Console
best movie i've ever seen.
Freeman
This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.
Claudio Carvalho
In Austria, after the marriage of her beloved sister, Katrin (Greta Garbo) is proposed to marry Dr. Walter Fane (Herbert Marshall), who is a former student of her father and is researching cholera. They travel to Hong Kong and Katrin is totally neglected by her husband. Soon she has a love affair with the diplomat Jack Townsend (George Brent). When Walter discovers her love affair, he proposes the divorce provided Jack leaves his wife and marry Katrin. But this procedure would destroy his diplomatic career and Katrin leaves Jack. Walter decides to travel to the countryside to a village with cholera epidemic and forces Katrin to travel with him to punish her. What will happen to his wife?"The Painted Veil" is a romance with a corny conclusion about a marriage without love of a dedicated researcher and a bored housewife. The imperialism of the Westerns is impressive and a doctor is capable to order to burn down the houses of the villagers to the ground without explaining them the reason why. Only Greta Garbo makes it worthwhile watching this film once. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "O Véu Pintado" ("The Painted Veil")
judy t
In Maugham's wonderful novel with its enigmatic title, the heroine is English and her name is Kitty. But Kitty is a flighty name - perfect for Maugham's shallow butterfly without a heart - but totally wrong for the mysterious Garbo. And so she has been renamed Katrin, and she's from Austria, thereby accounting for her heavy accent. The 3 main characters - Katrin, her husband Dr. Fane, and her lover Townsend - are very little like the in-depth people Maugham created. And his basic story of a silly young woman who grows up and learns what love really is, has been tossed overboard to create a star vehicle to showcase Garbo's beauty and magnetism. But I don't care. For when Garbo is on the screen, her face illuminated by Daniel's camera, it doesn't matter to me that the scriptwriters have debauched Maugham's novel. The only reason anyone would watch this film is because Garbo is in it. And Garbo in 1934 was exquisitely beautiful, just as she was in 1926, 1927, 1928, and so on right up till she retired in 1942. I wonder what Maugham thought about MGMs transformation of his best-seller. My guess is that while he was perplexed by the casting, he was thrilled that Garbo consented to play Kitty/Katrin. And Maugham must have been especially thrilled that the film's title remained unaltered, appearing on the screen exactly as it did on the cover of the thousands of copies of his novel then for sale in every bookshop in America and abroad.
wes-connors
This film begins with a failed set-up: specifically, Ms. Garbo's younger sister marries, and it is implied that Garbo is becoming an "old maid". Suddenly, Mr. Marshall's doctor character reveals he has been in love with Garbo since they were 12-year-old schoolchildren. At last, Garbo has a suitor! At last, Dr. Marshall finds a woman! Then, the entire supporting cast is wiped away as the quickly wedded couple moves to China.In China, Garbo wears funny hats and attracts the attention of Mr. Brent. Now, the film is a "love triangle". Next, cholera erupts, giving the doctor's life much purpose (a "War on Cholera"). About an hour into the film, Garbo begins to give flashes of a fascinating acting performance - peaking in the scene where she makes coffee for estranged husband Marshall. Her skills are wasted, however, in this poorly executed film. ***** The Painted Veil (11/23/34) Richard Boleslawski ~ Greta Garbo, Herbert Marshall, George Brent
Incalculacable
Based on a book by W. Somerset Maugham of the same name, The Painted Veil tells the tale of Katrin Koerber (Greta Garbo) who is lonely after her sister's marriage, with whom she was very close. She agrees to marry her father's research associate Dr. Walter Fane (Herbert Marshall) who takes her to China. However, he is deeply involved with his work and often neglects Katrin in favour of his work which leads her to seek love and attention from another man: Jack Townsend (George Brent).Although I have been unsure of Garbo's acting abilities at times, she does well and truly shine in the role of the unfaithful and confused wife - a complex character which she masters with ease. Herbert Marshall does a good job of her husband caught between emotions and George Brent – not a terribly good looking man – was unconvincing as her lover. These two men seem to fade into the background when Garbo is on screen – her exotic; cat like appearance really captures the audience – despite not playing a glamorous character! The scenery of old China is lavish and the costumes for Garbo are a pleasure to see. However, the divine Greta Garbo is the only thing that really makes The Painted Veil watchable. The plot is thin and weak but Garbo does a wonderful job and makes the melodramatic material believable and interesting. Not a great film, but watch it for Garbo.
