THE WHITE COUNTESS
UK, 2005, 138 minutes, Colour.
Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Lynn Redgrave, Madeleine Potter, Hiroyuki Sanada, John Wood, Madeleine Daly, Allan Cordunner.
Directed by James Ivory.
This is the last of the Merchant Ivory films. Producer Ismail Merchant died in 2005. While he and James Ivory began making films together in India in the 1960s and have a strong list of productions, it was only in the 1970s that they began to tackle literary classics (Henry James’ The Europeans in 1979). With their version of E.M.Forster’s A Room With a View, they found themselves popular and award-nominated and winning. They filmed Henry James (The Bostonians, The Golden Bowl). They filmed more Forster (Maurice, Howard’s End) and an assortment of period pieces like Jefferson in Paris and Surviving Picasso. They peaked in 2002-2003 with Howard’s End and Remains of the Day.
As time went on, they began to get negative reviews for their meticulous attention to detail which was sometimes dismissed as pedantic and stultifying, too dignified and holding back the dramatic impact of the plot. Be that as it may, they produced a body of significant and impressive films.
The White Countess was written by Japanese/English author, Kazuo Ishiguro who wrote the novel, Remains of the Day. It is certainly in the Merchant-Ivory? style. It has an elegant cast, takes its audience back into a somewhat exotic world (Shanghai in the late 1930s) and relishes its production and costume design. It moves at a generally sedate pace (sometimes slower) that is not in favour these days. It asks for a contemplation of its characters and their plight rather than hurrying with them through action.
Thinking back on the plot, it is really Remains of the Day transferred to China. The period is the same. War looms - which some anticipate and others deny. At the centre are faded and fading aristocracy – this time refugees from the Russian Revolution who have been stranded for two decades in Asian poverty and nostalgia for their former status and its trimmings. There is an outsider who acts as a catalyst for change when the war breaks out.
Natasha Richardson is Sofia, the White Countess of the title – although expatriate American diplomat, now blind and stranded, opens a club which in her honour he calls the White Countess. Sofia works as a hostess (a euphemistic term) at a club, encouraging clients to buy dances and drinks. She supports her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, uncle and aunt who live in faded gentility. She also has a daughter whom the family want to protect from Sofia’s way of life while still depending on her. The American (Ralph Fiennes) can possibly offer her a new life.
Then the Japanese invade and there is a rush to get to Hong Kong and Macau…
Natasha Richardson has a dignified bearing as she works and suffers. Ralph Fiennes does an interesting variation on his dignified gentlemen. The aunts are portrayed by Vanessa (Natasha Richardson’s real mother) and Lynn Redgrave. Madeline Potter is particularly persuasive as the narrow-minded sister-in-law.
Hiroyuki Sanada is impressive as a sinisterly genial Japanese businessman who believes in his country’s ambitions.
The music soundtrack reminds us of Shanghai at this time as cosmopolitan: selections from classics, from local music and the jazz and songs of the 30s US – the film finishing with the junk sailing out to freedom (we hope) to the strains of ‘After You’ve Gone’.
1.The films of Merchant Ivory? Style, topics? Unhurried, attention to detail? Re-creation of periods?
2.China and the 1930s? Life in Shanghai, for the Chinese, for the expatriates? Politics? The Chinese warlords? Japanese occupation? The build-up to World War Two?
3.Russian aristocracy, twenty years of exile from Russia? Their going to Shanghai? Wanting to get to Hong Kong? Poverty? Their plight? The flashbacks and glimpses of happy life in Russia? Their living in the past, assumptions that they were aristocracy? Yet that life having disappeared? The contrast with the Americans? Disillusionment? The diplomats and their life in Shanghai?
4.The Japanese, the relationship with China, occupation? Plans and ambitions? The comparison with the Nazis in Germany? The attack on Shanghai, the occupation, the bombings, the refugees?
5.The title, Sofia as a countess? Jackson and his calling his club The White Countess? Sofia as a symbol? Evoking past aristocracy and dignifies lifestyle?
6.The focus on Sofia, a widow, her love for her daughter? Her mother-in-law’s disdain? The family’s attitude towards her, her earning the money for them to survive? Greshenka and her continual comparisons, taunts? There not being enough beds, taking sleeping in shifts? Sofia and her love for her daughter, sharing life with her, her fears for her daughter imitating her? At the club, the man trying to pick her up on the tram? Dancing, the tickets, chaperoning her friend? The owner and his criticism, wanting her to have a better dress, going to markets and bargaining for a dress? Her helping Jackson not to be robbed? The tensions at home? Her life and her clients?
7.Jackson and his way of life in Shanghai, wealthy background, American? His history, diplomacy and success for the League of Nations? The death of his wife and child? The bombing with his daughter? His grieving for her? His becoming blind? Embittered yet self-assured? Not wanting pity? His chauffeur driving him around? His clubbing and his drinking? His meeting Mr Matsuda, their discussions, his ambitions to own his own club?
8.His hearing Sofia’s conversation, his accepting her help? His deciding that she was the ideal, the offer for her to come to his club? The distance, not touching? The passing of the year?
9.The family at home, the two aunts and their characters, the busy and practical mother-in-law, Aunt Sarah and her dreams of the past? Uncle Peter and his presence, agreeing with what his sisters taught him to agree with? Greshenka and her running of the household? Their life, style, yearning for the past, relying on their dignity? Sarah and Peter and the letter, visiting the French embassy, their treatment, being driven home, showing the neighbours? Their memories? Their needing money for the passports, relying on Sofia, yet wanting to leave her behind, the argument to protect her daughter? Greshenka and her motivation, not wanting the daughter to use make-up, forbidding Sofia to see her daughter? Sofia believing this?
10.The new club, Jackson and his satisfaction? Sofia and her work? The style of the club? Mr Matsuda and his visits, his eventually proposing to partner the club? Jackson’s life, tensions? Sofia and her daughter seeing Jackson in the street? Sofia trying to move them on, the daughter running back, making friends with Jackson? Their walks and outing together? Her wanting to go on a boat trip – and Jackson using this finally when they were refugees?
11.The sketch of the neighbours, the Feinsteins, the anti-Semitic attitude of the family? Katya and her playing with the children? Sofia’s friendliness? Samuel Feinstein and his work, market? The meeting with Jackson, their friendship? Feinstein and his helping Jackson in the crowd, saving Sofia and her daughter, taking them to Macau?
12.Jackson, his telling Sofia the story of his tragedy, the flashbacks? His wanting to touch her? The bond, giving her the money for the family? His sacrificing his love for her? Her sacrificing herself? The effect of the truth on her? The truth about her daughter, going home, the family having taken her? Her search?
13.Jackson and his decision to stay in the club, the final discussion and parting of the ways with Mr Matsuda? His giving up? The destruction, the bombings, his going in the car, the chauffeur trying to warn him, his getting lost in the crowd? Mr Feinstein finding him?
14.Sofia and her search for her daughter? Jackson and his search for them both? Their finding each other? On the boat? The background music: ‘After You’ve Gone’?
15.The importance of music throughout the film, the American-style music, the jazz? Popular songs? The Chinese orchestras playing them in the club? As background music for the themes?
16.A glimpse of a group of refugees, displaced people, not accepting their fate, always hoping for something better, not admitting their poverty? The possibility of some kind of redemption and salvation?
