What happens when you are trapped in a marriage with someone who seems to belong to a different world? Kitty Fane struggles with this issue in The Painted Veil. Married to the boring and simplistic Walter Fane, she strays and has an affair with Charlie Townsend, another married man. Unsure of what to do, Walter gives her an ultimatum; he will divorce her quietly, if Charlie agrees to marry her, or she will accompany him to China, into the heart of a cholera heartbreak.
Defiant at first, the couple is curt with eachother, unsure about how to apporach the awkward situation that looms above their heads. After visiting the convent in wich Walter works, Kitty’s selfish ways are beaten back by the images that are presented to her. Taking to the children, while Walter tries to help as much as possible, Kitty sees Walter in a light she never saw before. He is not just dull and boring, but caring and loyal. As time passes, she tries to prove herself as someone to be taken seriously.
This movie was one that I found interesting. It doesn’t have the usual love story, where there is some struggle and then the couple lives happily ever after. Kitty is put into a marriage she never wanted to a man who is madly in love with her. Even though they eventually try to put the pieces back together, her affair still haunts they couple, and they must learn to overcome its vices.
