The White Crow (2018) User Reviews

The most famous political defection of all time

[CineMuseFilms · 8/10 · 2 September 2019]

A 'white crow' in the Russian idiom is someone who stands out from others because of their appearance or behaviour. Rudolph Nureyev was, and for many still is, the white crow in the world of male ballet dancers. With extraordinary athleticism and sharply chiselled features, he defied gravity and glamorised male dancing. He also managed to make the KGB look flatfooted when he famously defected to the West.

We first see the young Rudolph as a six-year old child prodigy plucked from a poor background. The film flashes-back to these early scenes several times to remind viewers that despite his majestic aura on stage, he came from humble origins. The adult Rudolph (Oleg Ivenko) was a volatile personality both on and off stage. KGB spies watched elite dancers closely because ballet was a major cultural propaganda tool at the height of the Cold War. Rudolph was known to praise creative freedoms in the West and his secret sexuality was seen as a potential source of political embarrassment.

Most of the film builds the context in which Rudolph would commit what Russians believed was the ultimate act of treason. Barely enough camera time is devoted to his ballet lessons and performances, but what is shown will please devotees of the artform. A major sub-narrative is the live-in mentoring by his teacher Pushkin (Ralph Fiennes) and his relationships with Pushkin's wife Xenia (Chulpan Khamatova) and socialite Clara Saint (Adele Exarchopoulos). Rather than meaningful affairs, these relationships show Rudolph's willingness to exploit anyone who could advance his dancing career.

The film's modest tension curve spikes a few times during Rudolph's fiery temper tantrums, but it jumps steeply during the climactic defection scenes. The camera almost neurotically switches from close-ups on the faces of Russian spies, American observers, Rudolph and Clara, all while in the transit area of a French airport. When Rudolph is stopped from boarding a flight to his next performance, the KGB falsely tell him he has been summoned to a gala performance for the Kremlin. He is thrust into a vortex of disbelief, terror, and the realisation that if he seeks political asylum he will never set foot again in his homeland nor see his family.

Despite its uneven pace and meandering narrative arc, this powerful non-fiction storytelling is backed up with excellent acting performances and cinematography. The Cold War tensions are palpable and the political battle lines drawn clearly. You do not need to be a ballet fan to appreciate this film.

Director: Ralph Fiennes Stars: Oleg Ivenko, Ralph Fiennes, Adele Exarchopoulos, Chulpan Khamatova

Deliberately Paced Biopic With a Tension Packed Finale

[larrys3 · 7/10 · 1 September 2019]

First-time actor Oleg Ivenko gives a strong performance here in the lead role of renowned ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev. The biopic also has a most solid supporting cast and is directed by the fine actor Ralph Fiennes (who also has a supporting role in the film), and is written by the most talented David Hare, based on the book by Julie Kavanagh.

The biopic covers the early years of Nureyev from his most difficult early life in the Soviet Union, his incredible innate talent for ballet dancing, his complicated and flamboyant personality, love of the arts, and a most fervent desire for freedom.

I felt the heart of the movie was the tension filled final 20 minutes or so of Nureyev's defection to the West at a Paris airport, in 1961.He would be the first Soviet notable to do so during the Cold War.

All in all, although this biopic is deliberately paced and a little too long at over 2 hours in length I felt it was a solid effort all around. To note, Rudolph Nureyev would pass away in 1993 from AIDS, at the age of 54.

Belaya Vorona

[JamesHitchcock · 8/10 · 18 March 2019]

The film's title derives from the Russian phrase "belaya vorona", or "white crow", meaning an outsider or nonconformist, a person who stands out from his or her contemporaries in the way that a white crow would stand out from its black fellows. The "white crow" of this film is the Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, a man who had difficulty conforming to the official Soviet system, either in his artistic life or in his personal life. (He was gay at a time when this was neither lawful nor acceptable in Soviet society).

Nureyev shocked the world of ballet when he defected to the West at Le Bourget airport, Paris, in 1961, and the film is built around this incident. His decision to defect was, apparently, a spontaneous one, taken when the Communist authorities, irritated by the fact that he had spent much of his time in Paris in the company of Western intellectuals and concerned by rumours that he had been seen in a gay bar, decided to send him back to Russia rather than allowing him to travel with the Kirov ballet to London, the next leg of their tour. Scenes of Nureyev's stay in Paris are intercut with flashbacks to his poverty-stricken wartime childhood in the provincial city of Ufa and to his time as a ballet student in Leningrad, as St Petersburg was then known.

