Ralph Fiennes stars as a blind former U.S. diplomat who haunts the seedy section of Shanghai in the dramatic movie, "The White Countess," set in the 1930s and directed by James Ivory.

Todd Jackson (Fiennes) is no longer interested in world events. He isn't just burned out on life; he's also shut off from real people. That changes when he meets a gorgeous Russian countess who's been forced to work in dive bars in order to care for her family.

With Shanghai on the brink of being invaded by Japan, Todd falls for Sofia and rediscovers his desire for peace.

Ralph Fiennes Explains His Attraction to “The White Countess:” “I just liked the screenplay [Kazuo] Ishiguro wrote. It’s very complex, developed, rounded characters and [an] interesting background - Shanghai in 1936-37.

Ralph Fiennes on Identifying with His Character: “Well, I’m not blind. I couldn’t identify with that. But, no, he’s a kind of idealist, I suppose. A bruised idealist and I could identify with that. …I mean, I think we’d all like to believe, like Jackson does, that perhaps people could stop killing each other - for a start. When you get to over 40 and people are killing each other still around the world and blowing each other up, it gets a bit sort of depressing.”

Ralph Fiennes says you have to find a way to zone out while playing a man who can’t see. “I had to find a way of not really focusing what I was looking at, you know? So I’d be talking to you, but not really seeing you.”

Ralph Fiennes on Choosing to Star in Historical Stories: “I never think that. I mean, this is a historical story, but for me what came through to me was it was the humanity of the characters. It was the sort of spirit of Jackson. And I think in the best material, you always should be able to somehow make a case for a story to be transposed to any other time.”

Ralph Fiennes on His Character in “The White Countess” and Research: “I didn’t base it on anyone I knew. In fact I had a sort of sense of him - just in my imagination, I guess, maybe from period films I’d seen. The kind of expansiveness and openness that covers I guess a scar, a wound, an emotional wound.

I certainly gained a lot by reading about Shanghai at the time. [There are] a couple of books out there which have a very detailed history and are very accessible, about the night-life and whole different kinds of societies. The way the Brits went about their life, and the races and the different clubs. And the terrible gang warfare between different Chinese gangs that all had various political alliances.”

Ralph Fiennes on His “The White Countess” Co-Star Natasha Richardson: “Well, I’ve known Natasha a long time because I got to know her when I worked with Liam [Neeson] on ‘Schindler’s List.’ I think it helps to know someone. The ice is broken; you can be more open about what you feel, concerns you have with each other. We read the scenes a few times together. It was just nice to have a friend.”

Ralph Fiennes on the Collaborative Process: Fiennes says he isn’t shy about offering suggestions during filming. “I have a lot of stuff I want to talk about and offer up. I think it’s a time you can’t afford to [remain quiet]. I mean first of all, it would be odd not to have ideas about something. And secondly I think there’s only one day to shoot one scene, you don’t get a second chance. You’ve got to say, ‘This is what I feel. This is what I think. Could I try this? Could I try that?’ I very rarely have had a complete sort of confrontation. Sometimes, someone might say - a director might say, ‘Yes, I like that idea but why don’t we take it over here?’ I just think you’ve got to have a very true collaboration.”

What’s Up Next: Ralph Fiennes said he’s going to be working with Susan Sarandon and director Bob Balaban on a film shooting in New York. “It’s called ‘Bernard and Doris.’ It’s about Doris Duke. Do you who Doris Duke is? She left her estate to her butler, an Irishman, and it was a big scandal at the time as to whether he had maneuvered her or manipulated her into doing this. It’s really a look at what that relationship might have been,” explained Fiennes.