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| The White Countess | 
 enlarge | Director: James Ivory
Actors: Natasha Richardson, Lynn Redgrave, Madeleine Potter, Madeleine Daly, John Wood
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.94
Buy Used: $3.92
You Save: $11.02 (74%)
New (48) Used (33) from $3.92
Avg. Customer Rating:  52 reviews
Sales Rank: 31761
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 136
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: COLD11718D
UPC: 043396117181
EAN: 0043396117181
ASIN: B000ERVJQ8
Theatrical Release Date: 2005
Release Date: May 16, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: DVD in excellent condition. Ships first class.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
In 1930s shanghai a blind american diplomat develops a fateful relationship with an exiled russian countess which dramatically alters both their lives. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 05/22/2007 Starring: Ralph Fiennes Lynn Redgrace Run time: 138 minutes Rating: Pg13
Amazon.com
A stellar cast and an intricate script enhance this last film from the elegant producing/directing team of Merchant/Ivory (creators of A Room with a View, Howards End, and more). Set in 1930s Shanghai, "The White Countess" is both Sofia (Natasha Richardson, Patty Hearst), a fallen member of the Russian aristocracy, and a nightclub created by a blind American diplomat named Jackson (Ralph Fiennes, The English Patient), who asks Sofia to be the centerpiece of the world he wants to create. Sofia accepts to escape a life of prostitution, but Jackson's world proves both fragile and volatile--as does Shanghai itself, on the verge of an invasion from Japan. The script, by novelist Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day), is fundamentally about culture--what it is, how it's formed, how it shapes and is shaped by human desires--but to describe it thus makes the movie sound academic. Instead, it's lush and subtle, fluid in how it weaves together two people deeply wounded by past losses, who gradually come to embrace what the immediate moment has to offer. Fiennes and Richardson are the movie's core, but surrounding them is a stunning supporting cast that includes Vanessa Redgrave (Mrs. Dalloway, Julia), Lynn Redgrave (Shine), Allan Corduner (Topsy-Turvy), and Hiroyuki Sanada (Ringu). --Bret Fetzer
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| Customer Reviews: Read 47 more reviews...
 How Far Would You Go? August 20, 2008
"The White Countess" was Ismail Merchant's last film. The DVD has a nice tribute that combines various clips from interviews with this Indian producer and shows snippets of films he produced. Director James Ivory who worked as part of Merchant/Ivory revealingly adds, "I don't know what this film is about. Ask me in 10 years if I'm still around."
Ralph Fiennes who has two Oscar nominations for "Schindler's List" in 1993 & "The English Patient" in 1996 plays the blind diplomat Todd Jackson. One of the best performances comes from Japan's master actor Hiroyuki Sanada. Those of us who watched him in The Twilight Samurai and The Last Samurai (Two-Disc Special Edition) can only sit in awe as he deftly plays Matsuda who scouts out the Japanese invasion of Shanghai.
The film was shot on location in Shanghai and is visually stunning. I recently read Pearl S. Buck's book THE PATRIOT which helped give me an appreciation of the era. Natasha Richardson who recently also starred with her mother Vanessa Redgrave in Evening and was a favorite of mine as the wealthy difficult woman in Maid in Manhattan does a deft job of combining the elegance of European aristocracy with the fallen desperation of a refugee. Hers is an astounding performance filled with contradictions and conflicting emotions.
Lynn Redgrave plays Olga who dominates the family and ultimately betrays Sophia. Vanessa Redgrave plays Aunt Sara. While Vanessa has fairly little to do in the film, she does it with grace and style. Alan Corduner who was in De-Lovely plays the tailor who lives downstairs and helps the family. Lee Pace from TV's "Pushing Daisies" has a supporting role as piano player Crane in the film. Overall, I liked the film. It embodies the period with an "impressionistic" stroke, as James Ivory comments, and shows us very real people during difficult times. Sophia answers the question about how far she would go to protect her family. Enjoy!
Remarkable Redgraves June 9, 2008
Parts of this movie I really loved, but, for the first three quarters of it, I was edgy as it was SO slow. Set in Shanghai, just prior to its occupation by Japan, White Russian emigres are living in near poverty and starvation. A Russian Prince, Princess and several Countesses, all members of the same family, are living in two tiny rooms. Countess Sophia, daughter-in-law of the sister of the Princess, supports the whole family by working nightly as a dance hall hostess for a pittance which they eagerly accept, while despising her for doing such work. Sophia has a young daughter who is being raised to be unaware of her mothers sacrifice. Sophia is then engaged by a blind former diplomat to be the head hostess at his new club which improves their lot financially. The leading roles are played by Natasha Richardson, her mother Vanessa Redgrave, her aunt Lynn Redgrave and Ralph Fiennes as the diplomat. The photography is vey atmospheric and always tinged with yellow to give a feeling of the orient while jazz music of that era plays a background for the drama. For all of its beauty, the movie was VERY slow and only picked up pace towards the end. I feel that it's realy one for the cinema buffs who will appreciate the lighting and pace, but if you tend to get fidgety during a slow movie, this will drive you mad!
