White Nights (1985) User Reviews (52)

The role made for Baryshnikov

[juneebuggy · 8/10 · 16 April 2018]

I hadn't seen this movie in 20 plus years and had forgotten most of it except that I'd really liked it. I enjoyed it in my rewatch too, a unique story, worth checking out for the opening dance number with Mikhail Baryshnikov if nothing else. Its incredible, showcasing a true athlete. Gregory Hines is pretty great too, tap dancing and singing, the two together are fantastic.

White Nights is from the mid 80's and except for some cheesy music stands up well. Baryshnikov plays a touring ballet dancer who, after defecting to America years earlier finds himself back in Russia when the plane he's travelling on is forced to make a crash landing in Siberia. Trapped in the country he'd once escaped, 'Nicolai' is taken to stay with American (Gregory Hines) who himself defected during the Vietnam war. Together they dance and plot an escape.

This role must have been written exclusively for Baryshnikov because I can't think that anyone else could have done it.

Isabella Rossellini plays Hines' Russian wife. Her character is well acted but a bit of a twit. If I was making a run for the American embassy and my life was on the line I would not be wearing a bright red sweater, especially during white nights when the sun doesn't set. We also get an appearance from a very young Helen Mirren as Nicolai's former love that he left behind when he defected.

Worth checking out for views of the old soviet union, fantastic dance sequences.

A couple songs from Phil Collins on the soundtrack and some other bad 80s music is used

Way before Dirty Dancing there was White Nights!!

[PredragReviews · 8/10 · 29 June 2016]

Enjoy the view of Roland Petit's "Le Jeune Homme et La Morte" and Baryshnikov's famous "pas de deux with a chair" (finally captured on film)as an almost participant, and the two self-choreographed studio sequences of Baryshnikov and Hines with a camera that moves as quickly over, below, and above the dancers as the dancers themselves. Having seen Baryshnikov live several times (once with the Kirov, then ABT, and from backstage wings once or twice), I had no problem guessing the outcome of that ruble/pirouette bet. So glory in the dance sequences and the views of two masters at work, and an enterprising and creative director with a political heart. The music is great (I particularly remember the sticky rhythmic beat of "My love is chemical" by Lou Reed). Despite the obvious age that the picture shows "White Nights" is a beautiful movie, with spectacular dancing sequences, definitely worth watching. Personally to me, it is certainly a pity that the whole story is still as appealing as it was over twenty years ago.

Overall, the acting is very good. Quite frankly, the pairing of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Greggory Hines and Isabella Rosselini is reason enough to see this film. Not that I'd recommend it to everybody. Sure, it feels kind of dated with the 80's music. And like every single dance movie I've ever seen, it's a little difficult to take it seriously when the characters suddenly stop their dialogue and dance because the screenplay says "insert stunning dance sequence here". In any case, I have always liked the tension in this movie, the struggle to be free and the dancing as a way to demonstrate all the forbidden thoughts and feelings. Baryshnikov and Hines were great dancing partners. Actually, just the dancing alone is worth watching this movie.

Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

If you like dancing...here are 2 of the best

[shrinkv · 8/10 · 27 May 2000]

The story is only fair, the acting not quite as good as the story, but the dancing....can't be beat. Try to decide who is the best dancer... Hines with Ballet or Baryshnikov with tap... or both doing a combination of both styles. These guys can dance

The best ballet film ever

[M-19 · 15 June 1999]

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.

Great music and dancing, the rest is so-so

[Idocamstuf · 7/10 · 13 February 2003]

"White Nights" is one of those films that was a hit at the time of its release but after a few years it kind of became forgotten. The film has some great songs in it, including music by Phil Collins, and Lionel Richie's academy award winning "Say You, See Me". The dancing is also very fun to watch. The problem is that the story and plot are not as well devolped as they should be. The performaces are very good, especially Isabella Rosellini's and Helen Mirren's. The direction is also great, it was directed by Taylor Hackford who is done some very beautiful films such as "An Officer and A Gentleman" and "Doloris Claiborne", his direction styles are very similar to Alan Parker's(if anyone knows who he is or cares) who did "Midnight Express", and "The Commitments". Overall its not a bad film, take a look if you like the actors in the film or dance. 6.8 out of 10

