This room, these people, they are your orchestra.
I wouldn't have succeeded without your assistance.
No, I did nothing.
- Your help was everything. - No.
I'll always be beholden to you.
This is a wonderful achievement, Mr. Jackson.
- But I wonder if this will be enough. - Enough?
I wondered if before long you would wish to return...
- to a broader canvas? - Broader canvas?
There's no broader canvas out there, Mr. Matsuda.
I was told you were present at Versailles...
- at the time of the great treaty. - That's right, I was.
I was very young, I was very junior, but I was there, yes.
I, too, was just starting my career at that time.
I dreamt of being allowed to go with our delegation.
As a secretary, a servant, anything.
I dreamt of it.
Of course, I was not able to.
But even now I think about Versailles.
After the horrors of that terrible war...
the greatest leaders from the greatest countries of the world...
gathered together...
laying down the foundations of our future civilization.
How fortunate you were, Mr. Jackson, to have been there.
That's all behind me now.
Out there, what there is, Mr. Matsuda, is chaos.
Mistrust, deceit, hatred, viciousness and chaos.
There's no broader canvas out there.
Nothing a man can go and compose a pretty picture on.
What you have achieved here, inside these walls...
is certainly very satisfying.
But for myself, I still dream of a broader canvas.
Just what is it you wish to paint on this canvas of yours, Mr. Matsuda?
I'm not myself a great painter.
I hope only to play a very humble part.
But it is my wish...
my cherished dream...
to see Japan become a truly great nation...
as great as Britain or France...
or your nation, Mr. Jackson.
But such things needn't concern us here.
It is a great pleasure for me, Mr. Jackson...
to be able to come and relax in this wonderful atmosphere...
forget about my responsibilities.
I've looked everywhere for it. I can't find it.
I'm sure Olga's lost it.
What is it? Aunt Vera, what's wrong?
The hat.
Baroness Santachiara gave it to your mama in Paris.
I'm sure she's lost it.
Grushenka, dear, do you know where it is?
I'm sure Mama hasn't lost it.
But what do you want a thing like that for? An old hat like that?
If she hasn't lost it, that's what I'll wear.
What do you mean? Wear it where?
I'll wear it to the French Consulate. I'll wear it tomorrow.
Aunt Vera, we are not going to the Consulate.
Peter and I will go to the Consulate. We'll go tomorrow.
- Darling, you have to understand... - Grushenka, you can't stop us.
And your mama will not stop us. Peter and I have decided.
Aunt Vera, everything is different now.
They will laugh at you. And in that hat.
I will not hide myself away any longer.
I may be poor. I am the Princess Vera Artalinovna Belinskya.
I will go to the Consulate...
and we will pay our respects to our old family friend...
Monsieur le Comte de Passavant.
Peter, take another look.
Look. Right there.
Peter.
Excuse me.
But aren't you...
Yes, I knew it. The Prince and Princess Belinksy.
How extraordinary. I passed you as you came in.
I thought it couldn't be you, but it is!
It's Antoine.
Young Antoine.
Antoine Jacquier.
Antoine Jacquier?
Young Antoine.
Can it really be you?
My dear Princess!
My dear Prince! How delightful to see you again!
But what are you doing here?
We've come to pay our respects to M. De Passavant.
But what a surprise to find you here in Shanghai.
Do you remember coming to see me
every Tuesday and Thursday?
Have you continued playing the piano?
Regrettably, I'm rather out of practice. You'd be cross with me, Princess.
You used to scold me when I didn't practice!
I haven't forgotten.
You were only ten years old.
Antoine.
I knew it was him.
You were both so kind, so generous to me.
I think of you often...
that marvelous house, your family.
But now you...
You are here.
Grushenka!
Vera and Peter met an old friend of theirs today at the French Consulate.
It was quite by chance, but he's promised to help us.
It seems to be absolutely true. I have his letter here.
He'll help us?
He says he can arrange everything.
Passports, papers, tickets on a ship to Hong Kong...
even letters of introduction. Everything.
