White Nights (1985)

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:

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:

Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: Please inform American embassy that I am here. I am an American citizen.
Colonel Chaiko: What you call yourself is of no concern to us. Here, you're just a criminal.
Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: The world will demand that you hand me over.
Colonel Chaiko: The world. The world is overjoyed that we allowed a plane to land. We saved hundreds of lives. Only four people died.
Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: Who? What were the names?
Colonel Chaiko: Don't worry. Don't worry. Your promoter was not hurt. I sent her home, along with the others. I'll explain your condition to her.
Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: My condition? What condition? I demand that you let me out of here!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Psych: Bollywood Homicide (#4.6)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Separate Lives

Worth seeing

I'm not a dance fan, but the opening ballet sequence alone is worth the price of a rental. Baryshnikov had a vertical leap matched only by Olympic high jumpers and a few NBA players. Even if the drama flags in spots, the characters are sympathetic and well-drawn, and the action/suspense is as good as that in other adventure flicks of the time. By now the movie also serves a documentary purpose, convincingly conveying the feel of life in the Soviet Union during its waning years.