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White Nights (1985) More at IMDbPro »

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32 comments in total

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27 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :-
Mistakenly Underrated, 13 June 2001

Author: (alenchik@yahoo.com) from NYC

Frankly, I don't see why everybody is so up in arms about the quality of this movie. I, for one, don't need to preface my review with a disclaimer that only its dance sequences can be enjoyed. I happen to think that it's a pretty excellent cinematographic work overall. Let me elaborate.

The camera work here is among the most original and clever out there. It's incredibly dynamic and energetic, offering unusual perspectives, delivering great close-ups, and skillfully capturing the sweeping wide spaces. An unusually large amount of footage is devoted to the city landscapes of St. Petersburg - a rarity in American flicks on Russian themes. It's all the more jarring, however, that despite attempts to ensure authenticity of the setting, at least the first couple of car rides seem to have been done in a stationary vehicle and plastered rather crudely against the city background. But this is a forgivable and almost charming flaw, considering the film's limited budget and the release year of 1985.

The film is a paradox of sorts, showcasing interesting performances from Rossellini and Hines, two actors who have since been totally under-appreciated. There's good chemistry between the impressionable and high-strung duet of Darya and Raymond. Jerzy Skolimovski (Colonel Chaiko) is the classical cunning villain with a Slavic flare. Baryshnikov himself seems a bit rigid and somewhat formulaic as Nikolay Rodchenko. That is when he's not dancing, of course. For when he dances, he unleashes all imaginable and unimaginable potential.

Obviously, the story line is sketched out in broad, exaggerated strokes. But I bet the filmmakers actually expected the overall theatricality to be taken with a grain of salt. Besides, the subject matter discussed wasn't keen on subtleties. The events depicted were behind-the-scenes operations all right, but they were as blunt and theatrically bizarre as can be. And as for those who think the circumstances and emotions of the dissidence and emigration (or defection in this case) experience are overblown - brush up on mid-20th century history and get a grip on things. Not only had the Big Brother's machinery of state control and suppression been well oiled for decades in the Soviet Union and its satellites, but the shadow of this absurd, merciless beast hangs over many of those nations still. Folks, the fictionalized account of Nikolay Rodchenko is merely a -slightly- glamorized and dramatized version of real life experience of countless victims of the era.

The scenes of Nikolay and Darya fleeing through the deserted streets of Leningrad and the subsequent humiliation they experience in front of the American embassy send chills down my spine every time I watch the movie. That threat and that danger are very real to me even though my emigration experience in the 1990s was simply peachy in retrospect and comparison. Just as disturbing and sobering, by the way, is Rodchenko's reception by the Americans and the so-called international community inside the gates. He to them is but a nimble exotic specimen...

Anyhow, let me dismount my high horse and reiterate, seconding the earlier reviews, that `White Nights' features superb, matchless dancing; and, to miss it is a deathly sin. Well, almost...

There are essentially four dance highlights in the movie. Choreography is mainly by Baryshnikov, Hines, and, very importantly, Twyla Tharp. Baryshnikov's duet with Florence Faure in the opening credits is bound to leave your breathless. It is sheer perfection - immensely inventive and impeccably executed. The second instance when you'll forget that you could blink and breathe is during the 11 rubles for 11 pirouettes number. He does it with a godly effortlessness. Hines' and Baryshnikov's dance studio number is fascinating to watch. And, then… Then, there's Mikhail's solo to Vysotsky's tape on the stage of the Kirov theatre. Its beauty is literally painful and words can never describe it.

If you haven't seen `White Nights' or haven't seen it more than once, you're denying yourself an unearthly pleasure. And you can snicker at my high-flown sighs and exclamations all you want :)

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15 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
The best ballet film ever, 15 June 1999
Author: M-19

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.

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16 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
Surprising performances by all. (RIP Gregory Hines), 12 November 2004
Author: TagSaleJunkie1 (buyit@tagsalewebsite.com) from Long Island, New York

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.

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11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Worth seeing, 3 September 2000

Author: catbird-3 from Arizona

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.

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12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Dance choreographed by Twyla Tharpe -- need I say more?, 21 January 2002

Author: lannaheim from Washington, DC

I saw it when it first came out in 85 or so. Now that I am older, wiser, and have seen so much ballet and modern dance (Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey, Bill T. Jones, DTH, New York Ballet, Miami Ballet, etc.) not to mention having seen Baryshnikov here in DC for the first performance of his "White Oak Dance Project," I can honestly say that this is one of the best films incorporating dance with a taut plotline. Isabella Rosellini's first ever appearance on film, too -- it's just so good now, I can't believe I had forgotten it. Guess that's what age and perspective does for you.