Of course, such things cost money.
None of it is for Monsieur Jacquier himself, he emphasizes that.
He's listed all the costs.
Sofia.
We might not have another chance.
For a long time now...
- ever since I had this job, I haven't had to... - Katya.
Think of Katya.
It might be her last chance.
- I can't promise, but I'll do what I can. - People are afraid of the Japanese.
By next week, the situation might be out of his hands.
I'll do what I can.
Watch it!
Mr. Jackson? Sir?
Well, well, Thomas.
Haven't seen you for a while.
Where have you been?
Well, sir, a lot of us have been saying the same thing about you.
We don't see much of you these days.
No?
Mr. Jackson, I did want to have a word with you.
Yeah?
Now?
Frankly, sir, the company directors have been expressing concern...
for some time now about...
well, about your way of life. You've probably been aware of this.
My way of life?
What's that?
You mean all this?
I guess so.
You don't see any of this, do you, Thomas?
I mean, you look at this and you see nothing.
Nothing.
Mr. Jackson, there was a meeting of the board this afternoon.
Certain people feel your association with the company...
is no longer necessarily...
Of course, there's the matter of that Japanese fellow.
- Mr. Matsuda? - Matsuda, yes.
I don't understand you, Crane.
As far as I was aware, the United States and Japan are still allies.
But as you must know, sir, Mr. Matsuda isn't any Japanese.
What do you mean?
You didn't know?
My dealings with him are entirely at the personal level.
Mr. Matsuda is a man...
who is much feared and loathed by the Chinese authorities.
In Northern China they remember him well enough.
Whenever he showed up, a Japanese invasion wouldn't be far behind.
So as you can see, sir, your friend's presence here in Shanghai...
isn't exactly regarded as a good omen.
Even the Japanese here don't like to be seen with him.
Mr. Matsuda and I, we share certain interests...
passions. We've become friends.
That's nothing to do with politics or armies or fighting.
That all belongs out there.
And as for the rest of it, your meetings, your dinners, your receptions...
hell, I never intended to be a businessman.
They wanted to use my name to make an extra dollar.
So I let them. That's all.
If things have changed, well, then to hell with them.
So, sir, do I take it you don't intend to...
Damn right, I don't intend to. I don't intend anything!
Thomas, look around you. Don't you see all this?
All this?
You don't... You don't see...
the beauty?
Mr. Jackson, before I came out here, I'd heard a lot about you.
I came out here hoping to learn from you.
I believe you're trying to tell me...
Are you trying to tell me that I'm something of a disappointment to you?
Frankly, sir...
I can't believe you're the same man my father respects so much.
Good night, sir.
So this is where you hide yourself these days.
You remember me?
I used to see you on the tram.
I thought you only went to the French Quarter.
I go wherever there's laughter and happiness.
Wherever there are charming beautiful ladies.
And I must say, my dear
you're particularly charming tonight.
Thank you.
Well, then.
What do you suppose our little orchestra will play next?
If it's something slow, then I insist you dance with me.
But only if it's slow.
With some women, one should only dance...
slowly.
And you, my dear, are one of them.
Who the hell do you think you're talking to? Who let you in here?
- I'm sorry, I said something wrong? - You think I can't hear?
I can hear every damn word you're saying to her.
In that case, you must know I said nothing...
What do you take her for? Dance with her? You're not fit to breathe the air around her.
Get out of here! Get out!
Get out! Who let you in here? I don't want you in here!
Get out of here!
Get out! Get out of here!
That man...
Here.
I'll leave you alone.
But you stay up here and sleep.
I don't think you've been sleeping enough.
How is he now?
Let him rest.
- Feeling better? - Oh, yes. Yes, I am.
Here.
I'm grateful to you.
I rather let myself down, and I let all of us down.
You've been different lately...
- not yourself. - I guess that's right.
As it happens, I've noticed that you haven't been yourself, either...
these last few evenings.
- Is your daughter well? - Yes.
Yes, she's fine.
I've been thinking lately maybe my relatives are right that...
