How Ralph cosied up to Rembrandt
Ralph Fiennes pulled off a stunning cultural feat by winning access to the hallowed Rembrandt Room at the hermitage Museum in st petersburg for his sublime film about Rudolf nureyev’s defection to the West.
Fiennes, who directed The White Crow — starring Russian ballet dancer Oleg ivenko — wanted a scene of nureyev captivated by Rembrandt’s masterpieces to represent his voracious hunger to absorb art. But the hermitage bans feature-film shoots.
Using a wiliness worthy of his spy chief, M, in the Bond films, Fiennes and producer Gabrielle Tana put together a string of reasons as to why they should be allowed in.
‘We put a lot of energy into the mission. The director listened and said we could shoot because we’re making a film about a great artist and because, thankfully, we were interested in one particular painting.’
it’s a beautiful moment in the film, written by David hare, which goes on release next Friday. hare observed that nureyev commanded the stage in the way Fiennes commands the stage, as he did in antony and Cleopatra at the national Theatre.
Fiennes never saw nureyev dance live. ‘i remember a girlfriend went to see him and i asked what he was like and she said: “honestly, some people were booing him.” he insisted on dancing until he was, arguably, too old and couldn’t do the jumps.
‘he was loved for his determination not to leave the stage, but it was clear the magic he had in the early sixties wasn’t there in the early eighties.’
Fiennes is in the film as nureyev’s teacher, alexander pushkin.
i’ve seen it three times and, for me, it’s a terrific thriller about art.
Fiennes is currently filming the Kingsman prequel, The Great Game, before doing Bond 25, followed by The Dig with nicole Kidman. he plans to devote next year to theatre roles.
ivenko was one of four candidates who reached the final screen-test stage. Fiennes said: ‘he hadn’t acted before, but could take direction.
‘i told him i wanted him to convey a mixture of arrogance and flirtatiousness. When i looked at the test, i knew he was the boy i was looking for.’