Product Details

• Actors: Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Lynn Redgrave, Madeleine Potter
• Directors: James Ivory
• Writers: Kazuo Ishiguro
• Producers: Andre Morgan, Andreas Grosch, Andreas Schmid, Ben Spencer, Daqing Wang
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, French
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
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• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• DVD Release Date: May 16, 2006
• Run Time: 135 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000ERVJQ8
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,812 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The White Countess" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

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

Product Description

The final entry in the canon of quietly rich tales from producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory THE WHITE COUNTESS enlists Kazuo Ishiguro (REMAINS OF THE DAY) and master cinematographer Christopher Doyle (CHUNGKING EXPRESS) to weave its sumptuous magic. The incomparable Natasha Richardson stars as Sofia a former Russian countess who has fled with her dead husband's family to 1930s Shanghai where she works in a seedy dance hall to earn the household's only income. But Sofia's dependents are less than grateful turning up their noses at her fallen stature while remorselessly accepting her money. The blue blood runs thick in Sofia's house with two other Redgraves Vanessa and Lynn flawlessly portraying deposed nobility; Sofia's daughter Katya (Madeleine Potter) is her only source of joy. Meanwhile blind former diplomat Todd Jackson (Ralph Fiennes) patronizes Shanghai's colorful drinking establishments and dreams of opening one of his own. This he gains the courage to do when he meets Sofia; she saves him from being robbed one night intercepting some thuggish types and seeing him to safety while also capturing his imagination. She becomes his muse her history injecting Jackson's bar the White Countess with just the right note of tragedy and romance. Their relationship however is kept strictly on the level of a professional friendship. But as the tension between the Chinese and Japanese mounts towards war--catalyzed in part by Jackson's friend the mysterious but powerful Mr. Matsuda (Hiroyuki Sanada)--Mr. Jackson is forced to accept that he cannot keep the world at bay inside the White Countess and must instead deal directly with his feelings for Sofia.System Requirements:Running Time 138 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: Unknown UPC: 043396117181 Manufacturer No: 11718

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Sadly-Beautiful Film I Have Ever Seen, July 14, 2006

By	Starfire (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

Sometimes there's just something hidden beneath the surface of a film that makes it glorious. The elements poured into a film sometimes gel in just the right manner that it tugs ever so feebly at your heartstrings. Films like these include 'Howards End' and 'The Remains of the Day'. And now I would like to happily add 'The White Countess' to that list.

As usual in Merchant Ivory productions, the casting is meticulously thought out. This film is no exception. The Redgrave clan, led by the quitely luminous Natasha Richardson, and Ralph Fiennes turn in such spectacular performances that capture the audience so well that you don't even mind the sluggish pace of the narrative. In fact, you can't think of anything better to do than sit through the slow-moving 2-hour-plus film and watch these actors deliver their lines and watch them play beautifully off each other.

Richardson (who, incidentally, should really make more films) gives a soft and nuanced performance as the totally believeable exiled Russian countess. The cinematographer takes excellent advantage of her elegant beauty. Fiennes is not quite as believeable as a fallen American ex-diplomat, but hey, it's Ralph Fiennes, and we always enjoy watching him on the screen. The romance between the bar owner and his countess is brilliantly understated. What I adore most about Merchant Ivory love stories is that the characters are allowed to quietly simmer. The attraction between Jackson and Sofia is evident from the moment they appear on screen together, but the audience is always left wanting more. A brief outburst of passion is quickly dampened and (while other blockbusters would have the couple in bed half-naked) the characters go back to their outwardly-platonic relationship. Richardson and Fiennes have excellent chemistry and we are almost left frustrated by the lack of open intimacy between them. But then we remember the personal losses sustained by both parties, and we forgive them.

The set direction, as usual, is visually sumptious. No detail is left uncovered and no measure too great. Perfectionists in every department, I tell you. A wonderful job recreating the sets, and quite a feat, considering everything was shot on location, though most authentic locales couldn't be used due to modern structures around it. The costumes are beautiful, with every character in character. The accents affected by the mostly British cast is not overdone and doesn't get in the way. The cinematography is to die for. Brilliant, brilliant shots across the board.