I've done what I had to do for Katya.
But now perhaps I am harming her...
just by being near her.
You shouldn't be thinking these things.
But she copies me...
and I don't want her to have...
a sad life.
You shouldn't be having these thoughts, not even for a minute.
You belong with each other.
I had a daughter.
I lost her.
You asked me once...
a while back, how I lost my sight.
Yes.
Do you want to know?
Yes. I'd like to know.
My daughter, Christina...
she was around the age your Katya is right now. No, maybe she was a little older.
I made her a promise once.
I made her a promise, and it was foolish...
because I wasn't able to keep it.
When I'm grown, and I'm married...
- and I have children of my own. - Yes?
Promise you'll stay with me.
Promise you'll live with me forever.
Christina...
Christina.
It was instantaneous. That's what you're saying?
She wouldn't have suffered.
I was afraid.
See, I was afraid...
that she might have had a little time while she was lying there.
Time to realize...
that I'd let her down...
once again.
Oh, but she didn't.
You know, I was thinking. I'd like to meet Katya again.
Maybe this time, we can meet properly.
I was thinking, perhaps if you wanted...
the three of us, we might go to the public gardens one Sunday afternoon...
and we can listen to the brass band.
Do you think that Katya might like that?
Yes, I think she would.
And I would, too.
When you used to be a dilpomat...
Diplomat. Dip-lo-mat.
Sometimes, people will say "diplomatist."
Were you always a diplomat? When you were young?
No. Before that, I worked for the U.S. State Department.
What that means is I worked for the American President.
And then I came out here to China, because I wanted to be a diplomat.
When you were a diplomat, did you go on boat trips?
- Boat trips? - Now, Katya...
On boats that go to Soochow and places like that.
- Did you ever go? - Well, yes, we did go.
We did go a few times, in fact, and it was good.
We had a good time in Soochow.
Will you take us soon? Me and Mama. Aunt Vera, too.
You don't have to take the others.
Katya, stop annoying Mr. Jackson like that.
- I'm not annoying him. - No, no, she's not annoying me.
Well, let's see...
maybe one day we'll do just that.
A boat trip.
- Well, why not? It's very pleasant upriver. - Will you take us?
Well, maybe your mother and I can talk it over.
A boat trip!
Well, I'm not promising anything.
The other evening, you asked me what was on my mind.
- You wanted me to tell you. - Yes.
I need to...
find $300. Very soon.
That's what was on my mind, along with all usual things.
How do you intend to raise it?
I'll earn it, somehow.
- It's for something important? - Yes.
Well, I guess you're not going to tell me what.
You wouldn't like to hear about it.
Mr. Feinstein!
Katya. My sweetheart.
How are you?
- Samuel? - Countess Sofia, good afternoon.
This is my employer, my friend and employer, Mr. Jackson.
This is our neighbor, Mr. Samuel Feinstein.
Very good to meet you, Mr. Jackson.
I've heard a lot about you from Katya here.
Really? How do you do, sir?
If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll just go and see to the store.
How's that, Katya? Will you lead the way, my friend?
Thank you.
Jew! Dirty Jewish scum!
It hasn't been a good day. Not a good day at all. A lot of arguments.
I'm so glad the Countess has found a good employer.
Do you have to put up with a lot of that around here?
Was someone shouting something bad?
I didn't listen. Luckily, I'm hard of hearing.
Driving around on that old wreck ruins your eardrums.
Well, maybe that's just as well.
I suppose you left Europe to get away from that kind of thing.
To get away from that kind of thing?
Mr. Jackson, we had a terrible journey coming here.
The children lost their dear mother and their grandfather.
But we're here now. It's safe.
They can learn and play and grow up.
That kind of thing...
after what we've endured, what is it?
Nothing. I don't hear it. The children don't hear it.
Sofia?
Yes? I'm here.
I had them put it in this tired little bag, 'cause I didn't want you getting robbed.
I'm not expecting a child.
I realize you might have thought that. I don't want to deceive you.
- It's not for that. - No, no, no.
