| Director | James Ivory |
|---|---|
| Genre | drama film |
| Runtime | 135 min |
| Country | United Kingdom, United States |
| Budget | £30 million |
| Box office | $4.1 million |
Having escaped the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, Countess Sofia Belinskaya is working as a taxi dancer and prostitute in a seedy Shanghai bar in 1936. Sofia is the sole support of her family of aristocratic White Russian émigrés, including her daughter Katya, her mother-in-law Olga, her sister-in-law Grushenka, and an aunt and uncle by marriage, Princess Vera and Prince Peter. Despite living off of it, Sofia's relatives scorn her for her work by treating her like an unclean woman, with the exception of Katya, who defends her mother.
Sofia meets Todd Jackson, a former official of the US State Department who years before lost first his wife and child, then later a daughter in separate terrorist bombings. The bombing that killed his daughter also blinded him. On his first visit to the bar, Todd overhears someone refer to Sofia as a “countess.” Sofia approaches Todd and urges him to dance. Sofia warns him that he should not wear such expensive clothes there and that he has come to the attention of gangsters who intend to victimize him. She convinces him to leave with her and pretend to be a client, as the gangsters do not interfere with the prostitutes' clientele. Outside of the club, Todd thanks Sofia, impressed by her character.
With his job at risk and dreaming of running a nightclub, Todd gambles his savings on a bet at the racetrack. Winning, he opens an elegant nightclub catering to rich cosmopolites and invites Sofia to be his principal hostess, as she is the very commodity for whom he has been searching—an aristocrat who can serve as a novelty hostess for his establishment. He intends to call the club "The White Countess.” Todd assures Sofia that her duties are only to serve as a hostess and dance with clients. Sofia accepts.
As the nightclub thrives, Todd and Sofia draw closer to each other, but strive to keep work separate from their personal lives. Meanwhile, Sofia's family considers her neighbor and friend, Mr. Feinstein, beneath them because he is Jewish.
Then, the Second Sino-Japanese War starts. Fearing the impending Japanese invasion of Shanghai, Sofia's relatives enlist the help of émigré contacts at the French embassy to help them get papers and tickets to leave and appeal to Sofia for $300 to cover costs. Sofia borrows the money from Todd, who is sorry to see her go but encourages her to leave if she fears for her own safety. Sofia tries to convince Todd to leave Shanghai as well, to no avail.
Sofia's relatives purchase everything required to leave Shanghai, taking Katya with them, but are short of funds to buy papers for Sofia to accompany them to Hong Kong. Sofia is shocked that they have not consulted her with their arrangements to leave. In response, they say that her presence among the émigré community would keep them out of society since her actions in Shanghai are known. Sofia agrees to pretend that she will be joining them later so Katya will go with her aunts without alarm. Mr. Feinstein later finds Sofia, realizes she has been abandoned by her family, and encourages her to get Katya back and join him and his wife in their flight to Macau that evening.
Todd is encouraged to leave Shanghai by Mr. Matsuda, a sympathetic Japanese business associate who has connections with the impending invaders. Todd is reluctant to leave his nightclub and is angry at Matsuda. Matsuda suggests Todd should begin a new life with "the real White Countess.” Todd sets out to find her and Katya. Amid the chaos of departing Europeans, Todd’s chauffeur abandons him on the streets of Shanghai. Todd is eventually spotted by Mr. Feinstein, who is looking for Katya with Sofia. The three eventually find Sofia's family boarding the ship to Hong Kong, and Sofia retrieves Katya despite Grushenka’s resistance. Sofia then urges Todd to leave with them for Macau. Todd accepts.