The White Countess (2005): The Last Dance in the Shadows of History
The White Countess is a 2005 historical romance film directed by James Ivory and written by veteran screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro (author of The Remains of the Day). This is the final film of the famous Merchant-Ivory production duo, marking the end of an era of elegant and profound cinema.
Setting & Story
The film takes place in the late 1930s in Shanghai – a vibrant cosmopolitan city but also a chaotic place amid political upheaval, impending war, and conflicts between forces.
Ralph Fiennes plays Todd Jackson, a former American diplomat who lost his wife and children in a terrorist bombing, now living blind and in grief. He leaves politics and hopes to open a luxury nightclub – a neutral place between the forces fighting for power in Shanghai.
Natasha Richardson plays Sofia Belinskaya – an exiled Russian countess who lost all her fortune after the Russian Revolution and now has to work as a dancer in cheap bars to support her family.
Two broken people meet in a city on the verge of chaos. Together, they create “The White Countess” – a nightclub where light, music and fragile dreams still exist in the dark night of history.
The film is not only a belated love story, but also a delicate ode to:
Loss and resurrection: Both Jackson and Sofia are wounded, but they find meaning in life through each other.
Identity and faith: While the society around them is rotting away due to war, dignity and forgiveness remain untouched.
The Loneliness of Exiles: The film deeply depicts the mood of being lost, nostalgic and longing to belong to something that has been lost.
Ralph Fiennes and Natasha Richardson show maturity, calmness and sophistication in every look and gesture.
The duo Vanessa Redgrave and Lynn Redgrave – Richardson’s mother and aunt – join, creating a romantic and emotional artistic connection.
Cinematographer Christopher Doyle brings dark, poetic frames, recreating a Shanghai that is both magnificent and full of destruction.
Merchant-Ivory’s Farewell
The White Countess is also the last film of producer Ismail Merchant – who passed away not long after the film was completed. This is a worthy farewell for a film company that has devoted its entire career to honoring humanity and classical beauty.
The White Countess is a sad, gentle but haunting love song, for those who appreciate cinema with poetry, history and depth of soul. No noise, no drama, the film leaves a gentle echo like a final dance in the dark night of war.
You can watch the full trailer here:
