| | | | White Nights
(1985) |
London to Tokyo airplane crash lands at a Siberian air strip and passenger Nikolai 'Kolya' Rochenko's nightmare begins...
Unconscious Nikolai (Mikhail Barishnikov) is found by the KGB to be the famous Russian ballet dancer who defected to the United States eight years earlier.
Now that the defector is back on Russian soil, the authorities may refuse to let him leave. But the KGB have a plan. They want to try to get Nikolai to return to Russia of his own free will.
They send him to meet with another famous defector. An American United States Army deserter living in Russia.
They bring Nikolai to his old apartment where the American is sent to keep an eye on him and is ordered to convince him to stay in Russia. They also use Nikolai's former lover (Helen Mirren) to try and talk him into staying.
Trapped and powerless Nikolai forms an unlikely friendship with the American, Raymond Greenwood (Gregory Hines), a tap dancer, who has come to Russia because he was fed up with racism in the United States. Raymond has perhaps changed his mind about being in Russia and has found that racism exists everywhere.
The two men find that their love of dance overcomes political differences.
The dancers come up with a daring escape plan. They recruit the help of several characters along the way.
Nikolai is determined to go back to the United States, and Raymond is just as determined not to leave his wife (Isabella Rossellini), a Soviet citizen.
 Don't forget that White Nights is now available to order on Widescreen DVD using our special 80s Retro Assistant...
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I saw this movie the first time as a teenager wanting to see the dancing. The dancing and music are wonderful. Oscar winning music from Lionel Ritchie and Phil Collins.
There are some very humorous and emotional exchanges between the two men.
I re-watched it as an adult and was more impressed with the plot and the drama between these two men. Both unhappy with their own countries and fleeing to the country the other had left.
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The movie was titled "White Nights" for the natural phenomenon that occurs in parts of Russia where the night is as bright as day. The phenomenon usually takes place between June 11 and July 2 and is referred to as "White Nights".  -Thanks to Ann
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Mikhail Baryshnikov later played "the russian" in the last season of Sex and the City -Thanks to June Moxin
Director Taylor Hackford had previously directed the Richard Gere classic "An officer and a gentleman".
This was the American film debut for Isabella Rossellini.
The film was originally rated R by the MPAA, but won a PG-13 rating on appeal.
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Find much more great trivia in the filmmaker's commentary on the White Nights DVD.
Rediscover your favorites! If you like
White Nights or 80's Dance / Musical classics, then be sure to
check out this list: ..... Dirty Dancing ..... Pink Floyd: The Wall ..... Breakin' ..... Footloose ..... Xanadu ..... Stop Making Sense ..... Times Square ..... Fame ..... Pennies From Heaven ..... Earth Girls Are Easy ..... Breakin' 2 Electric Boogaloo ..... Purple Rain ..... Girls Just Want to Have Fun ..... Best Little Wh*rehouse In Texas ..... Back To The Beach ..... One From The Heart .....[More]
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Gregory Hines did what was called "Tap Improvography" and Roland Petit was the original choreographer for the ballet "La Jeune Homme et la Mort". Twyla Tharp is the choreographer of the other dance numbers in the film.
The aircraft crash and following scenes in 'Siberia' were actually filmed at RAF Machrihanish in Scotland. I was serving there at the time and many of my colleagues were used as extras in the filming.
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|  |  |  | | White Nights
Locations |
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We don't know the shooting locations used for the filming of White Nights... 
Can you help? Do you know any of the filming locations used for White Nights? [Please send them in]
|  | | | | ![[16:9 -Widescreen Enhanced]](16_9.gif) | ![[STEREO or SURROUND]](dd2.gif) | Trailer, Commentary |
| Our
Comments: Special Edition |
| | | | Trailer, Commentary |
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1. Separate Lives (Love Theme From White Nights) - Phil Collins
2. Prove Me Wrong - David Pack
3. Far Post - Robert Plant
4. People On A String - Roberta Flack
5. This Is Your Day - Nile Rodgers
6. Snake Charmer - John Haitt
7. The Other Side Of The World - Chaka Khan
8. My Love Is Chemical - Lou Reed
9. Tap Dance - David Foster
10. People Have Got To Move - Jenny Burton
Not appearing on this soundtrack is: "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Ritchie. This is especially odd, since "Say You, Say Me" won the 1985 Oscar® for Best Original Song from this film.
The movie won an Oscar for "Best Original Song for a Motion Picture" for "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie in 1986. -Thanks to Rg_logan
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Soundtrack Available:
On CD
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