FILM SYNOPSIS: Based on the classic novel by W. Somerset Maugham, The Painted Veil is a tale of revenge that becomes a love story. Set in the 1920s, it tells of a young English couple: Walter, a middle-class doctor, and Kitty, an upper-class woman, who get married for the wrong reasons and relocate to Shanghai, where she falls in love with someone else. When he uncovers her infidelity the husband accepts a job in a remote village ravaged by a deadly epidemic and forces her to go along. It is an act of vengeance, as she is subjected to danger, discomfort and the threat of cholera. Slowly, her shallow nature and his dark heart are both transformed as they attempt to help others. Their discovery of the other’s qualities leads to a loving regard. PREVIEW REVIEW: This was one of the best film-going experiences I’ve had this past year. Perhaps that is due to its containing the greatest special effect ever conceived – the written word. Novelist Somerset Maugham was a storyteller of the highest magnitude and movie writer Ron Nyswaner (Swing Shift, Philadelphia, Mrs. Soffel) understands, appreciates and honors that fact. His screenplay (updated just a touch in order to appeal to politically correct sensibilities) almost subliminally composes an effective balance of world-weary cynicism with romantic hope. Director John Curran (We Don’t Live Here Anymore, Praises) skillfully brings out the human inner emotions that magically develop between a married couple. It’s a love story. There just aren’t that many around, these days. The one major disappointing for me has to do with the portrayal of the leads as un-churched and un-accepting of Christian theology. Even the head nun at the hospital (sensitively played by the great Avenger herself, Diana Rigg) reflects on her disintegrating relationship to God. It is always a letdown when a character study depicts people developing in every area but a spiritual one. The ignoring of the spiritual nature of mankind always seems shallow, especially when a storyline has a theme that acknowledges the sanctity of life. But I was able to put my disappointment aside and focus on the marital relationship that developed between the lead couple. Upon discovery of his wife’s adultery, the man, full of rage, tries to become indifferent. The rage eats away at his soul, but it is indifference that threatens the relationship. Fortunately for the protagonists, they begin to realize the significance of their life mate and learn to cherish one another. Oh, if that were so for everyone who says “I do.” Here’s a good DVD to go along with The Painted Veil: Inn of the Sixth Happiness. Ingrid Bergman stars in this true story of a missionary who leads a group of children on a perilous journey in pre-WW2 China. It contains the most moving conversion I’ve seen in the movies, as we witness change in a man’s life due to this courageous woman’s example. It reminds viewers that our openness to Christ’s will does affect others.
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