Those who have read the book written by W. Somerset Maugham published in 1925 will immediately realise the differences between the movie adaptation and the original novel. The character development of the supposed to be shallow, poorly educated Kitty is very much compressed and the conclusion is missing from the adaptation. The novel portrays the spiritual journey of a woman while the adaptation evens out the focus among Kitty (Naomi Watts) and the passionate, intellectual bacteriologist Walter Fane (Edward Norto), someone whom Kitty married not of love. The movie also manages to bring out the beautiful backdrop of China, something the novel is lack of. It is a trade-off in many ways and both the novel and the movie adaptation are enjoyable in their own ways.
Shortly after the couple arrived in Shanghai (it was Hong Kong in the original novel), Kitty has an affair with a polished, married British official (Liev Shrieber) and as a punishment to either the doctor Walter himself or to his wife or to both (up to your own interpretation), Walter has volunteered to station at the mountain village of Mei-tan-fu that was ravaged by the deadly cholera epidemic bringing along his wife Kitty with him.
Though the plot may not leave a lasting impression, the drama is beautifully acted out by the leading actor and actress Edward Norton and Naomi Watts. The movie captures the landscape, the people, and the culture of the China well. Can a woman falls in love with a man with good virtue, I believe, is one of the movie’s themes.
A 2 hours long of romance and drama is worth watching for those who like this movie genre. For those who are interested in the title of the novel, many believe that it is borrowed from Shelley’s famous sonnet that begins with the lines Lift not the painted veil which those who live call life.
Related Sites: The Painted Veil Official Film Site and Lift not the Painted Veil Which Those Who Live