White Nights Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

White Nights Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 11, 2019

Director Taylor Hackford's (An Officer and a Gentleman, Ray) White Nights is so named for the area along the then-Soviet Arctic coast where the sun never sets for a period between May and June. The film, however, is not about Russian geography but is rather a Dance film set against Thriller elements during the height Cold War. The film casts Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshnikov, then two of the world's preeminent dancers, into two fairly hefty roles that challenge them flex their dramatic muscles in several intense scenes. World-class dance, it would seem, is the easy part for these men. There's not enough dance in the film, a shame because each man absolutely dominates the screen with every tap and pirouette, but Hackford finds a generally good balance between exploiting the men's talents and crafting a solidly engaging and dramatically intense picture around their work on the floor.

Nikolai Rodchenko (Mikhail Baryshnikov) is a world-renowned Russian ballet dancer who has defected from the Soviet Union to the West. After an international performance, electrical troubles force his plane to make an emergency landing in the Soviet Union. He is injured in the crash and, despite his best efforts at concealing his identity, he is found out by the KGB. He eventually finds himself alongside an American, Ray Greenwood (Gregory Hines), who has defected to the Soviet Union and made a life for himself, marrying a Russian named Darya (Isabella Rossellini). Ray is himself a gifted tap dancer and the two are expected to perform at the Kirov Ballet. As Nikolai and Ray grow closer, their pasts are revealed in more detail and their futures become intwined.

The film is economical with its dance routines but generally uses them as vital components in building and forwarding the story, both the larger narrative and the personal struggles both lead characters confront throughout the picture. The opening number features Baryshnikov performing before the fateful plane crash that returns him to the Soviet Union, establishing his prowess on the floor. But it is in a scene on the plane, as it's going down over Soviet territory, showing him frantically trying to dispose of his papers and effectively erasing any official documentation revealing his identity, that is the film's first, of several, well-crafted moments of high drama that puts the actors under intense political pressures. Hines performs a tap routine while sharing his life story in what is easily the film's best scene, releasing his energy through his feet as he recalls how dance, convolutedly and at great personal cost and emotional anguish, led him to defect to the USSR. It's a powerful scene that reveals Hines' abilities as dramatic actor. Both men reveal a depth of character built on a foundation that comes from the inside. They play the dramatic intrigue as well as they play the dance routines, and it is because of their combined efforts that the film rises in stature from generic period Thriller to well-rounded human interest story.

Hackford maintains a tonal balance through the film, building personal and political tension from the outset while introducing a few good moments of levity as Hines' Ray and Baryshnikov's Nikolai grow fond of one another, personally and professionally alike. In one scene, while listening to black market Western music, the two make a bet that Nikolai cannot perform 11 consecutive pirouettes, which of course he does and takes Ray's 11 Rubles for his trouble (for anyone interested, the current world record as of April 2019 is 55 consecutive). But the film moves forward with more dramatic than dance momentum towards a well structured finale that raises the action quota with the men now bonded and reliant upon one another in their now combined efforts to escape the Soviet Union (for anyone believing Nikolai's story would end with him contently dancing for the state and making a new home in the USSR, well, sorry). In the middle of it all is the film's villain, a hard-line Soviet official named Colonel Chaiko who is hot on their trail, played by a devious Jerzy Skolimowski in a terrific performance. The film also features the legendary Helen Miren as a critical player in Nikolai's return to the Soviet Union and introduces Isabella Rossellini as Ray's Soviet wife.

White Nights Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

White Nights is presented on a pressed MOD (Manufactured on Demand) Blu-ray at a resolution of 1080p. The image appears organically filmic, maintaining a somewhat dense, but consistent, grain structure that is complimentary to the picture's details. Crisp and well defined facial features are the norm. Clothes are precise and environments reveal intricacies that bring the locations to life. These include theaters and the dance studio where Nikolai and Ray practice and grow closer throughout the film, where various scuff marks and other signs of use are always visible. Colors are healthy and robust, featuring neutral contrast and good command of tonal balance. Skin tones appear accurate and black levels are suitably deep. The image reveals no significant source or encode flaws of note. This is another very good MOD release from Sony.

White Nights Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Though the track is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 configuration, it's largely a front-heavy experience with good range to the sides but little in the way of prominent surround activity. Definition flounders but isn't horrible. A plane crash about 15 minutes into the movie lacks the detail and depth that might have made the moment more impactful. Musical clarity is adequate but lacking precision. Music often emanates from a boombox playing banned popular tunes, so clarity need not be absolute in these moments. Light environmental elements help define a few key locations. Even the climactic car chase lacks anything of interest. It, too, is front-heavy, conveying good, well-rounded essentials but never with any kind of immersion. Dialogue emanates from the front-center channel. Clarity and prioritization are fine.

White Nights Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

White Nights contains an audio commentary track, a making-of, and a trailer. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Director/Producer Taylor Hackford offers a well-spoken track that covers the picture in detail: story, themes, dance and performances, visual effects, technical details, and more. Fans should find this to be a rewarding listen.
• Pas de Deux: Making White Nights (1080i upscaled, window box, 21:08): This vintage feature explores the story, themes, the characters and performances, the film's novelty, project origins, the blend of dance and drama, technical details of the shoot, and more.
• White Nights Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:28).

White Nights Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

White Nights nicely balances intoxicating dance routines with thrilling political intrigue. Hines and Baryshnikov are excellent, both on the dance floor in developing and exploring their characters through densely packed and deadly Cold War metaphorical minefields. Hackford favors the thrills but gives audiences enough dance -- and dance with personal and political purpose at that -- to keep the film flowing, even at well over two hours. Sony's MOD Blu-ray delivers high yield video, fair audio, and a couple of good extras. Recommended.