The Painted Veil (1934)

Sorry, this movie sucks

good back-story, and good acting

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

So Greta marries on a whim, and goes off to China with her stiff researcher husband and then feels bored and neglected? What was she expecting over there? This story irritates me; the wife's part is that of a bored, spoiled shrew who jumps at the first man who bats his eyes at her. And that man is the incomparably boring George Brent. Boy, I guess Greta WAS bored. Good grief.I do like Greta here, in fact I like her more in her speaking films than in her silents; she doesn't seem so forced. She is quite natural in this one. The two men are so bland, it hardly matters who they are. Why was there such a dearth of exciting actors in the early 30's at MGM so that they kept using George Brent as a romantic lead? How did he ever get to that point? Also the infamous code makes this movie almost silly, as of course there can be no real love scenes or motives for why she was willing to run off with this man in the first place. They go and look at horses together. And next thing you know, she is throwing her marriage aside. Or trying to anyway.

This film has some rather fantastic elements about it, mainly that Greta Garbo would be playing a spinster, and that having several suitors - as her mother claims that she has - she would hastily accept a marriage proposal from someone for whom she has absolutely no passion. In this case it is Herbert Marshall playing both an unloved husband and a devoted medical researcher into the cause and prevention of cholera. The other fantastic element is trying to believe that there is any chemistry between Garbo and "the other man, George Brent. Brent - who was so wonderful with Kay Francis, Bette Davis, and Ruth Chatterton - is here no more attractive than the husband he is trying to supplant. He has all the chemistry of a cardboard box.The best part of the film is once Marshall realizes he has been cuckolded and makes an ultimatum to his faithless wife. He has just learned of a raging cholera epidemic in inland China and must go there and try to get it under control. His wife can stay behind if Brent's character agrees to get a divorce, in which case she can also have one. If he does not agree to this, then Garbo must come along with him on his expedition and thus be exposed to the most extreme danger.This was one of Garbo's first films after the production code came into effect earlier in 1934. There were so many limits put on what could be said and shown and even insinuated that it really put a damper on what was supposed to be a pretty torrid love triangle. Trying to perform in a moral straight jacket is probably what really cost this film its potential edge. I'd recommend this for Garbo completists only.

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.

The first film that Garbo made in the heyday of the censorship codes was THE PAINTED VEIL by Richard Boleslawski, based on the novel by M. Somerset Maugham. Although it is partly a remake of her silent WILD ORCHIDS (1928), the film is worth seeing throughout thanks to two key aspects: Garbo's presence of course and a very moral content. It may be said even that THE PAINTED VEIL is one of the most moral films with Greta Garbo.Some people say that there are better or worse performances that Garbo gave. Partly it is true, she did great jobs in CAMILLE, GRAND HOTEL, NINOTCHKA, QUEEN Christina or ANNA KARENINA. But if you see her in THE PAINTED VEIL, her performance will amaze you as well, though in a slightly different way. Throughout the movie, she looks beautiful and plays very naturally. This time, however, she does not play a vamp like in FLESH AND THE DEVIL (1926) nor the queen like in QUEEN Christina, but a simple young woman, Katrin, attached to marriage. Other cast who play by Greta's side do not give outstanding performances. Garbo's leading men, George Brent as Jack Townsend and Herbert Marshall as Dr Walter Fane, give much poorer performances than Garbo. Unfortunately, this creates contrast among the performances. Marshall is better than Brent, but both appear to be clearly in the shadow of the outstanding Garbo, who does an unforgettable job in the whole China sequel as well as at the beginning in the Austrian sequel. She beautifully expresses her loneliness and striking desire for happiness throughout. The unforgettable moment is when she forgives her husband concentrating on some other virtues in him, like the sacrifice for the ill. Maybe it can seem exaggerated that I particularly mention Garbo's performance, but the way she played was absolutely timeless. Garbo is still treated as the model of perfection in acting. And let it be so...The plot is also in no way dated. The moral that can be inferred is: look for love, believe in it and don't give up when it disappoints you. In the long run, it is love that wins. Katrin (Garbo) is exposed to difficult choices. She marries Dr Walter Fane but this marriage consequently leads her first to China and then to the cholera zone where her husband works. There appears another man in her life, Jack Tonwsend. First, it seems that she loves him more than Walter, but later, she realizes that her husband is a more valuable person, someone who does not only look for a personal career. Although the end is different than in the novel, the director shows an interesting circumstance. It is Katrin's husband that dies in her arms hearing "I love you" from Katrin's mouth. Sometimes, death breaks the borders of our indifference...Except for some factors that may seem far from perfect (cinematography, shots), THE PAINTED VEIL is a nice movie, still interesting to watch. For those who like moral movies from the 1930s, it is highly recommended, for Garbo's fans, it is a must see, particularly now, in September 2005 marked by her 100th birthday. 8/10