The Painted Veil (2006)

Director:

John Curran

Writers (WGA):

Ron Nyswaner (screenplay)
W. Somerset Maugham (novel)

Release Date:

19 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Sometimes the greatest journey is the distance between two people

Plot:

A British medical doctor fights a cholera outbreak in a small Chinese village, while also being trapped at home in a loveless marriage to an unfaithful wife.

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Cholera | China | Epidemic | Doctor

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Catherine An	...	Hostess
Bin Li	...	Te-Ming
Bin Wu	...	Student 1
Alan David	...	Mr. Garstin
Marie-Laure Descoureaux	...	Sister St. Joseph
Sally Hawkins	...	Mary
Juliet Howland	...	Dorothy Townsend
Toby Jones	...	Waddington
Lorraine Laurence	...	Sister Maryse
Johnny Lee	...	Angry Chinese Man
Li Feng	...	Sung Ching
Gesang Meiduo	...	Amah
Edward Norton	...	Walter Fane
Yin Qing	...	Student 2
Ian Renwick	...	Geoffrey Denison (as Ian Rennick)

Also Known As:

Mian sha (China: Mandarin title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some mature sexual situations, partial nudity, disturbing images and brief drug content.

Runtime:

USA:125 min | Argentina:125 min

Country:

China | USA

Language:

Mandarin | English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:(Banned) | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-11 | Ireland:12A | Hong Kong:IIA | Denmark:11 | UK:12 (DVD rating) | UK:12A (original rating) | South Korea:15 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42973) | France:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Beijing Film Studio, Beijing, China

Company:

WIP

Trivia:

Warner Independents and Yari Groups brought in a Chinese production company to help finance the film. The Chinese partner was granted approvals over the script and the finished film. It was concerned about the film's depiction of the uprising during the Chinese Revolution as well as the cholera's victims and asks for these contents to be reduced, something Edward Norton and John Curran disagreed upon. In the end, about 38 seconds of footage were removed.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Walter is telling Kitty he wants to divorce her, Kitty's necklace (with Charlie Townsend's ring) disappears and reappears between shots.

Quotes:

Kitty Fane: Walter, stop. I'm pregnant.
Walter Fane: A baby?
[while Walter begins to look elated, Kitty looks terrified]
Walter Fane: You're quite certain?
Kitty Fane: Yes.
Walter Fane: Well, that's wonderful.
[he sees the scared look on Kitty's face and the he remembers; Kitty's affair with Charlie Townsend]
Walter Fane: How long do you think you've been like this?
Kitty Fane: Two months. Maybe longer.
Walter Fane: [his expression becomes solemn] Kitty. Am I the father?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Le Furet Du Bois Joli

Simply Beautiful

Such a level of intimacy between character and viewer is so seldom achieved, that I could not help but be overwhelmed by it. I was moved and shattered by how well I knew these characters, how much I commiserated and empathized for them, and how deeply involved I was in their anger, fears, and love.

The camera often loomed within a dark room, filled only with soft light and the characters clothed in light-colored costume. This ciaroscuro, contrast between light and shadow, created elegance and simplicity that is nothing short of beautiful. Most incredible of all were the zoom shots onto a particular character's face or eyes, emphasizing the sweat on his/her brow or a particularly telling expression on his/her face.

The musical score was very powerful and in-tune with the story told and the amazing characterizations.

I simply LOVED this film. If you are interested in a slow-moving, deep and emotionally stirring film, The Painted Veil is just that film!