"The Painted Veil" 1934 Movie Review - Episode #67

[@paulatetzloff409]

Well I'm watching this a few years later. I love the Painted Veil with Naomi Watson and Edward Norton, which prompted me to read the book. It was excellent. Somerset Maugham is a really readable writer. Not all the classics are, in my opinion, as easy to read. I I didn't realize that Garbo had been in a version. Although I love classics and have watched many on the classic movie channels I had somehow missed this one. Enjoyed your review very much.

[@iloveclassicmovies8377]

While it's more light-hearted than the The Painted Veil, I agree with Barbara A that Ninotchka is excellent, and definitely worth checking out. It was done by the great Ernst Lubitsch, who has many movies that are worth checking out. A lesser known movie by him called Broken Lullaby is an all time favorite of mine. For a movie more like The Painted Veil, but with a little darker atmosphere, I recommend Grand Canary with Warner Baxter and Madge Evans. Warner Baxter is a disgraced scientist fighting yellow fever instead of cholera. It's not perfect, but the cinematography alone is enough to recommend it.

[@iloveclassicmovies8377]

Great review. Cool photo too. Interestingly I'm on a Herbert Marshall kick. It started with The Good Fairy a couple weeks ago, and Secrets of a Secretary last week. I just rewatched Always Goodbye yesterday. His voice is very cool. It's been a while since I saw all of these. I'm going to put The Painted Veil on my rewatch list now. I just bought a Marlene Dietrich bluray collection, and can't wait to watch Blonde Venus. If I recall correctly, things go really badly for him in that one. Anyway, thanks as always for these great classic movie reviews.

[@ianpatrickclassicreviews]

I'm glad you liked the review! I thought it was one of my best because I felt so relaxed during it and had fun with it! I'm actually very interested in seeing "Blonde Venus"...I'm a big Dietrich fan!

[@iloveclassicmovies8377]

I really loved this. The emotional undercurrents were very strong and believable to me, and the growth of Greta Garbo's character was particularly interesting. And it was all set against a beautifully shot and haunting backdrop. I especially loved the tender scenes near the end in the little hut where she and Herbert Marshall are talking openly and honestly with each other, trying to sort things out. It was a refreshing release to the tension that had been simmering between them throughout the movie. She openly and bravely confesses her shame to him, and against the backdrop of death and destruction it's now obvious to him that he overreacted. The death and destruction put everything into perspective for both of them. After all, she was able to see more closely now what he was going through on a daily basis trying to stop the spread of cholera. (It was a great line, by the way, when she said her soul was not big enough to love someone like him. It really seemed to encapsulate the theme of the story.) It's difficult to see how this could have been done much better. I found George Brent's character to be appropriately dashing (white sports jacket and all) and self assured. He almost seemed like a hunter stalking his prey in the beginning, and I think his character's confidence was one of the things that undermined and unsettled Greta Garbo's character. His timing on the scene initially, and his reappearance later, posed an interesting contrast to one another. He caught her off guard both times, but the second time around things were different. Now she was inoculated (pun intended), and more than capable of dealing with his presence. I'm glad I watched it again, and it even prompted me to turn around and buy a better copy for future viewing.

[@ianpatrickclassicreviews]

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the film more than I did! I have another review coming out later today of another movie I didn't care much for but maybe you'll like that one, too.

[@barbara166]

Thanks for the interesting review, Ian. I'm a lifelong Garbo devotee and I've never liked "The Painted Veil". Sorry to say this, since he's in your top 10 favorite actors, but I'll be honest. I've found George Brent to be pretty dull in everything I've seen him in and this film is no exception. I didn't feel any chemistry whatsoever between him and Garbo and I don't see why she would fall for him. I think he just lacks charisma. Besides the not-very-believable romance, the film also suffers from bland writing. The story was based on W. Somerset Maugham's novel of the same name, which I've read and a lot of changes had to be made because of the Hays Code. We even get the typical tacked-on happy ending. The whole thing falls rather flat for me... except Garbo. Garbo is luminous as always. And it actually upsets me a bit that, as you mention, MGM made her only do period pieces in the mid to late thirties. That was the wrong decision. And that's why she fell out of favor with the public. Before the Code she was modern, she represented a new kind of woman - sexually liberated, independent. But with those stuffy period dramas she was no longer relatable to depression audiences. (With the exception of Camille, which I love and is probably her best film.) By the way, have you seen Ninotchka? If you haven't, I recommend that you do. Because that's a very different Garbo. Imagine, Garbo as a stern Soviet envoy who is sent to capitalistic Paris and falls under its charms, in a comedy directed by Lubitsch with a Billy Wilder script. It's something else.

