Director
John Curran
Cast
Naomi Watts Kitty Fane
Edward Norton Walter Fane
Liev Schreiber Charlie Townsend
Toby Jones Waddington
Diana Rigg Mother Superior
DVD Release Date: May 8, 2007
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 125 Minutes
The Movie
It is the mid-twenties and things are of course much different then as they are today. When one wishes to court a girl, it is not beyond normal that a man might ask her to marry him after only their first encounter. Such is the case with Kitty and Walter Fane.
Kitty is spoiled and she knows it, but she longs to get out of her sister’s shadow since her mother seems to consider one daughter not a failure. Walter is a young bacteriologist who is smitten with Kitty after only their first meeting and asks for her hand in marriage. Out of curiosity, or simply out of spite for her mother, Kitty accepts the invitation and moves away from London to China with her new husband.
Of course as strangers themselves, it should come as no surprise when Kitty finds the love of another man. Charlie Townsend is a high society man about town and their affair proves not to be as secret as Kitty had hoped for. Upon finding out, Walter plays the revenge game and volunteers himself to head to a small Chinese village in order to treat the Cholera epidemic spreading through the countryside. Either facing a scandal or going with him, Kitty must get prepared to endure much more horror then she ever could have expected.
Upon arriving in the village, the outsiders are not greeted with much gratitude but Walter is there to do some good while Kitty must find her own way of keeping busy. Their hatred for one another is evident though as they care not one shred for each other, or so they think. Surrounded by illness, poverty, and death; the couple begins to find a new light in a relationship that never had love from the outset.
The Painted Veil is a story that takes the feelings of love and brings them from one extreme to another; the absolute hatred shown between Kitty and Walter is simply phenomenal. Edward Norton just does a fantastic job of never quite being mean or angry about it – just portraying himself as a man who once loved a woman more then anything on Earth – but quickly his loved turned to that of self-loathing. He despised himself for once allowing his heart to love a woman that never felt the same for him. He is bitter and angry, but shows it only in a subtle way as to never blow up. He took matters into his own vengeful hands, though, and brought her somewhere she would be miserable while he could do good at the same time.
Naomi Watts then portrays the hurt and broken woman in an excellent manner as well. She constantly feels bad for her betrayal, but also does not want to be punished for life by a man whom she never cared for in the first place. She doesn’t necessarily hate Walter, but can’t stand to be treated so horribly by a man she doesn’t even want to be around. She is a self-sufficient woman in a time when women weren’t necessarily allowed that luxury. But taking charge of her own life and making the best of her sad situation, Kitty shows a new aura about her that makes Walter fall in love with her all over again.
It is the small intricacies that make this film so good. I’m well studied on the time period that it takes place, and seeing how wonderfully the cast pulls it off then you would think you are watching something actually filmed in 1925. The courtship of Kitty by Walter, the conversations and way with which they speak, and the power struggle between men and woman are all pulled off to exact detail.
But it is also the small things that The Painted Veil shows can lead a relationship down the path of love or one of disaster. Without even so much as a hint that Walter knew of Kitty’s adultery, he had already laid out a very detailed plan of getting her to go with him to the disease-ridden village. But then there are the small points like Kitty one day playing the piano for the village children to dance to and Walter remembering the song as the one he heard the moment he first laid eyes on her. Those kinds of things are what make the film so enjoyable, because anyone who has ever loved someone before can appreciate and relate to the small memories which trigger so many emotions.
A journey from beginning to end of love, deceit, betrayal, revenge, and back to love again. Slow not for a moment because you’ll find yourself so caught up in a relationship that you may feel as if it is your own. It is amazing to follow along and see from an outsider’s perspective how love can bloom from even the coldest of hearts. While all the time, the background for this love story is a village filled with disease, pain, and death. Not to be pushed to the back burner, but even though the setting, the cholera epidemic does not take center stage. It is painful to see such horror that could be going on in many parts of the world as we speak. Still, it’s the interaction between Kitty and Walter that showcases what can happen when love conquers all.
The Video
The film is shown in 2.40:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and is stunningly beautiful. Each and every color is as bright or dull as nature intended them to be. The landscape presented by the Chinese background just leaves you in absolute awe as there are fantastic shots which are presented in great definition. During some of the night scenes, it is a bit darker then it seems it should be, but that is only a minor complaint.
The Audio
The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and is very good for the most part. The music is excellent and all the dialogue comes through perfectly clear. But at two or three times during the film, there is a faint squealing sound. Kind of hard to describe but it sounds like “eeeeeee” and it lasts for about five or so minutes at a time. Not to bothersome and some of you may never even notice, but I did.
Special Features
Trailers – For Your Consideration, The Astronaut Farmer, and Music And Lyrics
Theatrical Trailer
The Inside Pulse
The Painted Veil is a visually gorgeous film that tells a beautiful story full of all the trials and tribulations that can come with having a relationship juxtaposed with a harsh environment. Award-worthy performances from Watts and Norton make the film a joy to watch, and director John Curran does what any filmmaker should and that’s get us to care for the characters in the story. With such a great-looking film and such a deep story based off a novel, it came as quite a surprise that the special features are so bare. It takes away from the overall score of the DVD, but it can’t possibly deduct anything from the fantastic film itself.