Great dancing, weak plot

[bvsfan · 6/10 · 9 January 2010]

I don't know how it is that I've never seen this movie especially since my daughter was a tap dancer for 12 years and we were both such huge fans of Gregory Hines. The dancing is superb by both Mikhail and Gregory. The acting a little stiff especially by MB. Predictable but for me, the dancing and the music make the movie. The plot is ridiculous. It's too bad that Gregory Hines wasn't bigger during the 80's and 90's, it's a shame that dancing didn't make a comeback in films the way it should have. Loved the background music, loved the sole dance scene by Hines, loved the duet by both of them, HATED the opening sequence, everything I always hated about "modern" dance. Still worth seeing, if only for the dancing and the somewhat factual USSR defection problems. Seems so long ago now that artists and others actually had to "escape" a country. But the question still begs to be asked: If Raymond needed to leave the U.S. why in the H*** would he end up in freaking Siberia vs. all the other European countries he could have moved to??

Unbelievable privilege to see Baryshnikov dance up close at his best

[spam_chaconne · 10/10 · 5 September 2006]

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.

Flawed but still a nice piece of work

[sq8188 · 7/10 · 10 September 2005]

Not enough is said about Helen Mirren's superb performance as the former lover and balerina. Her Russian affectations are perfect. And nice legs too. About the flaws there are 2 major ones. First off, the whole movie was building for a grand finale in which Barishnikov will give one grand final performance never happened. Second, through out much of the movie, Hines and Barishnikov argued and bickered with each other to the point of antagonizing each other. Yes it's supposed to be clash of culture. But it went too far. Then suddenly near the end they turned lovy-dovy and cooperated. Hard to believe. If you dismiss these fau pax you will find an refreshing, intriguing movie worth sitting through more than 2 hours to see.

Mistakenly Underrated

[Alenchik · 10/10 · 13 June 2001]

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 :)

Two Spectacular Performers Dance Around One Weak Cold War Thriller...Literally

[EUyeshima · 6/10 · 11 September 2006]

Seeing this 1985 movie (dubbed without irony by director Taylor Hackford as a "political dance thriller" in his DVD commentary) over twenty years later in a pristine new print reminds me exactly what I thought about it back then. That is that Hackford recruited two world-class dancers of completely different genres and then went about and contrived a far-fetched Cold War thriller story around them. It is really the unparalleled dancing that makes this film still watchable beginning with Mikhail Baryshnikov's extraordinary performance of Roland Petit's ballet, "Le jeune homme et la mort", opposite Florence Faure over the opening credits. His artful athleticism inevitably makes the rest of his acting feel rather pedestrian, as he unsurprisingly portrays Nikolai Rodchenko, a world-renowned Russian ballet dancer who has defected to the US after having been the leading performer of the Kirov Ballet.

Written by James Goldman, the plot has his character on a Tokyo-bound airliner that's forced to land in Siberia where KGB authorities want to detain him in order to have him stay permanently in his homeland. To help matters along, Colonel Chaiko, the chief Soviet intelligence officer, decides to have Rodchenko live with Raymond Greenwood, a black American who has defected to the Soviet Union because the pervasive racism has not allowed his own artistic freedom. Gregory Hines acquits himself admirably with this impossible role, but more importantly, it simply provides him an excuse to dazzle with his own "tap improvography" (the actual verbiage used in the end credits) in a couple of spectacular tap numbers. The two masters even get to duet twice, and instead of looking incompatible, they are quite stunning as they mesh their divergent styles fluidly.

The rest of the overly long story feels like an old episode of the 1960's TV series, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." where Chaiko plots to convince Rodchenko to stay by reinstating him at the Kirov, which is now under the management of his abandoned lover, Gailna Ivanova. Trust issues arise between the former lovers, and yet another complicating element to his escape is Greenwood's Russian wife Darya who has not fully reconciled with her husband's U.S.-bred values and stays fearful at the possibility of leaving the Soviet Union. The events in the last quarter of the film consist of standard-issue spy thriller clichés and it all ends in a quite unbelievable manner.

