Nureyev: Dance to Freedom (2015)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nureyev: Dance to Freedom is a documentary film which premiered on British television (BBC) in 2015.

 

The topic of this film is the life and career of the famous ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who was born and raised in the Soviet Union, with special focus on the events surrounding his defection from East to West in Paris in June 1961.

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** Writer and director: Richard Curson Smith

** Available on DVD

** Run time: ca 89 minutes

 

The life of Nureyev can be divided into two parts:

 

# 1. In the first part (1938-1961) he lived in the Soviet Union.

# 2. In the second part (1961-1993) he lived in the west.

 

As stated above, this film does cover his whole life. The focus is on the dramatic defection of 1961.

 

This film covers the time shortly before, during, and shortly after the defection which took place in an airport in Paris on 16 June 1961.

 

This film is based on interviews with people who knew him and who worked with him.

 

In addition, some historical scenes in the Soviet Union and in Paris have been re-created by modern actors.

 

Several persons are interviewed in the film. Here are the names of the participants (listed in alphabetical order):

 

** Laura Capelle – a Paris-based reporter who writes about theatre and dance for several newspapers

** Michael Cox – Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics

** Ariane Dollfus – a French journalist – author of a biography about Nureyev (published in 2007)

** Pierre Lacotte – a dancer, a choreographer, and a friend of Nureyev

 

** Arsen Martirosian – a former KGB agent

** Alexander Mikhailov – a former KGB officer

** Alla Osipenko – prima ballerina, the Kirov Ballet

** Sergei Vikulov – principal dancer, the Kirov Ballet

 

What do reviewers say about this film?

 

On IMDb it has a rating of 74 per cent which corresponds to 3.7 stars on Amazon.

 

On Amazon UK there are at the moment eight ratings of this product, two with reviews. The average rating is 4.1 stars, which corresponds to a rating of 82 percent.

 

If you ask me, the former rating is too low, while the latter rating is very appropriate. I think this film deserves a rating of four stars (80 percent).

 

PS # 1. Nureyev is a documentary film which premiered in 2018. Run time: 109 minutes.

 

This film covers his whole life: his life in the USSR and his life in the west.

 

PS # 2. The White Crow is a historical and biographical drama which premiered in 2018. Run time: 127 minutes.

 

This drama covers only the first part of his life: from the beginning in 1938 until the defection in Paris in 1961. The second part of his life (1961-1993) is not covered.

 

*****

The Real Nureyev:

An Intimate Memoir of

Ballet's Greatest Hero

by Carolyn Soutar

(Hardcover 2005)

(Paperback 2006)

 

*****