Review of The Painted Veil (2006) by Filipeneto — 23 Aug 2018

This film is the result of a partnership between the US and China. The script is a cheap romance, in which a futile girl marries without love and betrays her husband, a doctor who truly loves her. From there, they live a marriage that only exists formally and things get worse when they go to a secluded hamlet in China, where an epidemic of cholera broke out. The country's political situation will also cause problems, as China, recently transformed into a republic with the deposition of the last emperor, becomes a troubled country, with internal conflicts and a huge aversion to foreigners.

The plot adapts to the cinema an absolutely dry and heartless novel, but it does so in a way that's sometimes a bit melodramatic. I understand the intention: to increase the dramatic effect, the writer sweetened the story and altered it a bit, to make it more digestible. That's good but, just like when making a cake, we have to be careful not to overdo the amount of sugar. Unfortunately, sometimes it abuses the sugar but, at the same time, the epidemic and the misery of the people help to bring the film to a more realistic background and cut through this excessive sweetness. Thus, everything becomes more balanced, harmonious and pleasant. The political part of the plot, however, seem to be totally out of context and never fit into the overall story. I say this because this didn't make any difference in the story itself. It's totally dispensable. What happened here? Did the writer decided not to develop this subplot or Chinese CP demand that the film speak of this issue in a sort of political-historical revisionism? If the later was the true, it was something that did not really interest. China, however it tries to look like a westernized country, will only be truly modern with free and multiparty elections, a free press and freedom of opinion. None of these things exist behind the polluted and ultra-modern image that China likes to show us, and there is no smoke curtain strong enough for the Chinese dictatorship to hide that.

Edward Norton and Naomi Watts are two well-known and talented actors. The two have already seen their names on the list of Oscar-nominated actors. They worked very well but Norton's character is more able of captivating public's affection, while she will have a long atonement ahead. Anyway, Watts was able to show the moral and psychological evolution of her character, and that was difficult even for a good actress. The remaining cast, unfortunately, is remarkably insignificant. Toby Jones is good enough but has little to do, as can Diana Rigg and Liev Schreiber. Better than them are the scenarios and cinematography. China has shown in this film some magnificent landscapes, which the film has been able to explore. The soundtrack has some excellent piano pieces of a mournful and sad tone, which harmonizes with the mists, disease and love affairs that are the core of the story itself.