MovieChat Forums > The White Countess (2006) Discussion > Time Line

Time Line

posted 15 years ago by jjamison-2
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I loved this movie, but there is something I'd like to know. The Russian revolution took place in 1917, and the upper classes along with the Czar lost everything. This movie takes place in 1937, twenty years later. Yet a back flash shows Natasha R. and a young fellow playing lawn tennis, and she had on a long dress, which would not have been worn for sports by the time she was a young adult and the communists had taken over. No one of the priviliged classes would have been allowed to continue their lifestyle, and therefore, no lawn tennis. Also, where was the family between 1917 and 1937? Everyone would have been 20 years younger during the revolution, and history tells us that the aristrocacy packed up and left Russia.

[–] tikihatbabe24 15 years ago

i think they are just trying to establish that the family lost everything and really point out how far they have fallen. i don't think they factored in a time frame. they were bagging on major "suspension of disbelief"; at least that's how i explained it to myself when i watched.

[–] wictorfw 15 years ago

I don’t see a problem with the time lime the countess is in her 40’s making a flashback to her teen years pre 1917. Where was the family between 1917 – 1937?

Well first of all people tend to think that the Russian revolution happened and was over and done with in 1917 it may be that we have a slight naming problem but the October Revolution May have started in 25th of October 1917 (that is in accordance to the Julian Calendar who was used in Russia at the time. In the Gregorian calendar the star date becomes 7th of November) but it took way more than a month to finish it.

The civil war that followed was fought largely in an west to east direction and it took more than 5 years. The last of the White forces in the Ayano-Maysky District on the pacific coast did not capitulate until 17 June 1923.

Admit the most fighting took place during 1918 – 1920 but sill it is highly likely that the Belinskya family spent several years travelling eastwards with the white army before they even ended up in China.

Some thing that is hinted too during the opening credits in part by the army officers dancing and just towards the end of the opening credits by the sound of a locomotion and a train whistle.

Whit no country, no money, no papers, no visa, no identity, no nationality making it impossible to travel freely or even making residency where you are not allowed to own land or property simply because you don’t exist.

It's not hard to see another 15 years or so as what today is called a “displaced person” (the term was not used before WWII but still). So the answer to the question what was the family doing for 20 years is most likely trying to stay alive, in any way, by any means.