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Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Hiroyuki Sanada, Lynn Redgrave ... see more see more... , Alan Corduner , Da Ying , Madeleine Daly , Dan Herzberg , Jean-Pierre Lorit , Lee Pace , Madeleine Potter , Pierre Seznec , Wang Luoyong , John Wood

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.... read more read more... 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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39% liked it

19,906 ratings

Critics

50% liked it

88 critics

PG-13, 2 hr. 15 min.

Directed by: James Ivory

Release Date: December 21, 2005

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DVD Release Date: May 16, 2006

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Stats: 444 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (444)

  • hunterjt13
    July 15, 2011
    hunterjt13
    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. B... read moreut 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.
  • MissMorganLeee
    January 20, 2010
    MissMorganLeee
    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 ... read moregreatest 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!
  • jjnxn
    March 22, 2008
    jjnxn
    Great cast, dull execution
  • gator681
    February 10, 2006
    gator681
    [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 ow... read moren 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]
  • chaleins
    August 5, 2010
    chaleins
    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-d... read moreown 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
    November 20, 2006
    FanGirl
    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.

    ... read more> Ralph Fiennes is the one bright spot in this film, he really did knock it out of the park with this performance.
  • catlyst
    January 25, 2012
    catlyst
    From League of Nations diplomat to jazzy nightclub proprietor, Fiennes does a fine job playing a (glazed) blind man who works to envision his dreams, aided by an unlikely friend in Sanada. An interesting portrait of Shanghai in the 30's just before the start of the war, and Richa... read morerdson puts on her russian accent rather admirably playing the tragic countess forced to support her daughter and devious extended family.
  • jpexpress86
    September 3, 2009
    jpexpress86
    Lacks everything you might expect from it, except a glum Ralph Fiennes. No romance, no beauty, no passion, no elegance, no moving historical narrative, just a long dry scrape that tries and never succeeds.
  • dfreebyrd59
    March 28, 2009
    dfreebyrd59
    I so enjoyed this movie. She tried so hard and she played such a lady. She made the film as far as I'm concerned for it's time.
  • limoradalloway
    November 2, 2008
    limoradalloway
    Meh, the actors looked a little rusty. The ambience felt like a disconnection rather than the romantic storyline the poster suggests. It's a good story that could have been done better. What I loved however, was the heavy incorporation of Chinese jazz. The infusion was spectacular.

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Critic Reviews

Roger Moore
February 10, 2006
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

It's a pretty journey, even if it is far too talky and emotionally distant to really work. Full Review

Tom Long
February 3, 2006
Tom Long, Detroit News

A tale well told, a look at history in the making and those being shaken in the process. Full Review

Terry Lawson
February 3, 2006
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

A tedious, overblown bit of business. Full Review

Colin Covert
January 27, 2006
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

... The White Countess is so bloodless it all but cries for a transfusion. Full Review

Richard Nilsen
January 27, 2006
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. Full Review

Stephen Hunter
January 20, 2006
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. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
January 20, 2006
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

A rewarding close to the Merchant Ivory oeuvre. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
January 19, 2006
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

So powerful is Fiennes that his performance carries the last act of an overlong film that is not as shapely as we've come to expect from Merchant and Ivory.

Susan Walker
January 14, 2006
Susan Walker, Toronto Star

Political intrigue, the thriving jazz-era nightclub scene and the breakdown of the class system within a city in turmoil should have yielded more engaging scenarios. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
January 13, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

This is Merchant-Ivory's kind of showmanship, the unflashy adult variety of movie magic that they made their hallmark. Full Review

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