The White Crow: Ralph Fiennes’ biopic about legendary ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev is a slow burner

Saying someone is a ‘white crow’ in Russia is a bit like saying someone ‘sticks out like a sore thumb’ over here.

It isn’t meant as a compliment in either country, but it could cost you your life in Krushchev’s Russia.

Legendary ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev learnt that the hard way when he defected from the Soviet Union during the Paris leg of a tour.

Taken from a biography that enchanted director Sir Ralph Fiennes – a Russophile who speaks the language fluently – it follows the turbulent period of Nureyev’s life leading up to his defection.

David Hare’s script – performed in Russian, French and English – tends to over-egg this particular pudding, creating a rather corny juxtaposition between the discipline of ballet and Nureyev’s ‘rebellious’ spirit.

Oleg Ivenko dances far better than he acts as Nureyev, and it’s often hard to follow, flitting with abandon between his childhood, training and time in Paris. As such, it plods along until the defection itself in the final 15 minutes. Though it’s a thrilling climax, it feels like too little too late.