Polish film director Jerzy Skomilowsky portrays Chaiko in an all-too-familiar dastardly manner. Playing Russian women, Isabella Rossellini (in her American film debut) and especially Helen Mirren are convincing, even if their decidedly secondary roles require little more than crying and expressing regrets. At certain moments and I'm sure they are quite intentional, Rossellini emits a glowing innocence similar to her mother Ingrid Bergman in her youth. The estimable Geraldine Page is wasted playing Rodchenko's agitated American manager. The soundtrack brings back nostalgic memories for me, even if the 1980's-style music makes the film feel as dated as the persistently gray images of pre-Gorbachev Russia.

The new 2006 DVD includes a relatively insightful commentary track from Hackford and a nice twenty-minute looking-back featurette which includes remembrances from Hackford, Rossellini and Mirren and a brief tribute to Hines who died in 2003. The original theatrical trailer, a piece of 80's kitsch in itself, is also included as well as previews to unrelated dance-oriented films and DVDs.

Say You, Say Me, Say Cold War Tension

[evanston_dad · 5/10 · 8 April 2008]

One of many films from the 1980s that used the U.S.-Soviet tension of the time as an excuse to put all manner of hokum up on the movie screens.

Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines come away relatively unscathed from this movie. Both are in it solely for their dancing abilities, and really that's the whole reason for the film's existence, that and the opportunity to give us not one but two smash hit songs to perform at that year's Oscar ceremony.

Featuring Helen Mirren, before anyone knew who Helen Mirren was, and Geralding Page, who would win an Oscar that year for "The Trip to Bountiful."

Grade: C+

Dance choreographed by Twyla Tharpe -- need I say more?

[lannaheim · 10/10 · 21 January 2002]

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.

Say you, say me

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 30 November 2014]

White Nights is helped greatly by the Phil Collins title track and the dancing between the leads although the basic storyline is both intriguing and silly.

A Russian ballet dancer (Baryshnikov) turned defector finds his Tokyo bound plane has crash landed suddenly in the Soviet Union and the KGB are in no mood to forget his lack of patriotism.

The KGB get Baryshnikov to live with a black American defector (Gregory Hines) but amidst some verbal sparring they both decide to escape. Helen Mirren plays a former love interest of Baryshnikov who feels betrayed by him.

The latter part of the film is a cliché spy film plot as our protagonists try to escape the Russians. However the film is an excuse to see Baryshnikov in his pomp doing what he was known for best. Ballet Dancing as well as busting some moves with Hines, himself a noted Jazz/Tap dancer.

Both actors were underutilised by Hollywood for their dancing skills and although the plot is basic (Hines reason to leave America looks a tad weak) both actors play well against each other, ably supported by Mirren and Rossellini. The film is kitschy fun with a dated 80s style.

A ruined powerful film.

[Poet-5 · 3/10 · 8 January 1999]

I was watching this movie, and at first, I was enjoying it and finding it somewhat powerful. The dance sequences were undoubtedly remarkable and as were the performances. I began to enjoy watching it, but about two- thirds of the way through, I began to get tired of the sappy bonds between Baryshikov's and Hines's characters. Also, the escape scenes give the movie an unneeded "Hurry up, GO GO!" feel to it. It is frustrating to know how good this film could have been with how remarkable the performers are and with its powerful storyline.

Fine interesting movie, wonderfully acted (and of course danced)

[trpdean · 19 July 2002]

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.

JUST OKAY - (6 stars out of 10)

[BJG-Reviews · 6/10 · 20 November 2019]

The stage curtains open ...

So ... I know right away that a lot of people may read this one and say, "What the heck? Only 6 stars?" If I had reviewed this one back in the day when it was new, fresh and exciting, I probably would have rated it a lot higher. But, after watching this one 34 years later, it just didn't resonate with me.

When a commercial airplane is forced to make an emergency landing inside Russia, a famous dancer (Mikhail Baryshnikov) who had defected is taken into custody and forced to once more live the life of a Soviet. He is aided by an American deserter (Gregory Hines), a tap dancer who is doing his best to get by with his loving and faithful wife. While they plan their escape, they put everything on the line and risk their very lives for an uncertain future.