The film was directed by the well-known British actor Ralph Fiennes, clearly a ballet enthusiast. Fiennes also takes an acting role as Alexander Pushkin- not, of course, the classic Russian author but Nureyev's tutor at the Kirov Ballet. This was, I felt, one of two outstanding performances in the film. Pushkin emerges not only as a visionary who spotted Nureyev's talent when many did not but also as a sympathetic father-figure who provided the young dancer with a kindness and understanding that was otherwise lacking in the rigid, inflexible Soviet system. The other great performance, of course, comes from the young Oleg Ivenko as the conflicted Nureyev himself. On the one hand he is held by a love of his Russian homeland, the land which contains all he knows and all that he has held dear- his family, his friends and his mentor Pushkin. On the other hand, he is drawn towards the West, not only because of the greater intellectual freedom which it offers but also because of a feeling that it is only there that he can fully realise himself as a dancer.

I must admit that I am not a great balletomane myself; I have been to the ballet on only a handful of occasions in my life, and never saw Nureyev dance except on television. Yet there are some films which have been good enough able to hold my attention even though they are centred upon activities in which I would normally take little interest. Like most Britons, I know little about baseball, yet I was enthralled by "Eight Men Out" and "Field of Dreams". I probably know even less about wrestling, but that did not prevent me from admiring the more recent "Foxcatcher". "White Crow" comes into the same category. Those who love ballet will doubtless be enthralled by it. Even those of us who do not will be able to see enough in this movie to understand the enthusiasm of those who do. And both groups will join together in their appreciation of the human drama which lies at the heart of Rudolf Nureyev's story. 8/10

The 1960s defection of Soviet dancer Nureyev.

[TxMike · 11 August 2019]

My wife and I watched this at home on DVD from our public library.

While the focus of this movie is the 1961 defection of ballet dancer Nureyev you can't really tell that part of his life without understanding his beginnings, from being born on a train in 1938 to studying under the demanding Soviet system. Most of that takes up the first half of the movie.

I remember Nureyev well, he was such an inventive dancer and became popular world-wide in the 1960s and 1970s but I never knew his story. When the company of dancers would tour outside the USSR they were not supposed to exchange ideas or even talk to people from other countries but Nureyev never really followed the rules. When it looked like going back home might be bad for him, in France he defected, asking for political asylum. The scenes that retell and dramatize the incident are some of the best in this movie.

For the role Oleg Ivenko, a Ukranian who really is a ballet dancer in Russia and a first-time actor, plays Rudolf Nureyev and he plays him very well.

A really well made movie and a well told story, we enjoyed it.

Mixed in some places but a brilliant conclusion

[proud_luddite · 7/10 · 25 August 2019]

Based on the life of Rudolf Nureyev (portrayed by Oleg Ivenko): in different time segments, the life of the ballet great is depicted during his childhood in rural Eastern Russia; his late teen years training in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg); and the Kirov Ballet tour in Paris of 1961 during which Nureyev made a decision that changed his life significantly. The film is based on the novel "Rudolf Nureyev: A Life" by Julie Kavanaugh and is a British/French/Serbian co-production spoken in Russian, French, and English.

One of the enjoyable aspects of the film is following the young man's transition from a rural area into cities as grand as Leningrad and Paris and his awestruck fascination with the visual arts at his disposal. This can easily remind many viewers of their first travel experiences and having felt the same elation.

The three different time sequences are done concurrently which is sometimes jarring and unnecessary. The film would probably have been better if done chronologically with only occasional flashbacks.

Around the halfway mark of the film, Nureyev is showing a lot of irritability in a restaurant scene. It is at this mark that the viewer could feel equally irritated after having had enough of the frequent timeline changes and the film's reduced energy by that point. Also in that scene, while Nureyev is showing a strong reaction to class prejudice from other Russians, there was little to indicate this problem in earlier scenes. His rudeness seems to come out of nowhere.

Despite these criticisms, it is all worth it for the extended climactic scene at Paris' Le Bourget Airport (very well re-constructed to resemble its appearance in the early 1960s). Much like the final airport scene in "Argo", the one here has suspense, tension, and mystery even if the outcome is already well known.

