The White Crow
A fiercely gifted young dancer challenges Soviet control, artistic convention, and personal fear on the path to becoming Rudolf Nureyev.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- intense
- serious
- searching
- historical film night
- ballet appreciation
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film a reasonably diverting and well-intentioned portrait of Nureyev's formative years, though its direction and storytelling were less graceful than its subject.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story follows Rudolf Nureyev's formative years, artistic development, and historic defection.
Nureyev's pursuit of ballet, Western art, and personal freedom conflicts with the controls of 1950s Soviet society and the KGB.
The film's keywords and plot context place Nureyev's sexuality and male homosexual relationships within Soviet-era repression and surveillance.
The overview specifically foregrounds Nureyev's raw physicality and brilliance as a dancer.
Films like The White Crow, and why
Billy Elliot
biographical drama about a groundbreaking performer confronting restrictive institutions and personal ambition
The Danish Girl
artist-centered period drama combining creative obsession, sexuality, and social constraint
Maestro
intense performance biography shaped by artistic genius, authoritarian pressure, and psychological conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Ralph Fiennes
- Release Date
- 2018-08-31
- Runtime
- 127 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (259)
Cast
- Oleg Ivenko
- Adèle Exarchopoulos
- Chulpan Khamatova
- Ralph Fiennes
- Alexey Morozov
- Raphaël Personnaz
- Olivier Rabourdin
- Ravshana Kurkova
- Louis Hofmann
- Sergei Polunin
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The White Crow about?
- A fiercely gifted young dancer challenges Soviet control, artistic convention, and personal fear on the path to becoming Rudolf Nureyev.
- What is The White Crow like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The White Crow as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The White Crow violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The White Crow as mild.
- What did critics think of The White Crow?
- Critics broadly found the film a reasonably diverting and well-intentioned portrait of Nureyev's formative years, though its direction and storytelling were less graceful than its subject.
- Which films are like The White Crow?
- Films with a similar feel include Billy Elliot, The Danish Girl, and Maestro.
- How long is The White Crow?
- The White Crow runs 127 minutes.
- Where can I watch The White Crow?
- In United States, The White Crow is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
