The White Countess

The White Countess

Directed by James Ivory

Produced by Shanghai Film Group, Merchant Ivory Productions

2005135 min6.2 / 10

A melancholic romance set amid the decay of 1930s Shanghai, where a blind American diplomat and an exiled Russian countess create an intimate refuge against the encroaching darkness of war and displacement.

In 1930s Shanghai, 'The White Countess' is both Sofia, a fallen member of the exiled Russian aristocracy, and a nightclub created by a blind American diplomat who asks Sofia to be the centerpiece of the world he wants to create.

Questions people ask

  • Is The White Countess sad? Yes, very. More sad than 91% of films.

  • Is The White Countess easy watching? Somewhat. More comforting than 60% of films.

  • Is The White Countess violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Does The White Countess end with hope? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is The White Countess scary? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

22/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Conventional, and it does not land.

Rarity28

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise10

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love30

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like The White Countess

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The White Countess

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The White Countess, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The White Countess, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The White Countess, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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