"The White Crow" is a fine tribute to an artistic icon and a good depiction of the life of a genius in a restrictive, Communist country although it would have benefited to explore more on another restriction in Rudolf's life under Communisim - his homosexuality. Considering the film concluded when its subject was still very young, it is tempting to encourage a sequel for the remainder of such a very unique life of an extremely rare individual who radically changed fate for his own life and that of the ballet world. - dbamateurcritic

What a legend!

[FrenchEddieFelson · 6/10 · 21 June 2019]

A biopic about Rudolf Nureyev: gifted with an exemplary technique, he is considered as the greatest classical dancer and as one of the greatest choreographers.

The actors Oleg Ivenko and Chulpan Khamatova are excellent whereas Ralph Fiennes is magnificent with a masterful interpretation of Alexander Pushkin, with restraint and sensitivity. He literally impressed me! Nevertheless, as a director, Ralph Fiennes is less convincing. He excessively insists on the haughty and unpleasant character of Rudolf Nureyev, to such a point that we almost want to slap him. In addition, the manifold alternations between the trip to Paris in 1961 (the present time) and the flashbacks (his childhood in a poor family and his debut as a dancer) are almost disturbing. I would have appreciated that Ralph Fiennes develops these different points: 1) An evocation of the trip to Vienna in 1959, formerly Western Europe, followed by a formal ban on all abroad travel formulated by the Russian Minister of Culture, which could have explained, without justifying, the oppressive and stifling behavior of the KGB members, in Paris in 1961. 2) A less dark presentation of the Soviet Union reduced to KGB members as obtuse as omnipotent. Indeed, at the beginning of the 60s, the Soviet aura was supreme: culture, science, geopolitical influence, ... For instance, the dramatic Nureyev's defection at the Paris Le Bourget Airport happened just two months after the Bay of Pigs invasion which was a significant failure for Kennedy's US foreign policy and a strong reinforcement of the relations between Cuba and the Soviet Union.

As a synthesis, the movie is excellently interpreted but the realization is slightly muddleheaded. 6/7 of 10.

Not quite a swan, not a dead duck either

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 11 May 2019]

Have always absolutely loved ballet, such fantastic music and the dancing when well choreographed and danced really entrances me. Rudolf Nureyev in this field was one of the all-time greats, so charismatic, athletic and with leaps and jumps that would be, and are, the envy of many. Also respect Ralph Fiennes very highly as an actor, particularly as tortured characters, and he had shown a lot of confidence in his previous directorial efforts.

'The White Crow' is Fiennes' third film as director, while also featuring in a not large but important role, and stands up as a very interesting and well done film when seeing it with close family friends at the cimema two days ago. All three of us really enjoyed and admired 'The White Crow', being both film and ballet fans (my love of ballet came actually through them, when watching a production of 'Swan Lake' at six years old). We later wasted no time in talking about the things the film did well, while also discussing what could have been done better.

Did feel that the back and forth between the three different timelines could have been done with more clarity and didn't feel as rushed, especially in the early stages of the film. While the childhood scenes are well made and bleakly powerful, despite showing how deprived Nureyev's childhood was and how he came to be the way he was there could have been less of them.

It would have been an even better film too if there were not as many close ups and slow shots, the former of which got slightly self-indulgent and the latter at times nauseated, and also clearer motivations as to why characters behaved the way they did. Although Nureyev's life was a volatile one and he was not easy to work with, anyone who is not familiar with him will be shocked at how his behaviour at a few points during the film is so abrupt and seemingly over the top for reasons not really gone into detail (especially the restaurant scene) that it is a wonder that he still had friends or a job. Also, and this is more an observation than a flaw really, was there anyone else who was slightly distracted by how orange Fiennes looked?

On the other hand, on the most part, 'The White Crow' looks great. The period detail in all three time periods, particularly when in Paris, is handsome and evocative and a vast majority of the film is beautifully filmed. Especially loved the intimacy of it during the dancing, whether it was when the dancers were rehearsing or were performing, and despite being initially put off by the queesiness of it during the scenes involving the defection and the lead up to it that added to the intense claustrophobia and suspense of that portion and fitted perfectly with Nureyev's state of mind. As to be expected the music is wonderful and performed musically with a lot of energy and nuance.