So first, the dance scenes and choreography was simply amazing in this film. Both Baryshnikov and Hines were masters of their craft and the chemistry between them here was surprisingly very good. For me though, the in-between moments really fall flat. The story is rather overdone and generic. And, as a whole, this movie hasn't held up well at all over the years. This is the type of movie that might pop on late night on some obscure cable channel and you might watch it and enjoy the dancing. The music is very dated as well.

This one isn't bad, it just doesn't deliver the punch it once used to anymore. Except for Helen Mirren and Isabella Rossellini, the acting is pretty dry. I can't really recommend it, but I wouldn't dissuade anyone from watching it either. If you've never seen it, you might appreciate it, but I think it would probably go on the "view once only" list. 6 stars out of 10.

Baryshnikov and Hines great

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 21 September 2016]

Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko (Mikhail Baryshnikov) is a Soviet defector ballet star. During a flight from Tokyo, the plane is forced to land in Siberia. The injured Kolya is taken by KGB Colonel Chaiko to dance once again for the Soviet Union. Former American Raymond Greenwood (Gregory Hines) becomes his minder and dance motivator. Raymond is a defector and performer who is married to Russian girl Darya (Isabella Rossellini). Galina Ivanova (Helen Mirren) is Kolya's former partner and old flame. Kolya wants to escape but he has to determine if Raymond is a friend or foe.

The chemistry between Baryshnikov and Hines is great. Baryshnikov is not necessarily a good actor but he doesn't need to be great in this. Their clashing styles of dance is fun and thrilling. The escape isn't anything great but there are locations in Leningrad. This is an old style communist espionage thriller in the ever-changing new era of détente.

incredibly beautiful and breathtaking film

[blanche-2 · 10/10 · 31 July 2017]

I'm in shock over the low rating "White Nights" (1985) has on IMDb. I don't know why, unless some people hear the word ballet and go running.

Taylor Hackford directed this excellent film, which stars Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines, Helen Mirren, Isabella Rossellini, Geraldine Page, and Jerzy Skolimowski. It was filmed in Finland, England, Portugal, Scotland, with exterior Russian footage. Hackford wanted to get the specific lighting of the "white nights," the midnight sun, and found the closest to be Finland.

The story concerns a brilliant dancer, Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko (Baryshnikov) who boards a plane with his manager (Page) bound for Japan. During the flight, a technical problem develops and the pilot announces the plane has to land in Siberia. Nikolai, a defector, rips up his passport in an attempt to hide his identity, but it's no use.

He is sent to a Russian hospital to recover from a head wound, and needless to say, they have no intention of letting him go. In fact, they want him to dance at the Kirov again.

Nikolai is ultimately housed with an American performer, Raymond (Gregory Hines) and his Russian wife (Rossellini). Raymond, a Vietnam deserter, left the U.S. for Russia where he thought people were treated more equally (yeah, badly). The relationship between the two men is antagonistic at first but a friendship develops as they plot to escape from the oppressive society.

The star of the film, of course, is the incredible dancing, choreographed by Roland Petit, Twyla Tharp, Baryshnikov, and Hines - modern, ballet, and tap, the highlight being Raymond's and Nikolai's dual dance. In the beginning, Hines does a scene from Porgy and Bess and sings and dances to "There's a Boat That's Leaving Soon for New York" - terrific.

Add to this a fantastic soundtrack that includes "Separate Lives" and "Say You, Say Me," and the stunning Helen Mirren - I don't know what else anyone would want. Suspenseful, thrilling, and well acted, White Nights is a must-see, a political story about friendship and freedom.

Worth it mainly for Baryshnikov fans

[angelofvic · 6/10 · 1 October 2011]

Mixed feelings about this one. Rented it in hopes of some good Baryshnikov dancing encased in an interesting plot. I got through only 30 minutes of it and packed it back to Netflix for the following day's mail. I relented the next day and decided I should at least check for any dance sequences. So I did, and fast-forwarded through most of the rest of the film, watching only enough to get me the general plot or good parts.

