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The most famous body in ballet history—until his mind broke the dance.
TMDB
48
Rotten Tomatoes
50
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Nijinsky (1980)

tempestuousdecadenttragically beautiful

Overview

DramaMusicRomance

A ballet dancer struggles with his homosexuality and the increasing allure of a young ballerina who seeks to draw him away from his domineering lover.

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Content warning
male homosexualitygay themejealousyballetchoreographermental desintegrationballet russe

Standout Aspects

Acting

Alan Bates devours every scene as possessive impresario Diaghilev.

Direction

Ross stages ballet sequences with genuine reverence, not camp.

Costume

Ballets Russes glamour recreated in obsessive detail.

Best for:Solo: When you want to feel elegantly destroyed.·Date Night: Only if your date enjoys crying in couture.
Heads up:Emotional: Nijinsky's institutionalization and decline are unflinchingly portrayed.·Triggers: Depiction of 1910s psychiatric treatment and queer repression.
Herbert Ross

Director

Herbert Ross

ReleasedMar 20, 1980
Runtime2h 9m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Paceslow
Intensityhigh
Tonedark
Feelheavy
Paramount Pictures
Hera Productions

Top Cast

Alan Bates

Alan Bates

Sergei Diaghilev

George De La Pena

George De La Pena

Vaslav Nijinsky

Leslie Browne

Leslie Browne

Romola de Pulsky

Carla Fracci

Carla Fracci

Tamara Karsavina

Ronald Pickup

Ronald Pickup

Igor Stravinsky

Ronald Lacey

Ronald Lacey

Leon Bakst

Jeremy Irons

Jeremy Irons

Mikhail Fokine

Vernon Dobtcheff

Vernon Dobtcheff

Sergei Grigoriev

Janet Suzman

Janet Suzman

Emilia Marcus

Colin Blakely

Colin Blakely

Vassili

Siân Phillips

Siân Phillips

Lady Ripon

Frederick Jaeger

Frederick Jaeger

Gabriel Astruc

Alan Badel

Alan Badel

Baron de Gunzburg

Stephan Chase

Stephan Chase

Adolph Bolm

Ask about Nijinsky

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Leslie Browne was an actual American Ballet Theatre dancer; this was her only major film role.

Cultural

The real Nijinsky's diaries, published posthumously, revealed explicit homosexual content suppressed for decades—this 1980 film arrived just as queer history was being reclaimed.

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