Similarly the dancing leaves one in awe, it is hard not to be envious of the athleticism and grace of it and of Nureyev's technique or not to admire Nureyev's dilligence. The script packs in a lot, maybe too much at times, and is thought-probing and is paced fluidly. Found the mix of English, Russian and French an interesting choice and it added to the authenticity and it does flow naturally, with the subtitles comprehension shouldn't be a problem. The story is not perfect but it to me was never dull and doesn't downplay what it was about Nureyev that attracted so many, the story highlight being easily the defection climax, the intense suspense of which made me bite my nails. Nureyev is still interesting. Did hear on a side note after the screening two ladies behind me whisper "why no Margot Fonteyn?", the answer being that the film covered what came before and during Nureyev's defection, she came later.

Fiennes directs with confidence and keen eye for detail, and the acting is as committed as the dancing. A dancer in real life, Oleg Ivenko's film debut is a wholly credible one and often excellent, he captures Nureyev's athleticism perfectly and while it is hard to match Nureyev's unique charisma Ivenko does very well there too. The supporting performances are equally fine, with the most notable being a quietly sympathetic Fiennes bravely speaking in Russian, a beautiful language and a difficult one and Fiennes masters it. Just to say, do think that the criticism 'The White Crow' has garnered on here is just strange and over-the-top, actually didn't find anything to be offended by here.

Overall, a good well done film. 7/10

dancing and defecting

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 9 May 2019]

Greetings again from the darkness. Nijinsky. Nureyev. Bruhn. Baryshnikov. The legends of male ballet dancers starts with that list, and possibly include a handful of others. Ralph Fiennes directs a screenplay from David Hare that brings us the story of how one of these, Rudolph Nureyev, defected from Russia to the west in 1961.

Opening with Nureyev's teacher Alexander Pushkin being interrogated ("Why did he defect?") by a Russian official immediately after the defection, the film ping pongs between 3 time frames in an attempt to better explain Nureyev's reasons ... or at least the background that created such a headstrong and talented young man. We flashback to 1938 where his mother famously gave birth to him in the confines of a moving train (traveling and trains remained important to him). We then flash forward to 1961 when Nureyev arrives in Paris with the Kirov Ballet, and then back to 1955 as he arrives at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet (established 1738) - a prestigious dance school.

It's actually this hopping from one time frame to another that is the film's weakness. The script is ambitious but ultimately flawed, as it attempts to tackle too much rather than concentrating on what's most important and interesting. We didn't need so many childhood flashbacks to grasp that Nureyev was a different kind of kid who grew up in poverty in Siberia, raised with his sisters by a mother whose husband was away at war. Julie Kavanagh's book "Rudolph Nureyev: The Life" inspired Mr. Hare's screenplay, but the multiple timelines can be more fully explored in book form.

Ralph Fiennes plays the aforementioned Pushkin, a soft-spoken man who was a father figure to Nureyev, as well as a technical instructor. He also shared his philosophy of dance (and his wife - maybe he knew, maybe he didn't) with his star pupil, and it's easy to see how this elevated Nureyev's ability. Combining that with his interest in classic art, a theme of turning ugliness into beauty was something Nureyev latched on to.

Oleg Ivenko stars as Rudolph Nureyev. Ivenko is a marvelous dancer and bears enough resemblance to the legend that we are quickly taken in. Ivenko is not a trained film actor, but as a dancer, he is accustomed to the spotlight and never wavers in his portrayal of a dancer he likely admired. He captures the emotional turmoil of a man enticed by the artistic and social freedoms of the west, while also remaining loyal to his homeland - loyal at least until he felt threatened (both physically and artistically). A tortured genius typically struggles with those in positions of authority and that's on full display here.

This is the third directorial outing for 2-time Oscar nominee (for acting) Ralph Fiennes. His previous projects were THE INVISIBLE WOMAN in 2013 which no one saw, and CORIOLANUS in 2011 which almost no one saw. It's likely his latest won't draw a huge audience either, but Ivenko's dancing is quite something to behold, and the climax at Le Bourget Airport in France is a suspenseful highlight. Nureyev was 23 at the time, and the defection decision is made almost spontaneously with a little help from his socialite friend Clara Saint (Adele Exarchapoulos, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR) and French dancer Pierre Lacotte (Raphael Personnaz). Rudolph Nureyev died of complications from AIDS in 1993, but he truly was a "white crow" - something extraordinary, and one who stands out.

