The White Countess

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.