I didn't think it was for anything like that.
I realize I might be helping you go away from here...
away from me.
- You see, it's just... - No, no, let's just leave it like this now.
No questions and no answers.
How much longer do you think you can hide away in here?
I grew up with people who believed in big heavy doors...
just like you.
But those doors weren't so strong in the end.
I know.
Back when we first met...
you offered to let me touch your face...
so I could...
I could see what you looked like. You remember that?
Yes, I remember.
Well, I was wondering if I could now...
take you up on that offer.
All right.
If you like.
Strange to think that all this time...
I never knew how beautiful you were.
But then, you see, I'm a blind man.
Thank you.
So what do you think? Am I magic?
No, you cheated.
This was announced yesterday.
Though it is barely a week since Sir James declared it an impossibility...
for the Great Powers to stand back...
and leave the city to the mercy of Japanese troops.
The question present just now is this.
What actions are realistically open to any of the Powers?
Is it really practical for Great Britain or France...
or indeed, the United States...
to take up arms at this time?
Mama!
We're going to Hong Kong. There's a boat tonight.
- Tonight? - Katya, we need to tie our things together.
Come and help me.
Sofia.
The boat is leaving tonight.
We don't have much time, but we must take this boat.
There will be no other.
Sofia, it's been decided.
You will wait a little longer. Wait here.
Decided? Decided by who?
The family.
Hong Kong is British, very hard to buy the correct papers.
In the end...
we weren't able to buy papers for you, too.
But...
you're leaving me behind?
Only for a little while, then we send for you.
Oh, you'll be all right, my dear.
Sofia, it's for the best.
In Hong Kong, family has a chance to start afresh.
We have old friends there. We'll be accepted in society.
Katya will have a future there, a real future.
But none of this will be possible if you are with us.
Surely you've thought of this.
It would be soon known what you did here.
We should go back.
We have an evening's work ahead of us.
We should go back immediately.
What's wrong with you today?
We should not go to The White Countess this evening.
No customers coming.
Listen, Liu, I'll decide where I go and don't go.
Mr. Jackson...
for a long time, I do what you want me to do.
I see what you want me to see.
But today...
I tell you, it's time to stop. No more.
We go back.
All right, well, if you feel so strongly...
I'll just get there by myself.
Mr. Jackson.
Mr. Jackson!
Mr. Jackson.
Mr. Feinstein.
- Katya. - We're leaving.
We're going to Hong Kong.
Why didn't you go with the others? Why are you still here?
It's all right. It's for the best.
- They've left you. - But...
And Katya? What have they told her?
Countess Sofia, answer me. Where does Katya think you are?
They told her I was coming...
coming right behind.
And that I would meet them at the dock. And I told her, too.
Countess Sofia, you must get her back.
But it's for the best.
- What future is there for her otherwise? - No.
You must get her back.
Then the two of you can leave Shanghai with us.
- Tonight. - Leave? Leave where?
For Macao.
You must get Katya back and leave with us.
But how?
Glass please, gentlemen.
Be careful.
Mr. Jackson.
Mr. Matsuda.
It would appear you are understaffed this evening.
So it seems.
I guess there's something going on out there.
Mr. Jackson...
my car is outside.
Please allow me to take you to a safe place.
That's kind of you, sir, but I have my customers to attend to.
And that'll be your broader canvas.
You know, Mr. Matsuda, it's almost like you've made a fool of me.
All this time, you were helping me perfect this little miniature here...
you were busy, out there, getting on with your broader canvas.
Mr. Jackson...
it meant much to me that for a small moment in our lives...
we were able to be friends...
and create something of beauty here together.
It would sadden me to think you believed I have deceived you.
All right, well, maybe I don't.
But I feel a fool all the same.
And soon your broader canvas will come and crush my little world in here.
Just like it's crushing all those other little worlds right now.
But that is in the nature of things.
Now please, Mr. Jackson...
there isn't much time.
I urge you to leave with me immediately.
No, thank you, Mr. Matsuda.