A fascinating insight into the early life of Rudolf Nureyev and the politics of the cold war

[manders_steve · 8/10 · 2 August 2019]

I once heard David Stratton say that one of the greatest joys of film it its ability to transport you to other worlds for a couple of hours - immersing in something totally away from routine normality. Well, this film did that for me - to the world of competitive professional ballet dancing in post WW2 Soviet Union. It opened the door to how young Rudolf gained his start, the various companies he danced with and trained in, the challenges of life in soviet era USSR, the cold war and political trepidations of defection to the west.

Ukrainian dancer Oleg Ivenko is just wonderful as the adult Nureyev, all the more surprising in his first film role which required him to learn Russian, improve his English as well as emulate one of the most famous and flamboyant dancers of all time. Ralph Fiennes is featured as the gently spoken dance teacher Alexander Pushkin as well as directing the film. I thought the film captured the challenges of the professional dance world admirably, and Nureyev's well known headstrong approach to dance, life and everything was clear for all to see.

There are a lot of time shifts from Nureyev as the adult to child and adolescent, but the changes generally supported the storytelling and there were enough clues as to where we were.

The lack of direct reference to issues of Nureyev's homosexuality has been commented on by some; its absence didn't occur to me as an issue, because there was plenty going on and adding another major strand could well have pushed the film from the "possibly a bit too long" territory to "outlasted its welcome".

7/10 Great movie to enjoy

[WatchAndSmile · 7/10 · 26 June 2019]

I enjoyed the movie. 2 points were taken for weird present/past flips that were not always easy to understand and also with incomplete story behind it as to how and what and why. Made me wonder why it was even there as they were severely under developed! Oleg who is the actor playing the main role did a great job acting in English and Russian as well as showed remarkable dancing skills. I walked away from a ballet performance 2 years ago as it was boring... so let's just say I am not one of those who likes it but I was captivated by the dancing and the story.

Straightwashing

[predragazdejkovic · 1/10 · 25 February 2019]

I had the opportunity to see the film in Belgrade at FEST - International Film Festival. First, it's interesting that Serbian Film Institute gave 5 million euros for the film, but isn't listed as production country! Second, the film is to long and boring till the end, but also the ending isn't exiting. Rudolf Nureyev was an interesting person but this film made him boring and uninteresting. I could not understand why the director decided to minimize his queerness, especially that his sexual identity was one of the reasons why he wanted to leave Soviet Union. Rudolf had huge sexual appetite and in this film he is asexual! In the end the director decided not to include the information that Rudolf Nureyev died of complications of AIDS and I find it disrespectful.

Great Ballet Movie/Thriller

[Pairic · 9/10 · 26 April 2019]

The White Crow: The story of Rudolph Nureyev's defection to the West with flashbacks to his earlier years. A tale of talent, ambition and arrogance, Rudi (Oleg Ivenko) always he was going to become the greatest Ballet Dancer since Nijinsky, indeed he is shown winning the Nijinsky prize in Paris. Though talented he didn't get to attend a first class Ballet school until he was 17, even then he clashed with his teachers until finally coming under the tutelage of Alexander Pushkin (Ralph Fiennes). Pushkin brought out the real Nureyev, who though still not perfect in technique, told tales through his form of dance.

Arriving in Paris in June 1961, Rudi takes the city by storm, he disturbs his KGB handler by mixing with French dancers and going to parties. his developing relationship with Clara Saint (Adèle Exarchopoulos) causes the agent to fear that Nureyev might defect. Even though the outcome is known this film literally works as a thriller. I was spellbound as the ensuing drama unfolded. Interspersing this story are scenes of Rudi's training as he put in extra hours to catch up, his hard childhood, his always supportive mother. He was born on the trans-Siberian Express leading to his lifelong fascination with trains. Ivenko is a truly great actor and dancer as he re-enacts some of Nureyev's early triumphant performances. Ralph Fiennes as director has delivered a fascinating tale of Nureyev's first 23 years but credit must also go to the vast army of seamstresses choreographers, set decorators et al. A film where the Art Department is truly important. 9/10.

Very pedestrian and uninspiring movie

[tm-sheehan · 6/10 · 6 August 2019]

My Review- The White Crow. Rating 6/10

We watched the 2008 film The Reader last night which started Ralph Feinnes playing a German but speaking English and a David Hare screenplay directed brilliantly by Stephen Daldry . What a pity the same director didn't direct White Crow. Ralph Feinnes is a fine actor but this his 3rd directing effort in my opinion falls short the fast forward present and fast rewind flashback erratic editing is confusing and unnecessary.

