The Painted Veil (Review)

Stars Naomi Watts and Edward Norton both add to their highly impressive bodies of work with The Painted Veil. Based on W. Somerset Maugham’s novel from 1925, this latest film adaptation (the third) has been superbly handled by John Curran and his team, which includes Watts and Norton as producers. The Painted Veil is a genuinely moving tale of redemptive love set against a beautiful Chinese landscape.

The Story of The Painted Veil

Watts plays Kitty, the youngest daughter of a wealthy London family. Spoilt and carefree, Kitty has no real interest in marriage but agrees to wed young bacteriologist Walter (Norton), if only to escape the constant berating of her frustrated mother. Fleeing to Shanghai with Walter, Kitty soon begins an affair with English diplomat Charlie Townsend (Leiv Schreiber), before Walter learns of the infidelity.

For her betrayal, Kitty is forced to accompany her shattered husband to a remote, cholera-infested village where Walter has volunteered his services. Exposed to the horror of disease and death as well as her husband’s cold and harsh detachment, Kitty soon finds herself facing a number of physical and emotional trials that will forever define her.

Superb Direction From John Curran

The Painted Veil is a great example of a film equaling the sum of its parts. From the excellent performances and taut direction, through to its wonderful cinematography and use of location, the film becomes much more than the simple melodrama it may appear to be on the surface. As an actor, Naomi Watts is always impressive and she is ably matched by Edward Norton, who breaks new ground with his role here. Leiv Schreiber also deserves mention for his solid performance as Charlie Townsend.

John Curran’s direction deserves special mention, as the razor-sharp focus and drive he brings to the material makes the film feel significantly less than its two-hour runtime. This sort of melodramatic romance would be far less compelling in the hands of a lesser director, but Curran has the rare ability to make this type of story exciting to watch, and his delicately-drawn characters are strongly empathetic.

Stunning Use of Location

The cinematography in The Painted Veil is simply breathtaking, and uses the beautiful Chinese locations to full effect. Wonderfully photographed by Stuart Dryburgh, the film was shot completely in China, even for the early scenes set in London. The juxtaposition of the lush village scenery with the horrors of the cholera epidemic is unsettlingly powerful, and even more so when providing the backdrop to the film’s central love story.

The Painted Veil is a superior romantic drama and one that breathes new life and energy into the genre. With first-class performances, beautiful locations and cinematography, and a hauntingly memorable score, the film is genuinely moving and beautiful to watch. Director John Curran has utilized each of the film’s elements to their maximum, resulting in a tightly-constructed, exciting telling of a now eighty-year-old story.

Naomi Watts in The Painted Veil

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