The film stars Mikhail Baryshnikov, with Gregory Hines, Isabella Rossellini, and Helen Mirren. Yes, some big names there, but not put to the best use. The script is leaden and dull, the directing soporific. Hines looks lost as an actor, in his admittedly incongruous part of a black American tap-dancer who has defected to Russia because of racism in the U.S. The movie is about a famous Russian-American dancer (Baryshnikov) who crash-lands in the USSR and is apprehended as a former defector and forced to stay and hopefully dance. Hines and his new Soviet wife (Rossellini) are forced to babysit him and, along with the danseur's Russian ex-flame Mirren, convince him to dance at the upcoming opening night at the Kirov.

Most of it was skip-worthy, but there's a great, passionate dance Baryshnikov does to a rousing banned Russian song. There's also a dancing duo between Baryshnikov and Hines which is quite lovely. Apart from a modern-dance snippet at the film's outset, and an 11-pirouette turn by Baryshnikov on a bet, that's all of his dancing. They really should have capitalized on his presence and given us a real showstopper to top off the film, but I guess that didn't fit the plot, such as it was.

I wasn't really into Hines' numbers that much. There were a few dramatic scenes I stayed tuned for, and the shots of Leningrad are really great, but plot- and acting-wise this ended up being a tiny bit of a "Yes, Giorgio" (the Pavarotti flop), but not nearly that unwatchable. I did enjoy Baryshnikov whenever he was on screen, whether it was acting or dancing. The man is just magnetic, and very cinematic.

As I got more into it, I decided to watch the "Making of" special feature snippets, which were actually better than the plot of the movie itself. Did you know that they couldn't film in Russia with Baryshnikov, because as a defector he was a criminal and feared re-capture and punishment? (They still got plenty of Leningrad exteriors, though.) And that Gregory Hines called him "Mike" for the duration, and Baryshnikov didn't object? (His usual sobriquet is "Misha.") And that Helen Mirren met her husband, director Taylor Hackford, on this set? And that half of Helen Mirren's family is Russian, and her birth name is Helen Mironoff?

I'd give it a 6/10. Definitely worth it for Baryshnikov fans, but prepare to use fast forward if you tend to lose patience.

Worth seeing

[catbird-3 · 9/10 · 3 September 2000]

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.

Not too bad really, for a blatant anti-Soviet movie...

[sorrow87 · 6/10 · 13 September 2005]

Well it's a pretty fantastic movie, combining two of the greatest dancers of our time in a bunch of fantastic sequences. And that's the good part.

I think the anti-Soviet propaganda is pretty strong with this one, but really, what can you expect from an American director at the height of the Cold War? Still, some of the parts can be a bit much if you're from the generation after.

All in all, a good movie. Mikhail the disenchanted expatriate dancer who longs for his former glories, and Gregory Hines the tortured protagonist who simply longs for a better life.

I cannot believe this junk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[evgeniy77 · 1/10 · 5 November 2005]

First, I would like to voice my outrage at the exploitation of Vladimir Vysotsky's talent five years after his death for this piece of Reagan-esquire propaganda. Another dehumanization of the USSR, especially when it was it had only 6 years of existence left. Another contrived plot that has nothing in common with reality. If an artist defected, they would not try to pull him back, this would be beneath them. Besides, he is not a government worker or a military officer--- he does not have any secrets that they would want to keep him quiet about it. This is "so-called" art done for the benefit of Reagan's propaganda. If Americans want to see what Russian society was really like, they should see any of the Soviet films(PREFERABLY of the 60's, 70.s, and 80's) found in abundance on this website.

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?

[elisa-liv · 10/10 · 20 May 2006]

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!

Cold war, Ballet and Tap dance!!!!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 12 April 2019]

Ballet, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Tap dance too feminine gender to my rough taste, however due the both leading actors are great dancers indeed, stay impossible to discuss or not agree with such undeniable facts, the plot is utterly weak if this really happened on URSS, they never running from there, the crazy idea of an African American get a dual nationality from communist government is too unbelievable in those days, already to see a still young Helen Mirren pays the picture alone, the escape was unreasonable to accept, the USA's embassy never will support such thing, mainly concerning a Russian citizen as Mikhail always was, the soundtrack is a crap, too sugary, but such song shall be match with the ballet, pink color...etc...etc... just watchable for Mirren & Rossellini!!

Resume:

First watch: 1989 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7

Surprising performances by all. (RIP Gregory Hines)

[SweetDiversions · 12 November 2004]

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.