Your Guide to Studying "The Painted Veil" (206)
Hello there! Welcome to your study notes for The Painted Veil. Don't worry, we're going to break down this beautiful and emotional film step-by-step. By the end of this guide, you'll understand the story, the characters, the key themes, and the clever film techniques the director uses to make us feel all the emotions.
Studying film is like being a detective. You look for clues in the camera work, the music, and the acting to understand the deeper meaning. It's a great skill to have, and this film is a fantastic place to start. Let's get into it!
1. The Big Picture: What's the Story About?
At its heart, The Painted Veil is a story about a broken marriage that finds a chance to heal in the most unlikely of places. It’s about mistakes, consequences, forgiveness, and finding yourself.
A Super-Quick Plot Summary
To make it easy, let's break the story into three main parts:
Part 1: The Betrayal in Shanghai
Kitty, a young London socialite, marries a quiet bacteriologist (a scientist who studies bacteria), Dr. Walter Fane, mainly to escape her family. They move to Shanghai, where she gets bored and has an affair with a charming diplomat, Charlie Townsend. Walter finds out and, as a cold and calculated revenge, forces her to move with him to a remote village, Mei-tan-fu, which is suffering from a deadly cholera epidemic.
Part 2: The Ordeal in Mei-tan-fu
In the village, they are surrounded by death and suffering. Initially, they barely speak to each other. Walter works tirelessly to fight the disease, while Kitty is left isolated and miserable. Slowly, she starts to see the world outside her own selfish bubble. She begins to volunteer at an orphanage run by French nuns and sees a different, more courageous side to Walter. Respect, and eventually love, begins to grow between them.
Part 3: The Reconciliation and Tragedy
Just as they find true love and forgiveness, tragedy strikes. Walter catches cholera and dies in Kitty's arms after they share a final, loving reconciliation. A heartbroken Kitty, now pregnant (we later learn the child is Walter's), returns to London. Years later, she runs into Charlie Townsend again, but she rejects him, showing how much she has grown. She is now a strong, independent mother, living a life of purpose shaped by her experiences.
Key Takeaway:
The plot is a journey from a selfish, loveless relationship to one of deep, meaningful connection, set against a backdrop of crisis. The physical journey to the Chinese village mirrors the characters' internal emotional journey.
2. Meet the Characters: The People in the Story
Understanding the characters is key to understanding the film. Let's focus on the main three.
Kitty Fane (played by Naomi Watts)
At the start: She's shallow, selfish, and materialistic. She marries Walter not for love, but for convenience. Think of her as someone who only cares about parties and appearances.
Her journey (character arc): This is the most important transformation in the film! In Mei-tan-fu, forced to confront real suffering, she changes dramatically. She moves from being self-absorbed to being compassionate and useful. She finds her own strength and purpose.
At the end: She is a mature, reflective, and independent woman. She has learned the meaning of love and sacrifice. Her rejection of Charlie at the end is the ultimate proof of her growth.
Walter Fane (played by Edward Norton)
At the start: He's shy, intelligent, and serious, but also emotionally reserved. He loves Kitty deeply, but he doesn't know how to show it. When he discovers her affair, his love turns into a cold, cruel desire for revenge.
His journey (character arc): He also goes on a journey of forgiveness. He forces Kitty into a dangerous situation, which is a terrible thing to do. But in the village, he learns to see her differently as she starts to change. He learns to forgive her and himself, allowing himself to love her again, openly and honestly.
At the end: He becomes a hero, not just to the villagers, but to Kitty. He dies having experienced true, reciprocated love.
Charlie Townsend (played by Liev Schreiber)
Who is he? He's the charming, handsome man Kitty has an affair with. He seems exciting and romantic compared to the boring Walter.
His role in the story: Charlie represents a shallow, selfish kind of "love." When Kitty is in trouble, he abandons her immediately to protect his own reputation. He is a foil to Walter – meaning his character highlights the good qualities in Walter. He never changes; he is the same selfish man at the end of the film as he was at the beginning.
Quick Review Box
• Kitty: Transforms from selfish to selfless.
• Walter: Transforms from resentful to forgiving.
• Charlie: Stays the same; represents superficiality.
3. Big Ideas: Major Themes
Themes are the main ideas or messages in a story. Think about what the director wants us to consider about life. Don't worry if this seems tricky at first; we'll use examples!
Theme 1: Forgiveness and Redemption
This is the core theme! The whole story is about whether Kitty and Walter can forgive each other and find redemption (being saved from their past mistakes).
How we see it:
• Walter's initial "punishment" for Kitty is the opposite of forgiveness.
• Their stilted, silent conversations in the village show how hard forgiveness is.
• The turning point is when Kitty says, "Forgive me," and Walter replies, "I forgive you." It's a simple but powerful moment.
• Walter's final words, "Forgive me," show he is also seeking redemption for his cruelty.
Theme 2: Love and Marriage
The film explores different kinds of love. Is love about passion and excitement (like with Charlie), or is it about something deeper?
