It has been a long time since I’ve been as swept away by a film as I was by ‘The Painted Veil’, starring our own Naomi Watts. The film, directed by John Curran, is an adaptation of the novel by one of the great English novelists, Somerset Maughan, as adapted by screenwriter, Ron Nyswander.
‘The Painted Veil’ is set in the 1920’s and tells the story of an English couple, Walter (Edward Norton), a middle class doctor and Kitty (Naomi Watts), an upper-class woman, who get married and relocate to Shanghai. Kitty is a bit ‘young’ and impulsive and has an affair with a local diplomat, Charlie Townsend. Walter cottons on to the affair, and to spite her he accepts a job in a beautiful, remote Chinese village ravaged by a cholera epidemic, and demands that she come along. With the arrival at the village, Kitty’s mood hits rock bottom.
‘The Painted Veil’, above all, is a great love story. It was compelling to watch the journeys of the two main characters, as they struggle to find a way back to each other. Walter was a passionate, Professor Fred Hollows type, a mercurial, self sacrificing man, focused on his work. In contrast, Kitty was an impulsive, spoilt, fun loving young woman whose head and heart are turned around after seeing the poverty and sickness within the village.
Naomi Watts and Edward Norton co-produced the film and showed their commitment by giving strong performances, ably supported by an impressive cast. Director of cinematography, Stuart Dryburgh, gave the film a brilliant look, especially the shots of the natural beauty of China. Alexandre Despla’s music score added to the film’s richness.