In short, a beautiful film and through its flaws, a perfect mixture of two tragic lives.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE WHITE COUNTESS by James Ivory, March 16, 2006

By	Claudette Flint (Reading, England & Nice, France) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

THE WHITE COUNTESS by James Ivory and Ismael Merchant

I don't know why I felt the film was not a story but a situation. Maybe because of its slow pace. The spectator has the time to enjoy the splendid reconstitution of Shanghai of the 30's. Ivory's talent to generate a `very special atmosphere' makes me green with envy.
No visible sex, or violence, little action and yet the suspense builds to a crescendo driving you step by step towards a dreaded end. ("Oh my God, if it ends badly I die"). How is the gorgeous, blind, British diplomat going to avoid all the traps in front of him? (Caught in the mob running away from the Japanese army!) Argh! The scene where he stands alone in front of them! I was half way down my seat. How will the beautiful Russian countess react when her own family betrays her? I could not believe the ending! I had to climb back on my seat!! A rare stylish romantic film like they don't do anymore!

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Shanghai in the 1930s. Nice Atmosphere. But a Detached and Cursory Story., May 26, 2006

By	mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"The White Countess" was the final production of the creative team of James Ivory and Ismail Merchant, who died in May 2005. The director-producer duo is probably known best for its elegant and emotionally sharp period films, a canon to which "The White Countess" aspires. Written by Kazuo Ishiguro, "The White Countess" takes place in Shanghai, China, a city of extraordinary variety, refuge and playground for the world's exiles and expatriates, on the brink of Japanese invasion in 1936. White Russian Countess Sophia Belinskya (Natasha Richardson) works as a taxi dancer to support her young daughter and deceased husband's family, who live in poverty in Shanghai, dreaming of the elegant lives they lost to the Revolution. Todd Jackson (Ralph Fiennes) was a distinguished American diplomat before he lost his eyesight and family to violent accidents. Having acquired a certain recklessness, he wants to open a night club, where he will engineer the staff, entertainment and patrons to create a melodious and exciting blend of elements superior to any other club in Shanghai. Countess Sofia has the perfect blend of elegance and tragedy to be Jackson's "centerpiece". And she is only too happy to leave behind the desperation of the dance hall to become the hostess of The White Countess. So an uneasy relationship develops between these 2 people whose lives are dominated by loss.

"The White Countess" isn't a bad film, but it doesn't have much for the audience to grab hold of. The relationship between Todd Jackson and Countess Sofia is so distant that it doesn't engage us. We get a peek at the lives of exiled Russian nobility in Shanghai, but not enough information to learn much about that population. The re-creation of 1930s Shanghai is interesting. The ambience is conspicuous. But the relationships are unrealistic. The behavior of a Japanese imperialist named Mr. Matsuda (Hiroyuki Sanada) strains credibility beyond the breaking point. These characters are interesting, but they don't ring true. So the necessary empathy is not forthcoming. Natasha Richardson does have an enchanting presence in this role, however. The cast is certainly talented. And it's a family affair: Natasha Richardson is accompanied by her mother Vanessa Redgrave as Sofia's Aunt Vera and aunt Lynn Redgrave as Sofia's stern, ungrateful mother-in-law Olga. Sister-in-law Greshenka and daughter Katya are played by mother and daughter Madeleine Potter and Madeleine Daly. I hope to see a film someday that makes better use of the fascinating pre-war jumble of cultures in Shanghai. Natasha Richardson is reason to see "The White Countess". Like the Countess, she conveys the right combination of mystery, tragedy, and sensuality to keep our attention.

The DVD (Sony Pictures 2006): Bonus features include 3 featurettes and an audio commentary. "Behind the Scenes of The White Countess" (11 min) features interviews with director James Ivory and the cast in which they speak primarily about the film's characters. In "Making of The White Countess" (13 min), James Ivory, production designer Andrew Sanders, costume designer John Bright, choreographer Karole Armitage, and cinematographer Chris Doyle, among others, talk about recreating 1930s Shanghai in modern Shanghai. "A Tribute to Ismail Merchant" (13 min) is a bio of Merchant's film career and his maverick personality through archival interviews with Merchant, friends and colleagues. There is a good audio commentary by director James Ivory and actress Natasha Richardson that touches on many aspects of making the film: sets, photography, hair and make-up, casting in China, actors, etc. Richardson keeps the commentary moving along at a nice pace, prodding Ivory on a variety of subjects and discussing her own performance. Subtitles for the film are available in English and French.