How we see it:
• Kitty and Walter's marriage starts as a transaction, not a romance.
• Kitty's affair with Charlie is based on passion, but it's not real love.
• The love that grows between Kitty and Walter in Mei-tan-fu is based on mutual respect, shared experience, and seeing each other's true character. It’s a much stronger, more meaningful love.
Pro-Tip: When writing about this theme, don't just say "the film is about love." Instead, discuss the *different types* of love presented and which one the film values more.
Theme 3: Colonialism and Cultural Clash
The story is set in 1920s China, a time of great tension between the Chinese and the British colonialists.
How we see it:
• The British characters live a life of luxury, completely separate from the Chinese people.
• Initially, the villagers are hostile to Walter. Colonel Yu says the people believe the foreigners have "poisoned the water."
• Walter and Kitty earn the villagers' respect not by being powerful, but by serving them and showing genuine care. The film suggests that connection is built through empathy, not power.
Key Takeaway:
The main themes are interconnected. The difficult setting (cultural clash) forces Kitty and Walter to confront their personal problems (love, betrayal) and ultimately leads them to a place of understanding (forgiveness and redemption).
4. How the Film Tells the Story: Filmic Techniques
This is where we become film detectives! We look at how the director uses the camera, sound, and scenery to create meaning and emotion. The syllabus calls these filmic techniques.
Mise-en-scène (Everything in the frame)
It's a fancy term for everything that appears on screen. A good way to remember is the acronym SCLA:
• S - Setting: The locations tell a story. Example: The grand, empty houses in Shanghai show how isolated and disconnected Kitty and Walter are. In contrast, the chaotic, suffering village of Mei-tan-fu is raw and real, forcing them to confront reality.
• C - Costume: What the characters wear reflects their personality. Example: Kitty’s beautiful, fashionable dresses in Shanghai show her superficiality. In the village, she wears simple, practical clothes, showing her transformation.
• L - Lighting: Light and shadow create mood. Example: The scenes of the affair with Charlie are often brightly lit and warm. The early scenes in Mei-tan-fu are dark and grey, reflecting their misery. As their love grows, the lighting becomes warmer and more natural.
• A - Acting: The actors' performances. Example: Notice how much is said without words. The way Walter avoids eye contact with Kitty at the beginning, or the gentle way she cares for him when he is sick. This is all part of the performance.
Cinematography (Camera Work)
This is all about the camera – where it's placed, how it moves, and what it sees.
• Long Shots / Wide Shots: These show the whole landscape. Example: The breathtaking shots of the Chinese countryside are stunningly beautiful. Director John Curran uses these to show both the beauty of the land and how tiny and insignificant the characters are in this vast, overwhelming environment. This is a key visual motif!
• Close-ups: These focus on a character's face. Example: The director uses close-ups during emotional moments to show us exactly what Kitty or Walter is feeling – their pain, their confusion, their dawning love. It makes the story feel very personal.
Sound and Music
Sound is just as important as the visuals!
• Non-diegetic Music (The Score): This is the background music the characters can't hear. The beautiful, sweeping score by Alexandre Desplat is crucial. It adds to the feeling of romance, tragedy, and the epic scale of the setting. It tells us how to feel.
• Diegetic Sound: Sounds that exist in the world of the film. Example: The constant coughing of cholera victims, the cries of mourners, the bustling sounds of the village. These sounds make the epidemic feel real and ever-present.
• Silence: Don't forget the power of silence! The long, awkward silences between Walter and Kitty at the start of their journey are full of tension and unspoken anger.
Did you know?
The film's title, The Painted Veil, comes from a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley, which begins, "Lift not the painted veil which those who live / Call Life." The "painted veil" is a symbol for the illusion of a happy life that people hide behind. Kitty and Walter's journey is about tearing down this veil and facing the difficult reality underneath.
Key Takeaway:
The director uses every tool available – stunning landscapes (cinematography), period-accurate costumes (mise-en-scène), and a powerful musical score (sound) – to immerse us in the story and show the characters' emotional journey.
5. Final Thoughts & Exam Tips
The Painted Veil is more than just a sad love story. It's a powerful film about personal growth and the discovery of what truly matters in life. When you write about it, remember to connect the story and characters to the way the film is made.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
1. Just retelling the plot. The examiner knows the story. Your job is not to summarize, but to analyse. Instead of saying "Kitty has an affair," say "Kitty's affair with Charlie reveals her initial immaturity and her search for a passion missing from her marriage."
2. Forgetting the film techniques. Always support your points with evidence from the film. Talk about a specific scene, a camera shot, or a piece of music and explain *how* it creates meaning. For example, "The wide shots of the river journey emphasize their isolation and the immense challenge they face, both physically and emotionally."
3. Being too general about themes. Instead of saying "The theme of forgiveness is important," explain *how* the film explores it through the actions and dialogue of Kitty and Walter.
You've got this! Watching the film a few times will really help. Try watching it once for the story, and then again specifically to look for examples of cinematography or costume. Good luck!