THE PAINTED VEIL
US, 2006, 125 minutes, Colour.
Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Toby Jones, Diana Rigg, Juliet Howland, Anthony Wong, Maggie Steed.
Directed by John Curran.
A film for an adult audience that can be recommended both for its fine technical qualities and for its explorations of themes of infidelity, reconciliation, forgiveness and atonement.
W. Somerset Maugham created several strong female characters in his novels. (Films and telemovies from his writings already number 98,) There was Sadie Thompson in Rain (portrayed on screen by Gloria Swanson, Joan Crawford and Rita Hayworth) who, in isolated and tropical settings, tormented a man of God. There was the unfaithful Leslie Crosbie of The Letter, again in the tropics, (portrayed on screen by Jeanne Eagels, Bette Davis and Lee Remick). There was the unfaithful Mildred Rogers of Of Human Bondage (portrayed on screen by Bette Davis, Eleanor Parker and Kim Novak).
His Kitty Wane in The Painted Veil is a less forceful character than these – and she has been portrayed by Greta Garbo, Eleanor Parker and, now, Naomi Watts. However, she too is unfaithful but she has the opportunity to redeem herself – and be redeemed by her husband and his work among cholera victims.
Maugham, who trained and qualified as a doctor, was also interested in religious and spiritual themes in such works as The Razor’s Edge where a man goes in search of himself in the East.
This version of The Painted Veil was filmed in China. The cinematography of Shanghai and of the mountains and rivers of South China make a magnificent background to the plot. Alexandre Desplat’s evocative score won a Golden Globe award.
The setting is 1925, China. Flashbacks build up the story of the western man and woman being carried through the countryside on chairs. He is a shy and rather uptight bacteriologist from England (Edward Norton most persuasive in the role) and his socialite and spoiled young wife, Kitty (Naomi Watts proving that she is an actress of skill and substance). We soon learn that she did not love her husband despite his devotion to her and has had a dalliance with a worthless diplomat (Liev Schreiber) in Shanghai. Her husband volunteers to go to a remote village to help in a cholera epidemic and, quietly vengeful, forces his wife to accompany him.
The film develops the themes of colonialist presence in China and the growing resentment and violent protests as well as the themes of Chinese need for contemporary medical practice and hygiene. In the village are a group of French nuns who run an orphanage and who are helping in the crisis, many of them dying. Diana Rigg plays the superior, a practical and devout woman who delivers some very moving dialogue about her vocation, her love of God, her passion for God and how as she has grown older, they are like an old married couple sitting together, taking each other for granted, a maturing up and down love.
The plot develops as might be expected, especially in the tense relationship between husband and wife, in the hard work of the doctor, in the passive aggression of the military chief who finally breaks through the rituals and pride of the local warlord to change the practices of the people concerning the dead which are contributing to the spread of the disease.
The end of the film is moving, showing that hard circumstances and shared self-giving can transcend bitterness and hurt and that love and forgiveness are not impossible.
Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia) can be proud of the screenplay he has written and John Curran (Praise, We Don’t Liver Here Anymore) proud of the film he has directed.
1.The work of Somerset Maugham? His writing? The many film versions? His Asian settings? For relationships?
2.The title, China, Kitty herself?
3.The adaptation of the novel, expanding its storyline and detail? More on Doctor Fane and the cholera epidemic?
4.The impact of the cinematography, the variety of the musical score, the strength of the dialogue and the screenplay, performances?
5.An adult film in the best sense? Story, crises, values, resolution?
6.Familiar material, the loveless marriage, the affair, the consequences, vengeance, reconciliation and forgiveness?
7.The introduction, China, 1925? Walter and Kitty in the Chinese countryside, waiting, being carried, the carriers, the beautiful scenery in the mountains, the puzzle as to why they were there, waiting, hot?
8.The situation of the flashbacks: the party, Walter first seeing Kitty, as a flapper, her being on the steps, assured, his infatuation, inviting her to dance, her offhand manner, talking, her mother and the criticisms of Kitty, on the phone, talking about her sister marrying, Kitty overhearing? Her father and his quiet support? The mother threatening that she would be cut off? Meeting Walter at the door, his bouquet, going out, nothing better to do, talking about bacteriology, the meal, the proposal? The issue of her not loving him? The marriage, going to China, an escape? An introduction to each of them: Kitty and her shallowness, Walter and his being uptight and rigid?
9.Life in Shanghai, Charlie Townsend, the meeting, with his wife, the meal, the sudden move into the affair, Walter knocking at the door, the parcel? Walter confronting Kitty, the ultimatum, her going to Charlie, his callow response, evading responsibility? Her going with her husband?
10.Walter, uptight, his background, his infatuation with Kitty, loving her, being hurt by the affair, his stern stance, hard manner, the mission and the travel into the interior of China? The situation, meeting Waddington, his introducing them to the town (and the background of his own life), politics, representing England, his being with Sung Ching? The opium, the sex? The background of the British presence, colonial attitudes? The army? Kitty’s guard at the house? The background of the warlords and their dominating? The ordinary people, issues of hygiene, the deaths by cholera, the visuals, his description to Kitty of dehydration and death? His assistant in the laboratory? His studying? Work, the issue of water, closing the well, the water wheel and the possibility of fresh water? The customs of immediate burial? His ignoring Kitty? The meals in silence?
11.Kitty in herself, flighty, superficial, needing love? Feeling the punishment, her fears, watching Waddington and the girl? Drinking, at home? Walking through the town, the guard and his shadowing her? Venturing further? The convent, the meeting with the nuns, the orphans, the tour of the orphanage, the work, working hard, not finding it easy to be a nurse? The dangers, being served the salad and her defiant eating of it, Walter eating it as well? Finding the piano, playing for the children? At home in the convent? The discussions about the situation with Walter? The religious issues, his being anti-Catholic and proselytising, her defence of the work of the nuns? The meetings with the superior, the talk with her, the effect?
12.The nuns, their French background, their work, the orphanage, the cholera? The superior and her story, the tour, the music? The dangers for the nuns, their deaths, the migrants with the disease? The significance of the talk with the mother superior, explaining her own vocation, love of God, passion for God, an old couple, taking God for granted?
13.The Chinese officer, speaking English, his training, stern, the protests in the town, the posters? His not supporting Walter? The burial, the water? Going with Walter to the warlord, his change of attitude, his persuading the warlord to safe face?
14.The soldiers, the Chinese army, their work in the town? The warlord sending his soldiers, for the burials? The rising protests, the attack on Kitty, her running away, on the guard? The dangers?
15.Waddington, his background, his character, friendly, way of life, explanation, accommodating to China, the girl, the story of his rescuing her? Drinking, the drugs? Their talks, a human face of China?
16.The details of the work, the discussions about the illness? Walter and the dangers, the cuts, his eventual infection, his death? The reconciliation with Kitty – the sexual fulfilment? The pathos of his dying, of his burial?
17.The issue of Kitty’s pregnancy, her fainting, the nuns telling her what had happened? Her explaining to Walter, the doubt whether it was his child? Charlie’s child? His accepting this situation?
18.The five years passing, Kitty in London, with Walter, her love for him? The chance encounter with Charlie Townsend, his coming on to her – and her calling him Mr Townsend, going on her own independent way with her son?
19.A satisfying portrait of adult human beings, sin, forgiveness, punishment, reconciliation?
