IMDb >
White Nights (1985)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsWhite Nights (1985) More at IMDbPro »
| Videos (see all 2) |
|
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
22 November 1985 (USA)
more
Plot:
An expatriate Russian dancer is on a plane forced to land on Soviet territory. He is taken to an apartment...
more
| add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Escape
|
Ballet
|
KGB
|
Expatriate
|
Airplane Accident
more
Awards:
Won Oscar.
Another 2 wins
&
2 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(7 articles)
Nine Men We Still Miss: AIDS Robs the World of Some of the Brightest Lights
(From AfterElton.com. 12 November 2009, 2:29 PM, PST)
Hackford Named Directors Guild President
(From The Wrap. 26 July 2009, 11:42 AM, PDT)
(From AfterElton.com. 12 November 2009, 2:29 PM, PST)
Hackford Named Directors Guild President
(From The Wrap. 26 July 2009, 11:42 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
The best ballet film ever
more (32 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | 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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
136 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
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:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The opening theatre sequence was filmed at the Bristol Hippodrome and the gentleman paging the curtain for Baryshnikov is John Randall (sadly now deceased) who was the Theatre's technical director at the time.
more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: When they are beginning their escape, Daria replaces the argument tape with the apology tape. When the tape reaches the end and flips back, playing the apology again, you see a shadow cross the player as a person hits stop and reverse on the player.
more
Quotes:
Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko:
It wouldn't be right ...
Galina Ivanova: Right? You knew what was right?
Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: I was suffocating here! You knew it!
Galina Ivanova: When they told me you had defected to the West, they couldn't believe that you would leave without telling me. I couldn't believe it either.
Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: I'm sorry.
Galina Ivanova: They took away my passport. For four years I wasn't allowed to travel.And for three years, they would take me to the big house to answer their questions. Every day, the same, stupid questions!
Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: You answered well. You're an important person, with power. I hear you drive a Mercedes now.
[...]
more
Galina Ivanova: Right? You knew what was right?
Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: I was suffocating here! You knew it!
Galina Ivanova: When they told me you had defected to the West, they couldn't believe that you would leave without telling me. I couldn't believe it either.
Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: I'm sorry.
Galina Ivanova: They took away my passport. For four years I wasn't allowed to travel.And for three years, they would take me to the big house to answer their questions. Every day, the same, stupid questions!
Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: You answered well. You're an important person, with power. I hear you drive a Mercedes now.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
References Porgy and Bess (1959)
more
Soundtrack:
Snake Charmer
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (32 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for White Nights (1985) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Firefox | The Hunt for Red October | Thirteen Days | No Way Out | Doctor Zhivago |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
The plot of White Nights is well-planned, the script neatly written and two relatively unknown actors as the lead men - Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines - carry this feature well. The end result is a touching, funny drama with a romantic edge. It is, therefore, a good film in its own right. But the real reason to see it is for the spectacular dancing of Baryshnikov. I last saw the film - wait for it - in 1990 but it has remained one of the most moving films I have ever seen: so much so that it inspired me to pay a sizeable sum for the pleasure of seeing Baryshnikov dance at the Sadlers Wells Theatre in London in June 1999, 9 years later, having never thought I would have the opportunity to see my school-days hero live and in person...
Gregory Hines is a good second-lead (and has been much underused in films since), providing a sparring partner for Baryshnikov both in dance - as jazz/tap dancer vs ballet dancer - and to the benefit of the script. Isabella Rosselini plays a damsel in distress, complementing the duo and providing the romantic angle, balancing the story-line.
Overall it is a well-made film, though not the best ever, and if your interest lies about as far afield from dance as the local football field it is unlikely to appeal. But for anyone wanting to see a romantic 'weepie' it can provide a good slice of entertainment for a Sunday afternoon. And as for the dancing ... well, Baryshnikov was 37 then and I have never seen such athleticism and agility in a dancer of that age. Such expressive emotions come through his steps that he needs no words.
Without the dancing the film would undoubtedly have lost its true winning power, but with it may well have provided the motivation to dance for both children and adults ... I hope you enjoy it as much as I have
9 years later it is remains one of my top 20 best films.