The White Crow (2019)

Rating: 6.5/10
Genre: Drama
Related Titles: Black Swan, Dancer, Red Joan
By Leanne Harragan

When young Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev travels to Paris, his life is changed forever.

The White Crow is one of those films that doesn't get a huge release and it's a shame because it's a worthy watch. Based on the life of ballet dance Rudolf Nureyev this film follows his rise to power and fame in ballet circles across Europe. It's not the most gripping watch but it's got good pace and it's interesting, ballet isn't something that is widely represented in the cinema. 

One of the things that I enjoyed about this film was that being set in Russia and France, it's main languages were Russian and French, while a lot of people would be put off by this, I love it. It makes it feel much more realistic and makes it easier to be sucked into the different cultures and behaviours that were shown on screen. 

With any film that set in the times of a communist Russia, it's always an interesting insight into life under this rule. While these people were considered to be the best dancers in their profession, it doesn't change the way they were treated. While away representing Russia in Paris, Nureyev and his companions enjoy exploring the sights but Nureyev is just the next level of this. He especially enjoys life under a different governing body. This makes the Russian management feels he is mocking their life and he is soon put on a watch list that eventually affects his life in a big way. 

Nureyev's ballet performances are quite enchanting, even if his character is not. He is quite a frustrated and almost unlikable person in that his cocky and stubborn nature affect his friendships and relationships with almost everyone around him. It's quite frustrating to watch him move through life pissing everyone around him off, that being said his dancing is enthralling. 

The White Crow is not the most exciting of films but it's something different that I enjoyed viewing. Director Ralph Fiennes has created a good piece of media in this film, it's got a good pace, is shot very precisely and provides an insight into life under the USSR in a different aspect of life.