Nureyev - The White Crow

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.

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

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

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

A beautiful film. But not so convincing. Correct but easy to reduce it to the last part tension. Interesting portrait of the period, expression of admiration for Nureev art, seductive ballet scenes and the hard try to convince. But, in too many parts, the film remains only a sketch. The good points - hard effort of Oleg Ivanko to create his role and to convince the viewer, the passion of Ralph Fiennes to the project, the presence of Sergei Polunin and the performance of Adele Exarchopoulos. The result is, obvious, a beautiful one . But convince it ? In few points, with indulgence in other.