Highly recommend for anyone, even if you aren't interested in dance.

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
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?, 20 May 2006

Author: Elisa Iannacone (elisa.liv@gmail.com) from Mexico

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!

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Fantastic and a treat for ballet &/or tap lovers too, 8 April 2006

Author: allensmyth from Australia

I don't have much to add to the wonderful commentaries already made, except that the dancing in this movie is spectacular. Hines is a fantastic actor and dancer. Baryshnikov is absolutely sublime in both his dance scenes and the raw emotion he shows in his desperation to return to American soil. He actually defected in real life, which was obviously a valuable experience to draw from in this movie. I love one of his lines: "I am still Russian, I am just not Soviet." Even though the cold was is (supposedly) over, this movie makes an excellent historic piece, as well as a wonderful dance movie. I can watch it over and over again, and still find it enjoyable.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Unbelievable privilege to see Baryshnikov dance up close at his best, 5 September 2006

Author: spam_chaconne from United States

Baryshinikov is the one of the best male dancers of all time. This movie allows you to see him up close and view his "process" for dancing. You can't help but watch in awe at his amazing athletic and physical feats... from the very first scene where you see him slowly lower his entire body from a headstand to lying down to seeing him dance "en pointe" in what appear to be a pair of "Keds". It isn't just seeing the dances that is amazing. It is the opportunity to see the dances from the perspective of an "insider who is sitting right there next to him -- as opposed to watching him from the audience.

This is dancing "eye candy" at its finest -- my favorite escape movie of all time.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Fine interesting movie, wonderfully acted (and of course danced), 19 July 2002
Author: trpdean from New York, New York

I just saw this on television - having resisted my sister-in-law's entreaties years ago to see it. It's awfully good.

The movie is imaginative - having Gregory Hines in a theater in Siberia, a defector to Russia when disillusioned and unable to find use for his talents as an adult tap dancer in America after the Vietnam War, married to the translator initially assigned him (an astonishing peformance by Isabella Rosellini), and performing Porgy & Bess to audiences including Russian troops - well, it's a character and situation you don't find in movies every day!

I was amazed at the close-knit work of actors who were not then first name movie stars - and at how well-drawn these characters are -

Helen Mirren is superb as Baryshnikov's former lover, partner, and now director of the Kirov Ballet - angry and constantly deluding herself that things are getting more artistically free in Russia -

Baryshnikov is excellent, reliving the pain of defection in his old theater, seeing a tape of himself when at 17 he was care-free and full of illusory ambition, the discovery of the erasure of his name among children in Russia, the anger of his former partner for his abandonment of her and denunciation of his "selfishness" in defecting -

Hines as a man living with an atrocious mistake and trying always to justify itself to himself - in Siberia, he seems like a man on Mars -

an almost unrecognizable Rosellini as a Russian woman in pained love with Hines (just the looks on her face of love and sympathy and pity and helplessness for Hines are so powerful and moving - I'll never forget them)-

the four are so very very fine together. Each TRULY seems the person they're portraying. If one were to see news photographs or a documentary about such characters - they would look this way, sound this way, move and speak and dress this way.

The dancing is very enjoyable to watch - and you really needn't be a fan of dance (I'm not) to marvel at it.

The only downside of the movie is that it takes these four fascinating and pained characters, and stuffs them into a somewhat formulaic action plot. I also found the music too heavy throughout - let there be silences as they contemplate their messy situations.

This is very well worth seeing.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
outstanding! Defies qualification., 1 April 2007

Author: (egghead018@yahoo.com) from United States

I absolutely ADORE this movie. I have seen in originally with my father when I was still young and then many times afterward. Gregory Hines is breathtaking, Mikhail Baryshnikov... well he is Mikhail Baryshnikov! :) The dance sequences are wonderful, the acting is top notch, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie. I was appalled when movie renting stores did not have the movie in the US. They had any other crap that crawled out of Hollywood, but not this masterpiece.

I think it is an underrated movie, and joins Zorba the Greek, La Strada and America, America in the top movies I have ever seen.

I wholeheartedly recommend it. Give it a chance and you will not regret it. I guarantee you will get goose-bumps throughout the movie. Enjoy! :)

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