On a flight cross country in early July I was graciously offered five wonderful hours to enjoy watching films. The airlines must have known I had to review a film with Asian history content as they screened one of Ed Norton's latest films "The Painted Veil". As the movie began, set in early 20th century British China, I imagined it might be about the struggles between the British and Chinese during this period. As the film evolved, it was obvious that it was simply a coming of age love story that had as its backdrop late imperial China. In the film the Chinese characters are presented in a stereotypical fashion. China herself is shown as a land of backwardness, isolation, pestulance, and western sexual depravity--it is otherized and made to seem exotic ala Edward Said Orientalism. The only somewhat historical exchange I saw in the film, albethey stereotypical again, are the roles of the British colonial officer gone native and the exchange between the Chinese Nationalist Comander of Norton's District and the Districts reigning warlord. The formers depiction is of the Captian Kurtz Apocolypse now variety, and the latter contains only the barest of teachable context. In all the film was a disappointment. Students could learn about the same amount of information about China if the watched Shanghi Surprise. It is not even close to being a Last Emperor. Somehow I saw it as being a weak attempt at bridging the love story of Shanghi surprise with the cinamatography of the Last Emperor. It is not about China, it is a tragic love story amongst westerners set in China. I don't recommend it.
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