The White Countess (2005)

50% of critics liked it
(88 reviews)
38% of users liked it
(19,908 ratings)

James Ivory directed this historical drama of a man who has shut himself away from a world he cannot change. Todd Jackson (Ralph Fiennes) is an American expatriate living in Shanghai in the late '30s. While Jackson was once an American diplomat who came to Shanghai with great optimism about China's… More James Ivory directed this historical drama of a man who has shut himself away from a world he cannot change. Todd Jackson (Ralph Fiennes) is an American expatriate living in Shanghai in the late '30s. While Jackson was once an American diplomat who came to Shanghai with great optimism about China's future, the bitter political squabbling and military violence that are a part of daily life in China caused him to become bitterly disillusioned. Jackson also lost most of his sight, and he has retreated into Shanghai's decadent underworld of bars and brothels rather than face the world. When a wager on a horse race wins Jackson a small fortune, he decides to indulge a long-time fancy and build the perfect Shanghai bar, one that would ideally reflect that corrupt beauty of the city, and he is joined in his project by Matsuda (Hiroyuki Sanada), a Japanese man with a mysterious past and an appreciation for Shanghai's underbelly. While assembling his pet project, Jackson meets Sofia (Natasha Richardson), a Russian countess who fled her home during the revolution and now lives in Shanghai, supporting her family as a dance-hall girl and occasional prostitute. In Sofia, Jackson discovers a fusion of beauty and tragedy that fascinates him, and he asks her to become the hostess at his new bar. As Jackson becomes closer to Sofia, his cynicism begins to wear away and he develops a deep concern for Sofia and her family. The White Countess also co-stars Vanessa Redgrave, and Lynn Redgrave -- respectively Natasha Richardson's mother and aunt. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 15 min.
Directed By: James Ivory
Genres: Drama, Romance, Art House & International

In Theaters: Dec 21, 2005 Wide
On DVD: May 16, 2006
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
It's a pretty journey, even if it is far too talky and emotionally distant to really work.
Tom Long, Detroit News
A tale well told, a look at history in the making and those being shaken in the process.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
A tedious, overblown bit of business.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
... The White Countess is so bloodless it all but cries for a transfusion.
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic
The White Countess, although it has its share of Masterpiece Theatre moments, is another film to remind us just how cosmopolitan is the Merchant-Ivory filmography.
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
Despite its brilliant evocation of this great city at this most provocative time in history, the movie just gets sillier and sillier.
Brandon Fibbs, BrandonFibbs.com
While a beautiful and moving film, The White Countess, sadly falls short of being a great one because it never allows us into the hearts of its primary protagonists.
David Noh, Film Journal International
[Ivory] takes a tired, cliché-ridden, nostalgic screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro and layers on the ennui.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Esteticamente impecável (como todas as produções Merchant Ivory), o filme falha do ponto de vista narrativo, revelando-se, como seus personagens, excessivamente frio e emocionalmente distante.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
James Ivory has cast Britain's acting aristocracy to play post-Revolution Russian aristocracy, which brings much gravitas and many subtle performance highs to this drawn out story set in 1936/7 Shanghai.
Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope
It has an emotional payoff. It isn't much, but by Merchant-Ivory standards it is an orgasm of raw emotion.
Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer
Though [Merchant-Ivory] hadn't made a first-rate film since The Remains of the Day in 1993, there was always a chance they'd hit one last pitch out of the park. The White Countess, their final pairing, is just a bloop single.
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
One of the great partnerships in movies ends not with a bang or even a whimper, but with a stifled yawn.
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
A middling example of the sort of tony projects upon which [Merchant and Ivory] built their reputations.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
A beautiful movie with an intriguing central theme and cast that is far easier to admire than to actually like.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
A little judicious editing might have made it more effective.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jim H