David Hare and Julie Kavanagh responsible for the Screenplay of White Crow , have adapted the story from an extract of her book Nureyev The Life and I think they miss the most interesting part of Nureyev's story .

This is a movie over 2 hours long and focuses mainly on Nureyev's defection which has been brilliantly documented in the BBC film Dance to Freedom. The actual defection in 1961 at the Le Bourget airport in Paris, after KGB officers tell him he is being sent back to Moscow to perform at a Kremlin gala is worthy of a thrilling Alfred Hitchcock style but in this movie there's no tension or build up , it just happens then his free and the titles appear.

What happened next is much more interesting and if some of the padding had been edited out perhaps and replaced by explaining the phenomenon that Nureyev was and his contribution to the world of dance it would have been a better film.

Oleg Ivenko , who plays Rudolph Nureyev is quite good in the role but I thought didn't quite capture Nureyev 's fire and ice Tatar personality, probably the directors fault but he looks great and dances well but not like Nureyev, which would be impossible.

I was looking forward to this film and ignoring the luke warm reviews but sadly have to agree with the majority this time.

It could have been much better , it's more a BBC Tele Movie than a Cinema Movie I think Ralph Feinnes should stick to acting .

Rudolph Nureyev had a much more interesting and notorious life after the defection his relationship with Danish ballet star and inspiration Erik Bruhn and of course The Nureyev and Margo Fonteyn Years make me hope someday someone will make a film worthy of arguably the Greatest Male Ballet Star of the 20th Century.

My suggestion is wait for the new David Morris Documentary " Nureyev "

promise much but entered into downspiral till end

[filipemigmartins · 5/10 · 19 January 2020]

Way too big that makes viewer loose interest. This movie has 130min and could be reduced to 80-90min because most of action scenes are repetead and dont add anything to the film. It has very slow pace and lacks of changing events which makes the story line pretty boring. Perfomances of main actors like Oleg and Ralph were above average and my 5cents for that. Visually very well made, good Camera work and cleaness artistically scenarios, I recommend to watch in a winter cozy evening with cup of tea and some cookies but be carefull to not fall asleep.

What a captivating and intense film

[Gordon-11 · 14 August 2019]

This film tells the story of a Russian ballet dancer who defected in France during the cold war.

I can't quite believe how good this film is. The story is intense and captivating, even if you don't know about Rudi or about ballet. The dances portrayed are beautiful, the leading actors are great to look at too. The airport scene is so intense that I watched it several times. I also particularly like the fact that Clara Sant helped Rudi so much, without expecting anything in return. I enjoyed every bit of this film, and I strongly recommend it.

No masterpiece but undeniably entertaining

[MOscarbradley · 7/10 · 15 February 2020]

While it's never likely to go down as one of the great biopics or even as one of the great dance pictures, "The White Crow" is much more enjoyable than I anticipated. The director is Ralph Fiennes who also plays the part of the dance teacher Aleksandr Pushkin and while it's not quite a thriller he does place the emphasis on Nureyev's defection to the West and he's greatly helped by the casting of the dancer Oleg Ivanko as Nureyev who dances brilliantly and proves himself more than credible as an actor.

There's also a good deal of background information of Nureyev's childhood and his early career in Russia while his homosexuality is given its due but fundamentally its main focus is on his eventual escape while authenticity is established by Fiennes' use of Russian almost throughout. It was adapted by David Hare from Julie Kavanagh's biography of the dancer and it does have a fine literary bent to it. Fiennes may not be the most imaginative of directors but he does know a good yarn when he sees one and "The White Crow" is definitely a good yarn.

Dancing Through the Iron Curtain

[elliot-75668 · 7/10 · 4 April 2019]

Ralph Fiennes foray into direction started with a modernized adaption of a lesser known Shakespeare play, Coriolanus. In between this and his latest effort (White Crow) was a rather unextraordinary effort about Charles Dickens, but his latest effort is notable for Fiennes working in another language, albeit one he speaks fairly well. Still I can't think of many British directors that make films in a different language.

White Crow is about legendary ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev (Oleg Ivenko) and his defection from the Soviet Union to the West whilst on a tour in Paris. Fiennes' film about the iconic ballet dancer was never going to be a film about the dancing, this is clear because of the time period the film focuses on. Due to the fact that the film focuses on the period of time where Rudolf defected from the USSR the film is about the different ideologies of communist USSR the capitalist West, their different ways of life and different levels of personal choice and freedom granted to its citizens.

