Artful, character-driven, and lovely
I watched The Painted Veil, starring Naomi Watts and Edward Norton, this week. WOW.
The film is based on the Somerset Maugham novel of the same name. (And, being based on Maugham, you know this ain't gonna end well, right?) Set in the 1920s, The Painted Veil tells the story of Kitty (Watts), a beautiful young woman who, as our story begins, is yet unmarried. Just as Kitty is feeling increasing pressure from her family to wed, Walter Fane (Norton) walks into her life. Fane is a brilliant, quiet bacteriologist who is currently working in Shanghai. Fane is quickly infatuated with Kitty, and he promptly asks her to marry him. Kitty agrees (due to a variety of reasons), and the two are wed and travel to China together.
Once in China, however, the couple's differences sharpen. Kitty finds comfort in the arms of a lover, and when Walter discovers her transgression, he confronts her. Walter's terms are simple: 1.) He can divorce her publicly for adultery, ruining her reputation; 2.) She can join him in a small Chinese village where he has agreed to serve as a doctor. (The village is battling an awful cholera epidemic.)
Kitty finds herself traveling to the Chinese countryside with her husband. The stench of adultery hangs palpably between them, and the two seem to despise each other. However, over time, Kitty and Walter begin to rediscover themselves and each other, leading to a conclusion that is redemptive and (in some ways) affirmative of the capacity of the human spirit.
This is an amazing, character-driven film. Performances by Watts and Norton, which make up the bulk of the screen-time, are unbelievable. Kitty is initially rendered as a slightly shallow woman who really doesn't know herself. She has not concerned herself with anything that is not about her. She chooses to marry Walter because she wants to get away from her mother and because she's beginnig to feel it necessary to marry SOMEONE to satisfy her family. However, as the film continues, Kitty grows up. She begins to think of the world outside of herself. She begins to yearn for a useful life.
Walter, a serious scientist, is not a social person. But he sees Kitty and is drawn to her. His need to be back in China is pressing, so he rushes an awkward courtship and proposes. There is much more to Walter, however, than Norton initially lets us see. His intelligence, his astute conclusions about human nature, his capacity for vengeance, his capacity for forgiveness. There are no flat characters here. These are intriguing, real, flawed people, and they are fascinating to watch.
Panoramic shots of the varied landscape of China are beautifully done, and the costumes are wonderful. The real show, though, is the evolving relationship between Kitty and Walter.
Soooooo worth seeing. A beautiful film to watch, and a performer's tour de force.
The film is based on the Somerset Maugham novel of the same name. (And, being based on Maugham, you know this ain't gonna end well, right?) Set in the 1920s, The Painted Veil tells the story of Kitty (Watts), a beautiful young woman who, as our story begins, is yet unmarried. Just as Kitty is feeling increasing pressure from her family to wed, Walter Fane (Norton) walks into her life. Fane is a brilliant, quiet bacteriologist who is currently working in Shanghai. Fane is quickly infatuated with Kitty, and he promptly asks her to marry him. Kitty agrees (due to a variety of reasons), and the two are wed and travel to China together.
Once in China, however, the couple's differences sharpen. Kitty finds comfort in the arms of a lover, and when Walter discovers her transgression, he confronts her. Walter's terms are simple: 1.) He can divorce her publicly for adultery, ruining her reputation; 2.) She can join him in a small Chinese village where he has agreed to serve as a doctor. (The village is battling an awful cholera epidemic.)
Kitty finds herself traveling to the Chinese countryside with her husband. The stench of adultery hangs palpably between them, and the two seem to despise each other. However, over time, Kitty and Walter begin to rediscover themselves and each other, leading to a conclusion that is redemptive and (in some ways) affirmative of the capacity of the human spirit.
This is an amazing, character-driven film. Performances by Watts and Norton, which make up the bulk of the screen-time, are unbelievable. Kitty is initially rendered as a slightly shallow woman who really doesn't know herself. She has not concerned herself with anything that is not about her. She chooses to marry Walter because she wants to get away from her mother and because she's beginnig to feel it necessary to marry SOMEONE to satisfy her family. However, as the film continues, Kitty grows up. She begins to think of the world outside of herself. She begins to yearn for a useful life.
Walter, a serious scientist, is not a social person. But he sees Kitty and is drawn to her. His need to be back in China is pressing, so he rushes an awkward courtship and proposes. There is much more to Walter, however, than Norton initially lets us see. His intelligence, his astute conclusions about human nature, his capacity for vengeance, his capacity for forgiveness. There are no flat characters here. These are intriguing, real, flawed people, and they are fascinating to watch.
Panoramic shots of the varied landscape of China are beautifully done, and the costumes are wonderful. The real show, though, is the evolving relationship between Kitty and Walter.
Soooooo worth seeing. A beautiful film to watch, and a performer's tour de force.
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