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Poster
Director

Director

  • John Curran

Writers

  • Ron Nyswaner

  • Based on the novel by
    W. Somerset Maugham

Starring

  • Naomi Watts
  • Edward Norton
  • Liev Shreiber

Producers

  • Sara Colleton
  • Jean Francois Fonlupt
  • Naomi Watts
  • Edward Norton
  • Bob Yari
Rated PG-13
Domestic Distributor:
Warner Independent Pictures
Set in the 1920s, The Painted Veil follows the story of Kitty, a spoiled, London social-climber who marries the first eligible society man who offers -- a shy, but loving bacteriologist, Dr. Walter Fane. After an impromptu wedding, Kitty moves to Hong Kong with Walter. Now, trapped in a new city and married to a man she does not love, Kitty starts a passionate affair with a married British expatriate. Silently crushed by his wife's transgression, Walter volunteers for a dangerous assignment which takes him and Kitty to a cholera-plagued area of rural China. Immersed in a world so completely foreign and confronted daily by the ravages of disease, devastation and death, Kitty begins to realize what an empty life she has lead. As she begins to blossom into a compassionate woman, she is able to see Walter for the remarkable man he is, just as he begins to show signs of the dreaded disease.

"[Director] Curran has crafted a film that accomplishes so much. It not only draws us into this personal drama between his two principal actors, but also sets it all against a vibrant background of an ancient civilization struggling to become modern."

- Bill Zwecker, Chicago Sun-Times

"The Painted Veil has the power and intimacy of a timeless love story. By all means, let it sweep you away."

- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone