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THE WHITE CROW (2019)
The White Crow poster

CAST
OLEG IVENKO
ADELE EXARCHOPOULOS
RALPH FIENNES
LOUIS HOFMANN
CHULPAN KHAMATOVA
ALEKSEY MOROZOV
SERGEI POLUNIN
OLIVIER RABOURDIN
RAPHAEL PERSONNAZ

INSPIRED BY THE BOOK “RUDOLG NUREYEV: THE LIFE” BY
JULIE KAVANAGH

SCREENPLAY BY
DAVID HARE

PRODUCED BY
CAROLYN MARKS BLACKWOOD
FRANCOIS IVERNEL
ANDREW LEVITAS
GABRIELLE TANA

DIRECTED BY
RALPH FIENNES

GENRE
BIOGRAPHY
DRAMA

RATED
AUS:M
UK:12A
USA:R

RUNNING TIME
127 MIN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The White Crow image

A curiously passionless biopic, The White Crow does little with its true-life story of ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev’s defection to the west, save for deliver a bland history lesson.

The story of legendary ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev is one that is ripe for a film adaptation. The talent, the passion, the defection… it has all the drama and stakes to make for a fine dramatic thriller. The White Crow is not that film. Directed by Ralph Fiennes (his third movie behind the lens), The White Crow tells Nureyev’s story with a frustrating restraint. Nureyev captivated audiences with his agility, power and grace. Yet in no way does Fiennes replicate that experience on screen. We are asked to buy into the legend, yet never truly get to experience the making of that legend, nor do we understand the making of the man.

What we do know is that Nureyev was a very serious man. And angry. Very angry. As performed by Oleg Ivenko (his feature film debut) it is a very one-note portrayal of a very complex man. Ivenko – a famous Ukraninan dancer – does get to shine during the dance sequences. Yet these moments are all too brief.  Fiennes needed to give more time to the stage, to wow us just as Nureyev wowed so many during his time. Instead Fiennes opts for an introspective approach, yet it’s done in such a cold, calculated, restrictive way that there is no room for this biopic to breathe.

The White Crow begins in 1960 as the Mariinsky Ballet – the premiere ballet company of the Soviet Union - land in Paris for a lengthy tour. Immediately Nureyev takes to the museums and nightlife of Paris. He makes friends with numerous socialites. He frequents gay bars. KGB agents assigned to monitor the ballet squad are alarmed at his rebellious nature.

It is never really explained why Nureyev took to Paris the way he did. Flashbacks to a tough upbringing bring some depth to the proceedings, yet Fiennes and editor Barney Pilling (The Grand Budapest Hotel) present this through sporadic, distracting flashback sequences. If there ever was a film that needed to be shown in sequence, this would be it.

Cinematographer Mike Eley (My Cousin Rachel) delivers crisp imagery, and great production design by Anne Seibel (Midnight in Paris) and costume design by Madeline Fontaine (Jackie) creates a fine-looking period movie. The White Crow is also a laboured and spiritless one that fails to take flight.

 

**1/2

 

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