In the regard the film is an interesting watch as it compares the two worlds. The reaction of the tour group to Paris when they first arrived was one of wonder at this world of culture and freedom. Nureyev's reaction is central to the film as he makes the most of the chance to explore the city of Paris. He visits the celebrated art galleries, marveling at the masterpieces restricted by his regime. Emphasis is added to the French motto Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité emblazed on the statue in the center of Place de la Republique to highlight what is nonexistent in his homeland.

The tour group make the most of this chance to experience the freedom of the West. The freedom to shop, watch great theatre in the grandest of buildings and drink merrily into the night. But there's always the threat of the KBG and their bureaucrats attempting to stamp out any threat of westernization that may infect and topple the regime. There is always an uneasy feeling leering over Nureyev anytime he doesn't tow the party line, especially when he becomes more acquainted with his new western friends.

As the film is more about the politics than the dancing I do feel the ballet was neglected. I knew nothing of the man before the film and I never convincingly sold as to why people considered him the greatest male dancer of his generation. Only experts can tell the difference between a good dancer and a great dancer and whilst the film highlighted Nureyev's ability to dominate the stage I still never fully understood what made him so great.

The dancing is still important to the film, and the ballet scenes are beautifully filmed. Oleg Ivenko is a dancer himself so I am comfortable in the authenticity of these scenes, but I felt he was more at home when dancing or speaking in his native language then he was speaking English. His performance is good, but at times I felt he was slightly wooden when speaking in English (but the scene in the airport is an incredible sequence). Any with scene with his German boyfriend was painful to watch due to the blandness of their chemistry.

It's an impressive effort from Fiennes who clearly took this project to heart looking deeply into the heart of the matter as to why Nureyev defected from his homeland.

A worthy addition to the Black Swan/Billy Elliot ballet film genre

[tonypeacock-1 · 6/10 · 31 January 2021]

Biopic of Soviet Union era dancer Rudolf Nureyev who was one of the first major defections across the Iron Curtain in Paris, 1961.

Directed by Ralph Fiennes, more accustomed to seeing him as an actor, although he has directed 3 major films before I have learned.

The film has writing credits by playwright David Hare and Fiennes also has a producer credit as well as having an actor role as dance instructor Pushkin.

The title, The White Crow? What is its meaning? Well we are told at the beginning of the film it is a Russian term for someone who is unusual or a black sheep as such.

Nureyev certainly fits into that role as we learn as the film develops.

The film has three timelines which can be confusing as Fiennes switches between them. The timelines are flashbacks to Nureyev's childhood. His birth on the Trans Siberian train, his poor upbringing in a poor Soviet provincial city and his mother giving him up to the Soviet authorities.

Another timeline shows Nureyev training in Soviet Leningrad (St. Petersburg) in a bleak city several years before a trip to Paris by his Soviet dance troupe under KGB observation of course.

I prefer a single timeline narrative to avoid such confusion especially when other issues such as sexuality and the political defection thriller more akin to a John le Carré thriller develops in the final act.

An interesting oddity that I liked about the film is the characters speak in fluent Russian when in Russia (with subtitles of course!) and broken English in Paris.

Other films have embarrassed themselves with supposedly Russian characters speaking in questionable English complete with broad accents.

1961 Nureyev is played by Oleg Ivenko a Ukrainian ballet dancer with some decent acting ability rather than the use of body doubles for the 'punishing' for want of a better word dance scenes!

As I have briefly mentioned the final act, the defection itself in a tense scene in a Paris airport is riveting and a reminder of how things were in the Cold War era.

A film worthy of a watch, with merits but not perfect.

Almost...

[ShackyWack · 6/10 · 25 May 2019]

This movie had such potential to be great. Oleg Ivenko is a very talented dancer with one of the most beautiful faces I've ever seen. He is looks like someone straight out of a Fellini film. The art and scenes of Paris were breathtaking.

The story just seemed incomplete. I came out of the film still wondering who the White Crow was. Did not understand the childhood flashbacks. How did they shape him as a man? How did art influence him as a dancer? Is he modeling the lines of his body to the lines of the art? Why was he so conflicted on the inside? Under a more experienced director, could have been the story that it deserved to be.

