The Painted Veil (2006)
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A socialite and a dedicated doctor find their relationship tested by the harsh realities of a cholera epidemic in 1920s China.
The story
In the early 1920s, Walter Fane, an earnest and academic bacteriologist, meets and marries Kitty Garstin, a socialite. Their marriage is strained by their differing interests and Kitty's clandestine affair with a man named Charles Townsend. When Walter is stationed in Shanghai to study infectious diseases, he insists Kitty accompany him to a remote area of China to treat victims of a cholera epidemic. The couple embarks on a difficult overland journey to a village where they must face the physical and emotional toll of the outbreak. Amidst the crisis, Kitty is forced to confront her own self-absorption and the reality of her situation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the early 1920s, Walter Fane, a dedicated bacteriologist, marries the socialite Kitty Garstin. Their marriage is strained by Kitty's affair with Charles Townsend. When Walter is stationed in Shanghai, he insists Kitty join him to help treat a cholera epidemic in a remote village. During a grueling overland journey, they are forced to confront their differences. In the village, Kitty becomes isolated and begins to work in a music room for a group of French nuns, where she begins to mature and develop a respect for Walter's dedication. She eventually discovers she is pregnant, and while she is unsure of the father, Walter accepts her. As the cholera epidemic takes many victims, Walter sets up a camp for refugees and eventually contracts the disease. Kitty nurses him until he dies. Five years later, in London, Kitty is seen with her young son, Walter. She encounters Townsend by chance; he realizes he may be the boy's father, but she rejects his advances, telling her son that he is 'no one important.'
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 125
- Production countries
- China; United States; Canada; Belgium
- Original languages
- English; Chinese; French
- Directors
- John Curran
- Writers
- Ron Nyswaner · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Naomi Watts · Kitty; Edward Norton · Walter Fane; Liev Schreiber; Toby Jones; Diana Rigg; Lü Yan; Anthony Wong Chau Sang
- Genres
- drama; historical romance; romantic drama
- Themes
- growth; sacrifice; the cost of empire
- Tone and mood
- romantic; tragic; somber
- Premise and plot tags
- historical; medical drama; romance
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1925 novel by W. Somerset Maugham
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising the performances of Naomi Watts and Edward Norton and the romantic atmosphere, though some noted a certain 'blame' or 'blandness' in the presentation.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 69 · scale: 100 · review count: 33
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · Best Original Score · 2006 · win; Los Angeles Film Critics Association · Best Original Score · 2006 · win; National Board of Review Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · 2006 · win; Independent Spirit Award · Best Screenplay · 2006 · nomination; Independent Spirit Award · Best Male Lead · 2006 · nomination; London Film Critics' Circle · Best British Supporting Actor of the Year · 2006 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film is the third adaptation of the Maugham novel.; The film was shot in the Huangyao ancient town in the Guangxi region.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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