IMDb RATING
6.6/10
8.2K
YOUR RATING
A Russian American ballet dancer's airplane is forced to land in USSR, where he's "repatriated". He stays with an American man married to a Russian. Will the American help him flee USSR?A Russian American ballet dancer's airplane is forced to land in USSR, where he's "repatriated". He stays with an American man married to a Russian. Will the American help him flee USSR?A Russian American ballet dancer's airplane is forced to land in USSR, where he's "repatriated". He stays with an American man married to a Russian. Will the American help him flee USSR?
- Won 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 2 nominations total
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMikhail Baryshnikov reportedly was insistent with the producers that gramatically-correct Russian be spoken in this movie instead of the often nonsensical hybrid often used in American movies. Baryshinkov also did a scene where he spoke French. In real life, it was his second language.
- GoofsMikhail Barishnikov goes through a sky light bare chested and emerges wearing T - shirt.
- Quotes
Colonel Chaiko: Modern man is so confused, Raymond. Finally, it's much better to work in the theater... than in a mine.
- Alternate versionsThe UK cinema release was cut by 16s to remove two uses of 'fuck' to earn a PG rating. Subsequent video versions restore the strong language and raise the certificate to 15.
- ConnectionsFeatured in At the Movies: The Holcroft Covenant/Bring on the Night/Target (1985)
- SoundtracksSeparate Lives
(Love Theme)
Written by Stephen Bishop
Produced by Arif Mardin, Phil Collins, and Hugh Padgham
Performed by Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
Courtesy of Atlantic Records and Virgin Records
Featured review
The role made for Baryshnikov
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
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
helpful•120
- juneebuggy
- Apr 16, 2018
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- White Nights - Nacht der Entscheidung
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $20,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $42,160,849
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $477,539
- Nov 24, 1985
- Gross worldwide
- $42,160,849
- Runtime2 hours 16 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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