The White Crow
Short description
The White Crow centres on Rudolf Nureyev, a young dancer from Leningrad whose talent lifts him out of a constrained Soviet upbringing and into the Kirov Ballet. Sent to Paris with the company in 1961, he is drawn to the city's museums, jazz clubs and artistic circles, and to Clara Saint, a young woman moving in fashionable French society. The KGB minders watching him disapprove of these Western contacts, and as the tour nears its end Nureyev faces a decision about whether to return home or seek asylum, with the Soviet authorities determined to prevent him from staying.
Ralph Fiennes directs from a screenplay by David Hare. The film is his third as director, following Coriolanus and The Invisible Woman, and he also appears in a supporting role as Alexander Pushkin, alongside Oleg Ivenko as Nureyev, Adèle Exarchopoulos as Clara Saint and Chulpan Khamatova as Xenia Jurgenson. It is a British-Serbian production, and the large credited cast and crew reflect the scale of the undertaking.
Released in 2018, the film runs 127 minutes. On IMDb it holds 6.6 from around 7,400 votes, and on TMDB 6.6 from roughly 258 votes. A critics' rating of 6.4 from 135 reviews places it slightly below the audience scores, indicating a broadly moderate reception on both sides.
What's left behind the scenes
- Ralph Fiennes did not initially want to act in his own film, knowing from experience how difficult it is to balance performing in front of the camera with directorial duties. While seeking funding, he constantly heard from potential sponsors the question of whether he would star in the film himself. Hearing a negative answer, potential investors immediately lost interest in the project, and after a series of rejections, Fiennes was forced to take on one of the roles.
- Hayden Christensen, who practiced ballet as a child, was initially planned for the role of Rudolf Nureyev, however, a knee injury prevented him from performing the movements and pas de deux required for the role to the director Ray Fiennes' expectations.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
