Adaptation of W.S. Maugham’s novel The painted veil Essay

Shortly after meeting earnest, socially awkward bacteriologist Walter Fane at a party, vivacious, vain, and vacuous London socialite Kitty Garstin enters into a loveless marriage with him at the urging of her domineering mother. Following a honeymoon in Venice, the couple go to Shanghai, where the doctor is stationed in a government lab studying infectious diseases. Kitty meets Charles Townsend, a married British vice consul, and the two engage in a clandestine affair. When Walter discovers his wife’s infidelity, he seeks to punish her by threatening to divorce her on the grounds of adultery if she doesn’t accompany him to a small village in a remote area of China, where he has volunteered to treat victims of an unchecked cholera epidemic sweeping through the area. Kitty begs to be allowed to divorce him quietly and he agrees, provided Townsend will leave his wife Dorothy and marry her. When she proposes this possibility to her lover, he declines to accept, and she is c ompelled to travel to the mountainous inland region with her husband. They embark upon an arduous, two-week-long overland journey that would be considerably faster and much easier if they traveled by river, Upon their arrival in Mei-tan-fu, she is distressed to discover they will be living in near squalor, far removed from everyone except their cheerful neighbor Waddington, a British deputy commissioner living with a young Chinese woman in relative opulence. See more:  The 3 Types of Satire Essay Walter and Kitty barely speak to each other and, except for a cook and a Chinese soldier assigned to guard her, she is alone for long hours. After visiting an orphanage run by a group of French nuns, Kitty volunteers her services, and she is assigned to work in the music room. She is surprised to learn from the Mother Superior that her husband loves children, and in this setting she begins to see him in a new light as she learns what a selfless and caring person he can be. When he sees her with the children, he in turn realizes she is not the shallow, selfish person he thought her to be. As Walter’s anger and Kitty’s unhappiness subside, their marriage begins to blossom. She soon learns she is pregnant, but is unsure who the father is. Walter – in love with Kitty again – assures her it doesn’t matter. Just as the local cholera problem is coming under control, ailing refugees from elsewhere pour into the area, forcing Walter to set up a camp outside town. He contracts the disease and Kitty nurses him, but he dies, devastating her. Five years later, while shopping with her young son Walter in London, Kitty meets Townsend by chance on the street. He suggests the two get together and asks young Walter his age, realising from the reply that he could be Walter’s father. Kitty, however, rejects his overtures and walks away. When her son asks who Townsend is, she replies â€Å"No one important†. Awards and honors Composer Alexandre Desplat won the 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score Desplat also won an award for Best Original Score from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for both The Painted Veil and The Queen (2006). Edward Norton was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead but lost to Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson. The San Diego Film Critics Society honored him for his work in this and The Illusionist and Down in the Valley. The London Film Critics’ Circle nominated Toby Jones Best British Supporting Actor of the Year. ***Questions for discussion: 1. Give the description of the main heroin Kitty paying attention to her inner changes during the story film. Kitty Fane is a beautiful young woman. Kitty is charming and socially adept, but vacuous. She is vivacious, vain, spoiled and selfish. She doesn’t love her husband Walter, she considers him a boring, uncheerful, too serious and unthoughtful man. With him Kitty is unhappy. But during the film we can see how the main heroin changes. She learns from the Mother Superior that her husband loves children. And she begins to see him in a new light. She learns, that other people in Mei-tan-fu consider him a selfless and caring person. He is very kind. He is devoted to his work. He takes a great care of his patients. And Kitty understands, that she didn’t notice the good qualities of his husband. Kitty learns to respect her husband. She falls in love with her husband. She is selfish no more. She is very attentive to her husband, because she understands, that she has made a mistake. She takes care of orphans and she likes it. Kitty loves her husband and is happy now. 2. Express your attitude to Walter’s reaction. (to treachery) Was it quite usual or was it a bit unexpectedly? Why did he prefer to behave in this very way? Such a reaction is unusual and unexpected. Perhaps he prefers to behave in this way, because he wants to show Kitty, that he is no fool. He wants to teach her a lesson. He wants she gets rid of her selfishness and vanity. He wants she answer for her mistakes. 3. And what can you say about Charles Townsend? Is it typical of men to behave in such a way when they feel that something threatens their life or carrier? Are men such cowards indeed? I think that it is typical of many men to behave in such a way when they feel that something threatens their life or carrier. They don’t want to be responsible for their acts. Charles Townsend likes to have a good time with a beautiful woman. But when Kitty says him, that she loves him und wants to be married, he is very frightened of this. Because it can spoil his carrier. I think there a lot of such men in our world. And there are very few men, that are responsible for their acts and behave in an proper manner. That’s why Maugham shows us a typical character. 4. How can you interpret the title of the novel film? What did Maugham want to tell us using this title? (Ð  Ã °Ã ·Ã'€Ð ¸Ã' Ã ¾Ã ²Ã °Ã ½Ã ½Ã °Ã'  Ð ²Ã'Æ'Ð °Ã »Ã'Å', Ð £Ã ·Ã ¾Ã'€Ð ½Ã'‹Ð ¹ Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ºÃ'€Ð ¾Ã ²). At a wedding, a veil is usually white, representing the innocence of the person wearing it. White is pure and has not yet been violated. In the film the veil is painted, which means that it is not an innocent veil the characters are wearing. Maugham used this concept to show how all of society and the people living in it are tainted. 5. The end of the story seems to be rather vivid & emotional. The meeting of two old acquaintances is rather cold full of contempt at least from Kitty’s direction. What are your emotions? Do you feel sorry for Charles or do you despise him as Kitty? Explain. The end of the film is very emotional, but I don’t feel sorry for Charles. I feel contempt to him as Kitty. And he has only himself to blame for this. He was frightened to marry her. He didn’t want to marry her. He was afraid to spoil his career. He left her and didn’t think of her all these years. He behaved as a coward. And he deserves such an attitude.