White Nights (1985)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Taylor Hackford

Writers:

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

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 | KGB | Ballet | Expatriate | Defector

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
Megumi Shimanuki	...	Stewardess 2
Daniel Benzali	...	Dr. Asher
Maria Werlander	...	Child Ballerina
Galina Pomerantzeva	...	Dvornik
Sergei Rousakov	...	KGB #1
Aleksandr Naumov	...	KGB #2 (as Alexander Naumov)
Maryam d'Abo	...	French Girlfriend
Marc Sinden	...	Charles
Josephine Buchan	...	Caroline
Helene Denbey	...	Bess
Sussanah Morley	...	Journalist in Opera House (as Susannah Morley)
Elisa Tornqviet	...	Journalist at Consulat (as Elisa Tornqvist)
Jirí Stanislav	...	Chaiko's Driver (Leningrad)
Eduard Ochagavya	...	KGB Agent (as Edward Ochagavia)
Marc Michalsky	...	KGB Agent
Michael Petrovitch	...	Helicopter Pilot (as Michael Petrovich)
Andreas Markos	...	Escamilla
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Helen Kelly	...	Woman in Spandex Pants (uncredited)
Anthony Straeger	...	Russian Boarder Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Taylor Hackford

Writing credits
James Goldman		(screenplay) and
Eric Hughes		(screenplay)
James Goldman		(story)
Nancy Dowd		uncredited

Produced by
Bill Borden	....	associate producer
William S. Gilmore	....	producer
Taylor Hackford	....	producer

Original Music by
Michel Colombier

Cinematography by
David Watkin

Film Editing by
Fredric Steinkamp
William Steinkamp

Casting by
Nancy Klopper

Production Design by
Philip Harrison

Art Direction by
Richard Dawking
Malcolm Middleton
Austen Spriggs

Set Decoration by
Joanne Woollard		(as Joan Wollard)

Costume Design by
Evangeline Harrison

Makeup Department
Madeleine Masters	....	makeup artist (as Madeline Masters)
Barry Richardson	....	hair stylist
Neville Smallwood	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Stuart Benjamin	....	executive supervisor: New Visions
Anja Harjula	....	production manager: Finland
Denis Holt	....	executive in charge of production
Juhani Jotuni	....	unit manager: Finland
Maria do Carmo Moser	....	production manager: Portugal
Neville C. Thompson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tony Aherne	....	third assistant director
Ray Corbett	....	assistant director
José de Sá Caetano	....	assistant director: Portugal (as José Sá Caetano)
Matti Ollila	....	assistant director: Finland
Kieron Phipps	....	second assistant director

Art Department
George Ball	....	property master
Peter Benson	....	stand-by props
Les Butterfield	....	stand-by carpenter
Stan Cook	....	chargehand dressing prop
Bill Fisher	....	stand-by painter
Denis Hopperton	....	stand-by props (as Dennis Hopperton)
Harold Michelson	....	visual continuity
Andrew Nightingale	....	stand-by stagehand
Syd Nightingale	....	construction manager
Stuart Rose	....	assistant art director
Mel Sansom	....	stand-by rigger
Peter Walpole	....	production buyer
Simon Wilkinson	....	dressing propman
Emma Harrison	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Peter Mann	....	constructor (uncredited)

Sound Department
Don Digirolamo	....	sound recording mixer
Doreen A. Dixon	....	supervising adr editor
Robert Glass	....	sound recording mixer (as Bob Glass)
Joseph Holsen	....	sound editor (as Joseph H. Holsen)
Dushko Indjic	....	boom operator
Jay Kamen	....	adr editor
Robert Knudson	....	sound recording mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
Tom McCarthy Jr.	....	supervising sound editor
Trevor Rutherford	....	playback
Don S. Walden	....	sound editor
Clive Winter	....	sound mixer
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Terence J. Cox	....	special effects assistant (as Terry Cox)
Martin Gutteridge	....	special effects aerial unit
Jeff Hawke	....	performer: crash sequence/aerial unit
Garth Inns	....	special effects
Roy Moores	....	front projection
Tom Vaughn	....	assistant: performer crash sequence/aerial unit
Ian Wingrove	....	special effects aerial unit
Brian Warner	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Peter Brayham	....	stunt coordinator
Helen Caldwell	....	stunt personnel
Steve Crawley	....	stunt personnel
Romo Gorrara	....	stunt personnel
Robert Harman	....	stunt personnel (as Bob Harmon)
Dave Holland	....	stunt personnel
Malcolm Weaver	....	stunt personnel

