Naomi Watts and Edward Norton star in this adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham’s 1925 novel that’s boosted from the fact that it was filmed in China.
What the back of the box says:
It is to be her punishment. But it may be redemption for them both. Based on W. Somerset Maugham’s novel and filmed in China, The Painted Veil is a moving portrait of the volcanic emotions that can erupt between a man and a woman, set against the drama of a nation in turmoil.”
Set in the 1920s, we start our journey not knowing the destination only that Dr. Fane and his wife are heading to parts of China unknown. We find out through a series of flashbacks where they’re going and why. It seems that Mrs. Fane marred the good Doctor to escape the controlling hand of her mother.
It was more of a marriage of convinience for Kitty and to experience the wonders and excitement of Shanghai. She soon finds that Walter is a shy and quiet man who is not one for adventurous behavior. She immediately (or so it seems in the film’s running time) falls into the bed of diplomat Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber).
Walter finds out and offers her an ultimatum – either go with him to a village that’s in the ravages of cholera or he will publicly divorce her. I suppose that we must stop here and say that in the ‘20s divorce was a scandal that most did not socially recover from and were made a pariah. He agrees to a quite divorce but only if Charlie agrees to divorce his wife and marry Kitty.
You can imagine that this is the last thing on Charlie’s mind. Kitty is then forced to travel with Walter to the village. They find the village in the throws of the epidemic and face resistance from the villagers who believe in traditional ways that sometimes seem to go against proper sanitary conditions (such as having the burial ground of the cholera victims close to the river so they can commune with the water spirits).
Kitty finds herself sequestered in their dwelling while Walter deals with the epidemic and political intrigue. Kitty is bored, feeling useless, and mostly ignored by the still stinging Walter. She visits the local nunnery led by the Mother Superior (Dame Diana Rigg – always a fine performer) and feels her calling to help. There are also some fine supporting performances from Toby Jones and Anthony Wong Chau-Sang.
The troubled couple finds that all might not be lost in their marriage, but disaster and disease threaten to end everything. The Painted Veil is a film that harkens back to the golden age of cinema, where the drama is the driving factor of the story (though one could imagine if Jimmy Cagney was in it in the ‘40s there would be a big action adventure battle scene somewhere).
I haven’t seen the 1934 version starring Greta Garbo, but since it runs 84 minutes can imagine that it’s a cliff notes version of the novel. Therefore, this new version may not appeal to the audiences of today, but those wanting a character study on the frailty of human beings and marriage might want to check it out.
I’m not sure how it jibes with Maugham’s novel, not being familiar with it, but those who enjoyed the read might also want to give it a try. The scenery and production is gorgeous and well worth seeing for those traits alone.
The Painted Veil is presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features are rather slim, only consisting of the film’s theatrical trailer. That’s a shame since they could’ve gone into Maugham’s novel and what it was like to actually shoot the film in China.
The Painted Veil is a sumptuous adaptation of the celebrated novel, but may run too long for our modern tastes. However, if you’re expecting a character study and don’t mind the wait you’ll find a fine film with some good performances.
The Painted Veil is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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