Review: The White Countess (2005) and The Painted Veil (2006)

The White Countess and the Painted Veil are two relatively recent movies that I watched recently. Both deal with foreign residents living in China during the first half of the last century, and therefore offer an interesting look into China at that time. And, to some extent, as movies related to China, they have potential to offer insight into the China of today as well.

Why? As the brouhaha around the Chinese pirate character in the yet unreleased third Pirates of the Caribbean movie (See: http://www.danwei.org/media_regulation/sarft_pirates_nationalism.php) should indicate movies about China can prove to just as valuable for academic study as movies from China, because the truth is that China cares very much about its image is projected in the media of other countries. (This is also true for domestic films. See: http://www.danwei.org/media_regulation/sarft_uncovers_a_poisoned_appl.php)

That said, I will begin with The Painted Veil because it is the most ostensibly problematic depiction. I have read several other Western reviews of this film which criticized its plot centered around a white man, Walter Fane (played by Edward Norton), who saves the day in a village filled with residents that are unfavorably depicted as yokels .

Yet this movie was officially sanctioned to be released in China and was actually fairly popular. Naturally, part of that comes from the fact the movie was co-produced with a domestic company, and so it was guaranteed to be screened as long as certain requirements by the government censors were met. (See: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-veil21dec21,0,1263865.story)

I also think that there's an alternative reading to the film that might contribute to a more positive Chinese reception. That is, although the western views are triumphant in the end, at least the traditional views put up a good fight, and in a modern China that is searching for identity, this aspect may in fact be appealing. The movie also makes it clear that the Western methods of Fane would not have been successful were it not for the significant help of strong Asian characters such as the Colonel (played by Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong) or Fane's assistant. And then Fane, the symbol of imperialism, dies in the end.

I will go so far to say I suspect that the characterization of the Colonel especially might be a result of the cooperation between the various concerns given that he really does serve as bridge between cultures in the film. This is especially apparent in the scene in which he and Fane negotiate with the warlord. Moreover, the sympathy with which he is portrayed throughout the movie is quite surprising given that he is a KMT officer, but I do not think it is coincidental.

Ironically the hand that the Chinese played in producing a story on imperialism makes it less imperialistic. On the other hand, The White Countess is considerably kinder in its depiction of the relationships between Chinese and foreigners, and ultimately that may work to its detriment. The fact is, while there is no overt imperialist sentiment, there are also no Chinese characters of any import in the story at all. The story as well not have been set in Shanghai, considering it is preoccupied with the lives of a few Americans, Russians, and one Japanese with questionable intentions. Only very briefly do we catch any looks into the lives of the many Chinese who live and work around our characters.

The main character, Todd Jackson (played by Ralph Fiennes), is portrayed as actively pursuing isolation and never takes much interest in his surroundings except to encourage representatives of the various political powers to be guests in his newly opened bar. But, even then, he never engages them, he only watches. He becomes good friends with the Japanese Mr. Matsuda, but makes it clear he does not want to take their relationship to the depth needed to actually inquire as to his friend's goals in Shanghai. In this way, Mr. Jackson represents the stereotypical pre-war American, much to the same purpose as Rick in Casablanca.

I've never heard any Chinese opinions of this movie, and that likely comes as a result of the fact that there isn't much of anything to form an opinion on one way or the other (excepting of course the very lack of important Chinese roles). Not to say it is bad—on the contrary I enjoyed it quite a bit—but it affords neither the facile anti-imperialist criticism nor the alternative reading I have suggested for The Painted Veil. As a result, you do get a sense of the detachment inherent in the lives of these few expatriates, which perhaps is the intention after all.