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Barry	....	best boy
Bob Bridges	....	video operator
Kevin Brookner	....	video assist
Murray Close	....	still photographer
Michael Connors	....	focus puller
Freddie Cooper	....	camera operator
Maurice Gillett	....	chief lighting technician (as Maurice Gillette)
Ray Hall	....	camera grip
John Harris	....	additional photographer
John Harris	....	additional photographer
Frank M. Holgate	....	aerial photographer: aerial unit (as Frank Holgate)
Clay Lacy	....	pilot: camera plane, aerial unit
Pat Miller	....	electrician
Shane O'Neill	....	clapper loader
Gregory J. Schmidt	....	aerial camera assistant: aerial unit (as Greg Schmidt)
Kenneth J. Withers	....	additional photographer (as Ken Withers)
Brian Ellis	....	focus puller: additional camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Noel Davis	....	casting: Europe
Paula Gilmore	....	location casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Roy Beck	....	wardrobe supervisor
Ken Crouch	....	assistant wardrobe
Janet Tebrooke	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Peter Culverwell	....	assistant editor: UK
Deveril Goodman	....	associate film editor
Valerie Lesser	....	assistant editor: UK
Rick Meyer	....	assistant editor
Paul Steinkamp	....	apprentice editor
Dennis Michelson	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Jules Chaikin	....	music contractor (as Jules Chaiken)
David Foster	....	song producer
Doug Morris	....	music guidance
Phil Ramone	....	music production
Phil Ramone	....	music supervisor
John Richards	....	music recordist
Tony Smith	....	music guidance
Curt Sobel	....	supervising music editor
Richard Garcia	....	music supervisor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
J.J. Sullivan	....	captain: 747 (uncredited)

Other crew
Alan Arnold	....	publicist
Andrea Asimow	....	consultant
Mikhail Baryshnikov	....	additional choreographer
Allen Burry	....	publicist
Juliet Clarke	....	assistant to producer
Jeff Conroy	....	production assistant: USA (as Jeffrey Conroy)
Mo Coppitters	....	production coordinator
Peter Elford	....	location manager
James W. Gavin	....	aerial unit director (as Jim Gavin)
James W. Gavin	....	pilot: 747, crash sequence
Bernard Hanson	....	location manager (as Bernard Hansen)
Jeff Hawke	....	aerial coordinator
Gregory Hines	....	tap improvography
Johanna Kärävä	....	production coordinator: Finland
Ron Lambert	....	supervising lab timer
Jerri Lauridsen	....	assistant: Mr. Hackford
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Roland Petit	....	choreographer: "La jeune homme et la mort"
Lissa Ruben	....	continuity
Carrie Stein	....	production associate: USA
Twyla Tharp	....	choreographer
Tom Vaugh	....	co-pilot: 747, crash sequence
Gerald C. Wheatley	....	chief accountant

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Delphi IV Productions
• New Visions Pictures

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1988) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (video)

Other Companies

• Atlantic Records and Cassettes  original soundtrack album published by
• Energy Productions  time-lapse photography
• Evergreen Recording Studios  music recording
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Movie Magic  titles
• Pacific Title  opticals
• Russian Roulette Ltd.  location casting
• Smith & Siegal  publicity
• The David Forbes Company  marketing consultant

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:

A real Aer Lingus 747 was used for the air-to-air sequences, and part of the landing, but for the crash, a 707 with an artificial hump was used.

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.

Quotes:

Captain Kirigin: Colonel, there's something I think you should hear
Colonel Chaiko: [beat] Later. I'm busy.
Captain Kirigin: But sir ...
Colonel Chaiko: [raising his voice] Captain Kirigin, can't you see I'm busy?
Captain Kirigin: [smiles knowingly at Raymond] Very well, Colonel.
[beat]
Captain Kirigin: Later.

Movie Connections:

References Porgy and Bess (1959)

Soundtrack:

This is Your Day

Surprising performances by all. (RIP Gregory Hines)

A must for fans of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines (RIP) and Isabella Rossellini (possibly their best acting performances). This is a strong drama for fans of dance or heart-warming films. The dance scenes are excellent and they are incorporated into the film seamlessly.

Surprising performances by all: Baryshnikov is excellent to watch and listen to, and Hines and Rossellini are convincing as an inter-racial husband and wife struggling to survive in Russia. I was surprised in how well it was acted, and you may be surprised in how you will react to it. This is one of my favorite dramas/love stories.

This movie also gives us a dark glimpse into the life of those who are poverty stricken (lower class and outcasts) in Russia as well as giving you an idea of how well the rich and famous live. Remember, this film was made before the wall came down.

If exploding aliens is your type of movie, you may think this is a sappy film. But if you let yourself get lost in this movie (as all movie lovers should) you will really like this one.