[@ianpatrickclassicreviews]

Barbara have you seen Brent in all his movies with Bette Davis? I always thought Brent was Davis's best male counterpart! Also, thank you for bringing female perspective on Garbo...I never thought of her in that way, but you make great points. I haven't seen "Ninotchka," but I have read a lot of good things about it. I reviewed "Camille" years ago and gave that a very high rate. I'll have to watch "Ninotchka" next when I get in a Garbo mood again!

[@barbara166]

@@ianpatrickclassicreviews I was actually thinking about it and maybe I was a bit unfair to Brent. I have seen all the notable Davis/Brent pairings and I do think that he was a very well suited screen partner for Davis. Their chemistry was feeding off their real life love affair that started during the filming of "Jezebel". So I agree with you on that, Ian. I've always liked him best in Bette Davis movies. Besides Bette, he's been paired up with some pretty charismatic leading ladies. I recently watched "My Reputation", which is a good film by the way, and I thought that the chemistry between Barbara Stanwyck and Brent was a bit lacking. I feel the same way about "42nd Street", where there isn't much chemistry between Bebe Daniels and Brent either. So I guess, I do sometimes think that maybe he just lacks the charisma necessary to pull off a romantic premise with women who aren't Bette Davis. And other times, (like in this case "The Painted Veil"), maybe the writing is to blame. I will say, though, that he does a good job playing against type in "The Spiral Staircase", which is a great little murder thriller. So, be sure to check that one out if you haven't already. You'll definitely enjoy it.

[@ianpatrickclassicreviews]

@@barbara166 "The Great Lie" is one of my favorite movies from back in the day..."The Spiral Staircase" is such a great movie, too! I'm surprised you know of it...I feel like it goes under the radar...also a good Halloween time movie...I should review that one next October! I also agree that Stanwyck and Brent were not a good pairing in "My Reputation" but I just am not a fan of that movie in general. As always thanks for providing such great comments, Barbara!

[@barbara166]

@@ianpatrickclassicreviews Oh, "The Great Lie" is such a deliciously entertaining melodrama! Mary Astor and Bette Davis were wonderful together. I loved the interplay between them. And the fact that they decided to rewrite most of the dialogue, after reading what they thought was a poor script, makes it all the more fun. Ian, It's great to find other people who also appreciate more obscure older films and don't just stick to the Classic Film Canon that includes movies that everybody knows and have been analyzed to death. There are so many films that are not talked about enough and are rarely seen. If only people tried to look beyond the surface, they could find so many gems. And even some lesser films can be of value in providing a look at what shaped 20th century entertainment, which I find very interesting indeed.

[@gamers7800]

Actually Garbo made her fair share of films, 28 I think🤔. As pointed out she retired from movies in 1941, to put that into perspective Pearl Harbor hadn’t happened yet. But somehow she remains the most famous movie star to ever live.

[@ianpatrickclassicreviews]

28 is a very small amount for actors from those days. And I don't know why you think she is the most famous movie star to ever live...the majority of the population would know someone like Elizabeth Taylor or Marilyn Monroe over her.

[@gamers7800]

@@ianpatrickclassicreviews I was actually referring to her prime in the 20s and 30s. Think about it how many actors from that era are even discussed by movie buffs, the only one who comes close is Chaplin. It’s true she only made 28 movies but about 26 of them were the prestige picture released by MGM for that year. Marilyn died young forever cementing her tragic life in the public mind. Elizabeth Taylor probably the most beautiful woman to ever make movies is know as much for her eight marriages as for the two Oscars she won. There has never been an actress or film star like Garbo even the great Katherine Hepburn was in awe of her. A neat thing to do is watch films from that era and see had many times Garbo is mentioned in passing. Easily the biggest movie star of all time.

[@ianpatrickclassicreviews]

@@gamers7800 I'm not sure what YOUR definition of a movie star is, but it definitely isn't mine. I mentioned Monroe and Taylor as easy examples...more people know who they are. They were and are bigger stars because the ENTIRE world knows who they are. You'll see Monroe stuff in all parts of the globe...hardly anyone knows who Garbo is anymore except for people who have a passion for old movies and even then, I would say the people of today watch other stars such as Hepburn, Taylor, or even Bergman more.

[@gamers7800]

@@ianpatrickclassicreviews The reason you see so much Marilyn is because there’s money to be made, it’s kitch! As for Taylor she died just a few years back she stayed in the limelight her whole life and I’m sure theirs money to be made from her image as well. As for Garbo she retired in 41 and basically left her public life behind.