is why i rated it 18+. It is very mild nudity compared to what nude scenes are in movies today. the first nude scene is in a wash room where all the women are bathing as well as their children, all young. its not sexual at all, but it does show breasts. next scene is during the gentlemen show, the women are actually pretty clothed, the only thing they flaunt is their breasts, and there isnt dancing, its more like a fashion walk and then theyre done. a sex scene is insinuated but it does not show anything at all which i really appreciated, no breasts, no caressing, nothing. there are cuss words. im a firm believer that a movie doesnt need a lot of nudity and sex to be a good movie, and this movie showed it very mildly and it was done, and also had a great storyline. i loved it and so did my friends!
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Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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