Ralph Fiennes’ tale of Russian dancer and defector Rudolf Nureyev is stylish but fails to slip into its characters’ ballet flats.
I have a lot of questions: “Why do so many movies insist on proving themselves instead of blossoming organically?” I asked myself as I sat in the theater for The White Crow. “Why choose this sort of structure?” I thought each time a scene passed. But most of all, I found myself thinking the same thing over and over: “Why make this film? There are so many movies to put effort into, so why this one?”
When a real-life story is as engaging as The White Crow’s, and these questions still cloud around me, there must be a lot of problems. A lot of them come from Ralph Fiennes, who, directing his third feature, seems all too eager to prove himself. Not only has he chosen to tell the life story of acclaimed dancer Rudolf Nureyev and his defection from the Soviet Union to France, but he’s sprinkled it with the ostensive signs of an artiste.
That includes a nonlinear structure, a supporting role for himself, and nearly monochromatic flashbacks that look like the opening of Antichrist as shot with an Instagram filter. There’s something good in here, but it isn’t visible onscreen. If the viewer squints hard enough, though, they might be able to see a driving force. Oleg Ivenko plays Rudolph Nureyev, the iconic Soviet dancer who earned a spot at the Bolshoi ballet company in Moscow.
The film sees him as a stone-faced dreamer. You know the kind—the kind that gives death glares at anyone who dares question his natural-born talent. That includes Alexander Pushkin (Fiennes), the ballet master who probes the ingénue with questions about their craft. “Why do we dance?” he asks Nureyev. “Everyone focuses on technique but not on why.” That “everyone,” as it would appear, includes the filmmakers themselves. The White Crow is so obsessed with keeping up appearances that it fails to dive below the surface.
David Hare’s (The Hours, The Reader) script sleepily introduces a troupe of characters, including Nureyev’s love interest, Clara (Adèle Exarchopoulos), who instantly falls for him despite having lost her boyfriend to a car crash just six days prior. Also in the mix is his roommate, Yuri (Sergei Polunin), with whom Nureyev begins a tryst. As the film plays, it becomes clear that these subplots don’t have much of an endpoint. They’re vehicles for themes instead.
The White Crow is so obsessed with keeping up appearances that it fails to dive below the surface.
That could have worked, but Fiennes and Hare never go deep enough into the more salient ideas regarding national identity, gender identity, and sexuality. In its places are flashbacks of Nureyev’s childhood with his mother, shot pallidly by Mike Eley (My Cousin Rachel). It’s a shame, too, since the bulk of the film looks quite nice with its 16mm photography, gauzily giving a sense of time.
And while the film looks quite good, those sensibilities are lost from a narrative perspective. The muddled structure constricts all but the most overt scenes that, even in a grander scope, feel anticlimactic and lack the requisite intrigue both personally and politically. Ivenko, who is a dancer in real life, does strong work in the ballet scenes but stumbles through his dialogue. It’s especially distracting in his scenes opposite Fiennes, whose work is leagues better in front of the camera than behind it. Again, he’s all about that technique. It’s the why that’s missing.
Where’s the sense of scope? Where’s the specificity, the momentum, the insight? Just like how Pushkin asks why artists plunge so much into their craft, I couldn’t help but ask why Fiennes and Hare wanted to tell this story. Their portrayal of Nureyev is little more than of an arrogant brat. Even if there is truth to that, there has to be more. Their film lacks cultural insight and its characters hold little weight, and for a movie about a dancer, it’s far too stiff to work.
So just why do we dance? I’m still not sure.
The White Crow Trailer:
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
After a years-long hiatus, scientist and explorer Albert Lin is coming back to National Geographic with a fresh new season of Lost Cities, renamed “Lost Cities Revealed.” In the past, Lin, who is probably the closest we’ll ever get to a real-life Indiana Jones, has traveled everywhere from the ancient Knights Templar in Israel to ... How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
If you’re a fan of true crime and insider docu-shows like The First 48 and Court Cam, then you’re probably already familiar with A&E. The cable channel is home to other reality TV gems like Hoarders, Duck Dynasty, and Storage Wars (they’ve moved on to spin-offs like Road Wars, Customer Wars, and Prison Wars now). ... How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
As the sister channel of the much bigger Univision, Unimás is home to popular Spanish-language telenovelas and talk shows (yes, including El Gordo y La Flaca), as well as a couple of sports events and programs. Most notably, however, Unimás also operates a couple of station affiliates around the country, so it also reports local ... How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial