Film
The White Crow + Ralph Fiennes satellite Q&A
- Director
- Ralph Fiennes
- Certificate
- 12A
- Running Time
- 127 mins
Scripted by David Hare, Ralph Fiennes‘ third film as director (after Coriolanus and The Invisible Woman) centres on young Russian ballet star Rudolf Nureyev’s dramatic 1961 defection to the west by eluding his KGB minders in Paris.
This should make for a tense and involving drama, but many critics struggled with the flashback-driven nature of Fiennes’ structurally ambitious film. These begin by whisking us right back to the moment of his birth in Siberia and take in his student years in Leningrad and subsequent seduction by the decadent West in Paris. “… the narrative bounces all over the place trying to cover too much ground when concentrating on the core drama would have far better served the desired end,” reckoned the Hollywood Reporter. On the plus side, dancer and first-time actor Oleg Ivenko‘s performance in the demanding role of Nureyev has received widespread praise. Ballet enthusiasts should also be delighted by the casting of Ukrainian dancer Sergei Polunin as his chum Yuri Soloviev. Fiennes himself pops up as Nureyev’s mentor, Pushkin. This preview screening is followed by a satellite Q&A with Ralph Fiennes.
is needed now More than ever
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
