DVD Review: The White Countess

By Frankie Dees May 12, 2006, 13:16 GMT

Shanghai, 1936 was a crossroads for political intrigue, refugees escaping turmoil, gathering military forces, international business, and underworld culture. Two people caught in this maelstrom forge a bond on the brink of the Japanese invasion: a beautiful Russian countess, reduced by circumstances to supporting her family as a bar girl and taxi dancer; and a blind former diplomat, devastated by the loss of his family in political violence and disillusioned ...more

The year is 1936 and the place is Shanghai. We follow the exploits of a man dreaming of opening up the ultimate club, a bar of mystique, class, billowy smoke trails and political intrigue. In this quest he comes across the ultimate woman - they both will become known as ‘The White Countess.’

It is the unfortunate and unexpected swan song of the acclaimed Merchant Ivory collaboration, a pairing that has given us 28 films, with more than a few classics and unheralded gems among them. Director James Ivory and Producer Ismail Merchant first worked together on 1963’s The Householder and have been almost inseparable ever since. A pairing that has never favored the trends of Hollywood (good or otherwise), they never fall for cheap tricks or smoke and mirrors. What you see is what you get and the result is, while not everybody’s cup of tea, a consistent output of literate, intelligent films.

They have adapted the works of E.M. Forster (Howard’s End, A Room With A View), Henry James (The Golden Bowl, The Bostonians) and Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day) who also wrote the original screenplay for ‘The White Countess” - a respectable end to a dynamic pairing.

Ralph Fiennes plays Todd Jackson - the aforementioned man with a dream. He is an American diplomat who loses his eyesight and family in one devastating blast, and who now toils around the aristocratic innards of Shanghai hoping for a bit of financial luck to open the bar of his dreams (and for those of you who were wondering, that’s where the similarities to Cocktail ends). Shanghai of 1936 is a melting pot of class, culture, race and ideas, a hodgepodge of politics and corruption. Political tension is in the air and everybody feels it.

As Todd Jackson begins to exit the wrong bar at the wrong time, Russian Countess refuge Sofia Belinskya (Natasha Richardson) (who is forced to make a living selling her looks, her time and frequently herself) steps in to dissuade two thugs with mischief on their minds. That wrong bar at the wrong time very quickly becomes the right bar at the right time as he has found his muse. This woman will provide for him the inspiration to make his dream a reality.

Countess Sofia who was exiled out of Russia with her young daughter and in-laws (Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave) now has to live with family who insult and berate her method of making money yet have no problem accepting it or offering any method of their own.  When Sofia gets ready to go out with make-up and dresses, her in-laws decide it’s a good idea to keep her daughter away from her as to not influence her.

As Todd Jackson opens his club ‘The White Countess’ and centers Sofia as the hostess, it’s these details that Jackson does not want to hear about, her life outside ‘The White Countess’ may sully his image of her and an agreement is made to never discuss any details outside of the club.  An agreement that of course has to come to an end and as the Japanese armies close in, Jackson has to choose between which ‘White Countess’ he will support.

The film is carried by two powerful performances and gorgeous cinematography. Ralph Fiennes might stretch believability as an American but more than makes up for it in presence and eccentrics. His chemistry with Natasha Richardson (who teamed with him in…um, Maid in Manhattan) is palpable. Natasha Richardson, who rarely gets to embrace a major role, really shines here with a tough tightrope combining just the right amount of pathos and cultivation. Their fate could be guessed but with no certainty. Lost love is never out of reach in the film.

The gorgeous cinematography is by Chris Doyle - a man who knows how to make Shanghai look good.  A frequent collaborator with Wong Kar-Wai, he shot Chungking Express, In the Mood for Love and 2046 - three prime examples of how good a film can look. He brings that expertise to this film and creates images so dreamy they feel like they could float away any second.

The film is shot in 1.85:1 widescreen and is enhanced for widescreen televisions. An English 5.1 track is provided along with English and French subtitles. Some generous special features include a strong commentary with James Ivory and Natasha Richardson in which both participants go into great detail about specific scenes and are very informative without ever becoming too dry. I wish more anecdotes about Ismail Merchant were provided, however….Next, we have two featurettes: a Behind-the-Scenes and a Making-of.

Each featurette runs just under 15 minutes and contains on-set interviews with cast and crew, shows off the impressive sets and costumes and is nice viewing for fans but nothing unexpected. Better is the too-short “Tribute to Ismail Merchant,” a thirteen minute summary of the famous producer’s life and legacy featuring footage of his early Indian films, pictures of him as a youngster and fun interviews of him and James Ivory being fairly antagonistic towards each other, a must watch for Merchant Ivory fans.

Like all of their films, ‘The White Countess’ is not for everybody. It is a dense, sometimes slow narrative  that can lose a lot of people quickly. If you have never heard of Merchant Ivory or do not have a penchant for period pieces, I suggest you stay way. But if you have read this far, I can safely presume this film was made for you - people who sometimes enjoy smart entertainment, with a minimum of CGI and special f/x. As one watches the Merchant Ivory logo appear on the screen (most likely for the last time), fans can’t help but be a touch melancholic. With two films in pre-production before Merchant’s death, let’s hope James Ivory can continue the legacy. 

The White Countess is available for pre-order at Amazon for a May 16th release. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD’s database for more information.