 It may have the look and name of Merchant/Ivory but it's like no M/I film I've seen May 12, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I love M/I films as a rule, with their beautiful cinematography combined with great scripts, actors AND (very important) stories. I could barely get through this one. As another reviewer said, I only kept watching it because I was hoping it would get better and because instead of renting it first I had took a chance (based partly on my history with M/I and partly on reviews here) and bought it (although thankfully didn't pay too much). It had nothing redeeming at all for me. Ralph Fiennes was ridiculous. I guess he was so busy focusing on looking blind (btw, did he have to mention a zillion times that he was blind?) that he couldn't focus on opening his mouth and talking. He mumbled through the whole film except for the totally out of character scene where he goes berserk. With names like both the Redgrave sisters and Vanessa's daughter Natasha, and yes, Ralph Fiennes, I expected a whole lot more. I thought to myself, well, I wasn't crazy about The Remains of the Day at first but then after repeated viewings it grew on me until now it is one of my favorite. Maybe it will happen with this one. Not a chance, for two reasons: (1) With Remains there are just so many layers to it that you can't possibly get them all in one setting (at least I didn't). The White Countess is what you see is what you get, which for me was absolutely nothing, and (2) I'm not going to watch it again. To sum it all up, very disappointing.
 Shanghai Dryad? March 14, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Ralph Fiennes and Natasha Richardson star in a Merchant/Ivory film of an Ishiguro novel with an exotic setting, an intriguing love story, lots of pathos, historic backdrop and a bang-up supporting cast including both Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave. How could you miss?
Well, they DID miss. I actually give COUNTESS 2.5 stars, not 3 and here's why.
First the "Shanghai International Settlement Pre-WWII" has been done to death (Empire of the Sun, Painted Veil, Shanghai Triad, even Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom). Next, Ralph Fiennes is miscast and overacts (he's the most inept blind man I ever met) in an over-scripted role (he explains his dodge-reality-dream-bar over and over and bludgeons viewers with sight-related metaphors).
None of the characters is sympathetic except Richardson in the title role, a Russian Contessa reduced to dime-a-dance-girl to support her hideous kin in 1936 Shanghai.
The film is neither subtle nor believable. It is predictable. It is also a bizarre mixture of accuracy and bunk. Pains are taken to show Russians blessing themselves (crossing themselves) in the correct orthodox manner and to have accurate Chinese characters on banners and signs. Yet the sets look contrived and cramped and the characters speak Beijing mandarin NOT Shanghai-ese.
That's kind of the film in general. Small, interesting good points but a lot of annoying flaws.
Watch "The Painted Veil" instead. It's deeper, better acted, and more consistent.
 On His Blindness January 28, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The final Merchant Ivory production "The White Countess" is set in Shanghai in the 1930's. The brilliant Kazuo Ishiguro (REMAINS OF THE DAY, NEVER LET ME GO, etc.,) wrote the screen play. Ralph Finnes (Jackson) and Nathasha Richardson (Countess Sofia Belinskya) head up a cast that includes the rest of Richardson's natural family as her film family, her aunt Lynn Redgrave (her mother-in-law Olga Belinskya) and her mother Vanessa who is Princess Vera Belinskya. Hiroyuki Sanada is Matsuda, the crafty Japanese who convinces Jackson to liven up his nightclub The White Countess with more daring elements of society. Sofia and her family are Russian royalty displaced by the revolution of 1917 in Russia. She is the principal breadwinner for her family, having become a tax dancer in Shanghai, Her family reeks of hypocrisy as they are content to take the money she receives for her work while placing themselves above her because of it. (Their hypocrisy becomes even more disgusting near the end of the film.)
Finnes and Richardson both give stellar performances as the owner and employee of The White Countess. Richardson has never been more beautiful and proves once again that acting ability in this family is generational. Finnes is a former U. S. diplomat who has been blinded by a tragic event. His natural blindness is a metaphor for his other blindess since he is oblivious both to the changing dangerous political landscape in Shanghai and the love of Sofia. Some critics find the ending of this really fine film melodramatic. I would describe it rather as heart-wrenching.
Merchant Ivory films are always stunning visually. "The White Countess" is no exception, particularly the street scenes and the ending with the boats leaving the harbour while the skies light up with explosions.
"The White Countess" is certainly a classy film. It is sad that there will be no more Merchant Ivory productions.
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