This is where our paths have to divide.
In that case, Mr. Jackson...
I'll bid you goodbye.
Mr. Jackson...
since we may never meet again...
perhaps you would allow me to put to you something of a personal nature.
Feel free.
I realize I may be intruding...
but it has been my privilege to observe you at close quarters for some time.
And I wonder if perhaps...
the time has come for you to consider constructing another world.
Perhaps a world with your Countess.
The real White Countess, Countess Sofia.
This one here...
I fear its days are now numbered.
But it's too late now, Mr. Matsuda.
I let her go.
God knows where she and Katya are by now.
Perhaps it is not too late.
I saw the Countess on my way here.
Like the rest of the crowd...
she was going towards the sea guardian docks...
just a few minutes ago.
Now, sir...
if you'll excuse me.
I wish you every good fortune.
Excuse me.
Which way to the docks?
Docks? This way.
Excuse me, gentlemen. I'm just trying to find my way.
Thank you.
Katya!
Katya! Katya!
Don't worry, my darling. She'll come very soon.
But why isn't she here?
You promised. You promised she'd be waiting.
Excuse me.
Have you seen a Russian family?
A little girl.
Russian.
Mr. Jackson!
But we can't go yet.
She's coming, isn't she?
Where's Mama, Aunt Vera?
Mama!
- Mr. Jackson, Mr. Jackson, it's me. - What?
- Feinstein. The Countess' neighbor. - Oh, yes, yes.
- Mr. Jackson, they've taken Katya. - Who has taken her?
The family.
They've left Countess Sofia behind. She's down there looking for her.
No, wait.
Katya.
Mama! Mama!
Mama!
- Katya, get down, child! - Why is Mama so late? She has to hurry.
She'll be here soon.
And if she doesn't come, we'll wait for her on the boat.
She'll board by another boat.
There are some steps here.
Turn right. Excuse me.
Mama!
- Step. Step. - Mr. Feinstein! Diplomat!
Katya!
- Come on. Right now, sit down right away. - Katya!
Katya, your mother's with me. She's not coming.
- Go away, you dirty Jew! Get out of here. - Katya, don't listen to that.
Katya, your mother is not coming with you.
- Katya, come with me. - What do you want with us?
Go on! Leave!
Don't listen to them.
Go back to your sewers.
Boatman! Go, go, go!
Your mother's not coming.
Leave! Go on!
She's with me. She's looking.
Your mother is with me.
- Katya. - Look, Katya.
Come on. Your mother's waiting.
It's time to take that boat ride.
- Give me your hand. - Our boat ride.
Katya! Katya! Katya!
- Mama! - Katya!
Mama!
Katya! Katya, my darling!
Mama, where have you been?
I'm so sorry, Mama was wrong.
We'll leave together somewhere else.
Katya!
Katya Belinskya!
Not my baby!
Katya!
Try to sleep. Close your eyes.
We'll be going soon.
Mr. Feinstein?
- Yeah. I'm here, Mr. Jackson. - Here you go.
Thank you so much.
Look, what are you doing? Why don't you stay still?
Well, actually, I was trying to find you.
Why do you have to wander off? You'll have a stupid accident.
You're right. I'm sorry. I'm acting irresponsibly.
Come.
Here. That's for you.
Thank you for coming to help us earlier.
I wasn't expecting to see you there. It was...
a surprise.
Well, as a matter of fact, I wasn't coming just to help.
I was hoping...
Well, I realize I'm... Look, here I am...
a blind man...
out alone in the dangerous world.
I was wondering if you...
that is, you and Katya, I was thinking...
you might like to help me.
And if you'd do that, I thought I'd do my best to help you.
I realize this is...
it's not the ideal time to be discussing such a matter.
No, it's a good time. A good time.
As you say, we can help each other.
And we can start by you staying here...
and not doing something to get us all in trouble.
Okay. Okay, Countess.
I'll stay right here.
Wake up! Hurry!
Hurry! Come on!
It's just me.
This is hardly the boat ride we talked about.
I'm sorry.