Enjoyable and entertaining

[euroGary · 8/10 · 19 March 2019]

'The White Crow' tells of Soviet ballet star Rudolf Nureyev's defection to the West in Paris, 1961. And of his years training in Leningrad. And of his poverty-stricken childhood. Three strands running concurrently through the film make for a busy production. The childhood scenes do little more than establish that Nureyev grew up surrounded by poverty and lots of snow. The Leningrad scenes show him as willing to work for his craft, but intense, self-centred and very arrogant - a proper little diva, in fact. Six years later, in Paris, he is still arrogant - demanding, for example, that a French female companion talk to a Russian waiter on his behalf because he suspects the man of looking down on him. But the intensity has weakened, replaced by an interest in what is around him and a happy curiosity in new things. This, however, does not please his KGB minders.

The film is the third from Ralph Fiennes wearing his director's hat. He does a pretty good job: the childhood scenes are shot in bleak, washed-out colours - almost black-and-white - a clever decision which creates atmosphere; and the climactic defection scene in Le Bourget Airport is heavy with tension. There *are* directoral flaws - something as simple as, for example, giving leading man Oleg Ivenko a different haircut for each era would have prevented this viewer's occasional confusion as to whether I was watching 1960s' Paris Nureyev or the 1950s' Leningrad version! And did we need quite so many extreme close-ups of Ivenko's face? But overall, director Fiennes does a good job...

... which makes it a shame that actor Fiennes turns in one of the weakest performances of the film. His portrayal of Nureyev's teacher Pushkin may, for all I know, be true to the real man, but I found it dreadfully studied and mannered, producing a caricature rather than a character (I will, however, give Fiennes full marks for delivering most of his lines in Russian!) Ukrainian dancer Ivenko, in what according to IMDb is his first acting role, turns in a more naturalistic performance, albeit within the confines of the generously-proportioned ego he is portraying. My personal favourite, however, was Chulpan Khamatova in a nicely-judged portrayal of Pushkin's wife Xenia, whose initial motherly interest in Nureyev (prompted by her husband's concern the stroppy teenager is not eating enough) develops over the course of the film.

Seen in preview at the British Film Institute, and - containing good pacing, an interesting story and nicely-rendered period detail - well worth it.

THE WHITE CROW is a maverick of its own, freewheeling on its own rhythm and agenda like its unsympathetic subject

[lasttimeisaw · 7/10 · 13 August 2019]

If you have absolutely no idea of who Rudolf Nureyev (1938-1993) is, like as not, your immediate reaction after watching UK thespian Ralph Fiennes' third directorial feature THE WHITE CROW would be what monstrosity of a man he is, whose arrogance is simply up to eleven, which appreciably dents audience's empathy towards the subject, that could be a sticking point for a biopic.

Nureyev (played by dancer Oleg Ivenko in his star-making role) is one of the most distinguished male ballet dancers of his generation, as much well known for his balletic bent as his temperamental disposition, that often doesn't shies away from the public's eyes....

continue reading my review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks

Wooden crow

[sergey-zotchev · 2/10 · 27 July 2019]

Nuriev was definitely a very passionate person, but the way he is shown in this movie makes him look like a wooden doll (despite all the good dancing). Completely asexual...Actually, all the characters were so dull, unemotional and plain boring, that I could hardly watch this movie until the end. Avoid...

Interesting and well-made film - and not LGBT-unfriendly at all

[alisonhsmith · 8/10 · 16 April 2019]

I honestly don't understand why some people have accused this film of 'straight-washing' or of portraying Nureyev as a sexual. I just watched it with a gay friend and we both saw Nureyev having sex with one man, clearly flirting with another and being seduced by a woman. His major gay relationships took place after the time covered by the film, so of course they weren't referred to. In general, it was well made, interestingly structured and brilliantly cast. A very enjoyable watch, regardless of whether you are a ballet fan or not.

The metamorphosis of ballet

[sroth16 · 7/10 · 22 October 2019]

The role of man in ballet is part of the story of RudolphAs this apical movie records the transformation beginning with the escape from the Soviet union to ballet as we now know it's on the world stage.

Mind numbingly boring

[peterejackson · 2/10 · 17 June 2021]

Any interesting narrative that this movie might have had was removed by the wooden characters and constant changing time which perpetually destroyed the train of the story.

And such an interesting story it should have been. A wasted opportunity.