White Nights (1985)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Taylor Hackford

Writers:

James Goldman (screenplay) and
Eric Hughes (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 November 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An expatriate Russian dancer is on a plane forced to land on Soviet territory. He is taken to an apartment...

Plot Keywords:

Escape | Ballet | KGB | Expatriate | Airplane Accident

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Mikhail Baryshnikov	...	Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko
Gregory Hines	...	Raymond Greenwood
Jerzy Skolimowski	...	Colonel Chaiko
Helen Mirren	...	Galina Ivanova
Geraldine Page	...	Anne Wyatt
Isabella Rossellini	...	Darya Greenwood
John Glover	...	Wynn Scott
Stefan Gryff	...	Captain Kirigin
William Hootkins	...	Chuck Malarek
Shane Rimmer	...	Ambassador Larry Smith
Florence Faure	...	Ballerina (Death)
David Savile	...	Pilot
Ian Liston	...	Co-pilot
Benny Young	...	Flight Engineer
Hilary Drake	...	Stewardess #1

Runtime:

136 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:15 | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Lionel Richie's song "Say You, Say Me" wasn't included on the soundtrack album to the film. This is because Motown Records did not want Richie's first single since the Can't Slow Down album to appear on another record label.

Goofs:

Continuity: During Chaiko's interrogation of Rodchenko at the clinic, the torn items thrown on Rodchenko change. The image of a partial American Express Gold Card appears, disappears, then re-appears during the course of the questioning.

Quotes:

Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: I see. You and your wife, you worke in the theater. And you live here... in Siberia.
Raymond Greenwood: It's just temporary.
Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: [dryly] Of course. Nobody is here permanently.

Movie Connections:

References Porgy and Bess (1959)

Soundtrack:

tapDANCE

Will Raymond Greenwood (American tap dancer who deserted the Army) help Nikolai Rodchenko (ballet dancer who defected Russia to the US) escape the Soviet Union again?

The two giant and opposing nations of the Cold War, Russia and the United States of America, are represented through the protagonists of "White Nights". Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshnikov are two superb dancers who act in the film, and delight the viewer through artistic communication. The emotion evoked by their performances is unparalleled; feelings of despair, frustration, anger and desire for freedom are all present in their body-language. The title of the film refers to a natural occurrence, present in northern Russia: The White Nights are a phenomenon which lasts a few weeks between Spring and Summer. During this time, there is light for most the night; after sunset and during twilight, it looks white and clear... a white night. This film is truly worth watching, I own it and am glad. Not only does it possess a grand artistic value, but also a great story from a historical period in which one's life was completely controlled by political agreements. It is in this Orwellian society, that human values arise and struggle for survival... do not miss it!