White Nights

PG-13

Released Nov 22, 1985

2 hr. 15 min.

Drama

List

46%

13 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

When his plane makes an emergency landing in Siberia, ballet dancer Nikolai Rodchenko (Mikhail Baryshnikov) is recognized as a defector and brought into custody. Returned to Leningrad and reunited with his former love, aging prima ballerina Galina Ivanova (Helen Mirren), Nikolai meets American dancer Raymond Greenwood (Gregory Hines), who defected to the Soviet Union during the Vietnam War but has secretly grown disenchanted. Together, they plot an escape to the American consulate and freedom.

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Heidi

Star-studded Cold-War era drama/thriller. It'd become dated through the decades, but is now eeriely prescient with the arrest of a Russian-American Ballerina charged with treason.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/24

Full Review

Steve D

The tone is all over the place and the cuts to song and dance are just odd.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/27/23

Full Review

Debra S

I have always loved this movie - more for the dancing of the two leads than the plot, but I've watched it several times and still remain entranced by it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I feel the negative reviews of this movie over the years are completely missing the point of the whole movie and are most likely White Men that are narrow minded. The movie has an important message especially now. Gregory Hines speech in the beginning of the movie of why he defected was quite moving and most white Americans would not understand any of what he was taking about. I know many Russians that defected from Russia and they all agree that the movie interpreted there greatest fear. It is a classic and a must see.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Excellent , I've seen it many years ago & I what to see it again, please somebody send me a link of this magnificent movie or indicate a site where I can see, tnx you !

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A bit too Hollywood-ized (especially the ending), but good nonetheless. A little more duo-dance performance from Hines & Baryshnikov would have been good too.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

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Taylor Hackford

Director

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Nikolai "Kolya" Rodchenko

Gregory Hines

Raymond Greenwood

Isabella Rossellini

Darya Greenwood

Jerzy Skolimowski

Colonel Chaiko

Helen Mirren

Galina Ivanova

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: 3/5

Nov 1, 2004

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

White Nights is made by people who seem much more comfortable with dance than with the requirements of the Hollywood thriller. It comes to life in the dance sequences, and then drifts away again.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

'80s dance drama has some violence, profanity.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 12, 2016

Full Review

Jake Euker

F5 (Wichita, KS)

Rated: 1/5

Feb 18, 2007

Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Rated: 3/5

Oct 22, 2006

Full Review

Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

Rated: 2/5

Oct 5, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

When his plane makes an emergency landing in Siberia, ballet dancer Nikolai Rodchenko (Mikhail Baryshnikov) is recognized as a defector and brought into custody. Returned to Leningrad and reunited with his former love, aging prima ballerina Galina Ivanova (Helen Mirren), Nikolai meets American dancer Raymond Greenwood (Gregory Hines), who defected to the Soviet Union during the Vietnam War but has secretly grown disenchanted. Together, they plot an escape to the American consulate and freedom.

Director: Taylor Hackford
Screenwriter: James Goldman
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation, New Visions Pictures, Delphi IV Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 22, 1985, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 18, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $41.5M
Sound Mix: Stereo, Surround

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