Plot: Russian Countess Sofia Belinskya remembers old times of opulence and fancy dance parties, while she's living exiled in Shanghai, during the 1930s. Now, she has a poor life with her daughter Katya and her husband's family. The Countess works as a hostess and companion lady in a dance club, where she entertains all kinds of men, dancing with them and having a chat. There, she comes to know an American diplomat, Todd Jackson, a nice, kind man with whom she begins a friendship, despite the fact that Jackson is blind. Meanwhile, Jackson meets there a friendly Japanese diplomat, Matsuda, and they become friends. Years later, Jackson sets up a glamorous club, called "The White Countess", taking Sofia with him to work there as a companion lady. But Sofia doesn't want Katya to find out about her real work, protecting the girl from following in her foot steps in the future. Between Jackson and Sofia exists a special attraction, which could turn into love at any moment. But Jackson is being tortured by a traumatic event from the past, while Sofia is longing for leave the city. The Japanese invasion takes place and threatens their dreams and longings.
Alternative Plot: In 1930s Shanghai, blind American ex-diplomat Todd Jackson (Ralph Fiennes) is a frequenter of the city's seamy underbelly of nightclubs and gambling houses. Todd is infatuated with Sofia (Natasha Richardson), a once-wealthy countess who has taken to dancing and prostitution in order to support herself. With earnings from a horse race, Todd opens an upscale nightclub to cater to Shanghai's wealthy elite, installing Sofia -- "The White Countess" -- as its hostess and spiritual muse.
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