A blind American diplomat and a exiled Russian countess join forces to build a jazz nightclub in Shanghai in the period leading up to the Second Sino-Japanese War. Typical of a Merchant/Ivory production, the set and costume design is lush and colorful, a work of art by itself. But… More
A blind American diplomat and a exiled Russian countess join forces to build a jazz nightclub in Shanghai in the period leading up to the Second Sino-Japanese War. Typical of a Merchant/Ivory production, the set and costume design is lush and colorful, a work of art by itself. But also typical of their work, there is an awful lot of talk; in fact, most of the conflict in this film takes place in the past, the characters revealing tortured bits about themselves rather than the suspense created from watching conflict happen. The only scenes in which this flaw is not true are in the third act, far too late. The highlights of the film are the performances by the brooding Ralph Fiennes and the glamorous Natasha Richardson. Both actors create sharp characters, and they make the too-talky exposition compelling just by their presence. I think that many American audiences, many of whom haven't been exposed to Chinese history, will get lost, unable to place the political turmoil that backdrops the film's action. The White Countess is set in that odd time between the wars, and there are few clues to ground the setting. What is more, many Americans may not realize what a diverse, bustling metropolis Shanghai was at this time and why it is conceivable that the Russian aristocracy would be exiled there. Hopefully this film is an impetus to pick up a history book or two (if you actually go beyond Wikipedia, I recommend The Soong Dynasty by Sterling Seagrave). Overall, The White Countess is by no means a great film, but it has a lot to offer for the right audience.
Morgan S

So there I was sittin on the couch scrolling through the guide when I see Ralph Fiennes. Automatically I hit record. I had barley any Idea wht this movie would be about. but, It had Ralph Fiennes and Jazz. Surpirse Surpirse, I LOOOVED IT!! Fiennes is without a doubt one of our… More
So there I was sittin on the couch scrolling through the guide when I see Ralph Fiennes. Automatically I hit record. I had barley any Idea wht this movie would be about. but, It had Ralph Fiennes and Jazz. Surpirse Surpirse, I LOOOVED IT!! Fiennes is without a doubt one of our greatest actros of the century! I cannot believe that He has yet to win an Oscar. I was kind hoping from more romance between Ralph and Natasha Richardson (Who was amazing as well) but thats ok, Such a great movie with some very good performances!
jay n

Great cast, dull execution
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"The White Countess" is set in Shanghai in 1936. Todd Jackson(Ralph Fiennes) is a former American diplomat blinded in an accident. During one particular bar crawl, he confides in a Japanese acquaintance, Matsuda(Hiroyuki Sanada), his dreams of owning… More
[font=Century Gothic]"The White Countess" is set in Shanghai in 1936. Todd Jackson(Ralph Fiennes) is a former American diplomat blinded in an accident. During one particular bar crawl, he confides in a Japanese acquaintance, Matsuda(Hiroyuki Sanada), his dreams of owning his own bar. Jackson does not have the money for this purchase but considers making a very risky wager at the racetrack. Before Jackson is about to go home for the night, Sofia(Natasha Richardson) prevents two villains from mugging him and gains his gratitude. (She is a former Russian countess who has been a refugee after the 1917 Russian Revolution and dreams of the good old days. She works as a taxi dancer to support her extended family which includes her daughter. Nobody is thrilled with her profession, even though she seems to be the only breadwinner.) [/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"The White Countess" has all of the elements of a good movie including an intriguing setting and a great cast(including yet another fine performance from Ralph Fiennes who has the only memorable moment in the movie) but is done in by a lack a believability in key events and severe overlength. Overall, the movie comes off flat. Plus, the Redgrave sisters are large distractions. [/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font]
Mark K

The last collaboration between Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, the White Countess is far from perfect. However, like all their prior films, it has a standout cast, impeccable production values, and beautiful photography that captures the era perfectly. While some what of a let-down… More
The last collaboration between Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, the White Countess is far from perfect. However, like all their prior films, it has a standout cast, impeccable production values, and beautiful photography that captures the era perfectly. While some what of a let-down as far as the story goes, it still has some nice moments, and if you're a fan of period romances and Merchant/Ivory films in general, you'll want to see this one, too. Fiennes does a good job in his role as the blind diplomat, and the late Natasha Richardson also give a multi-layered performance as the countess. It stands in the shadows of their better works, and can't really stand up to scrutiny as far as the pacing and script and narrative. It tried and failed to be a latter-day Casablanca, but it's still a finely crafted film.
FanGirl B

I don't know why I heard so many good things about this movie. It was slow and extremely melodramatic. At the end I just felt like 'what was the point of that?' Some people say you need to watch this movie twice, I watched it one and a half times and saw no… More
I don't know why I heard so many good things about this movie. It was slow and extremely melodramatic. At the end I just felt like 'what was the point of that?' Some people say you need to watch this movie twice, I watched it one and a half times and saw no improvement. Ralph Fiennes is the one bright spot in this film, he really did knock it out of the park with this performance.