Actually it is not a love story

Stan 2021-12-13 08:01:10


As of writing this article, I have watched the movie "The Veil" three times, not to say how much I love it, but I have been trying to understand the screenwriter's thoughts when adapting the script.

Maugham said at the beginning of "Blade":

"The story is almost impossible to tell. The ending is neither death nor marriage. Death is the end of everything, so it is the total ending of a story, but marriage is used. The end is also very appropriate; those secular so-called reunion, self-proclaimed people can not be scorned. Ordinary people have an instinct, always believe that this way, everything should be accounted for. Male and female, no matter what the journey The joys and sorrows are finally brought together. The biological functions of the two sexes have been completed, and the interest will be transferred to the future generation.” It can be

seen that Maugham is not very interested in the perfect ending. In the ending of the original book "The Veil", Walter is dead and Katie is gone, but Maugham wants to end more than just the form. The ending of "The Veil" seems to end, but it is actually an extension, extending his "way of tranquility." ":

"Perhaps all the wrong things and stupid things she has done, all the hardships she has endured, are not all meaningless-it will be a road to peace."

In my opinion, this is the theme of the original book. More emphasis is placed on the heroine’s salvation, tranquility, freedom, relief, mercy and compassion (in fact, there are also themes such as "forgiveness" and "redemption" for the heroine, but it is very subtle, like "the dead is a dog" The grimness). But the movie is different. It also shows salvation, but it is equal salvation for two people. The intermediary they passed was "love", and they finally got peace and eternal life through the nourishment of "love" (even if someone died), happy ending alive! What the Abbey said to Katie in the movie can sublimate the theme of the movie:

"When I was 17 years old, I had a romantic fantasy about a religious career, but my love was so passionate. My emotions changed with the passage of time, and he let I was disappointed, he ignored me. We have become indifferent between us, like an old couple sitting on the sofa side by side but rarely talk to each other. But he knows that I will never leave him, this is my duty, when love and Responsibility merges into one, and grace is with you."

God is to the nun what Water is to Katie. Water used to love Katie so enthusiastically, but Katie let him down, ignored him, and even despised him. Walt still did not give up. Although it was executed in a seemingly cruel way (to Meitan Mansion), he would never leave Katie (in the movie Katie deliberately eats uncooked salad and despises his life, Walt thinks I even ate the raw salad without thinking about it, even if I die, I will die together!). Later, in the face of the catastrophe, the two gradually became emotional and sighed, "We are too stupid to find the qualities that each other lacks." Then to the twists and turns of Xidangpa, it is obvious that the two of them are actually forgiving each other along the way, until the redemption and the redemption. sublimation. In the Taiwan version, the name of the movie was changed to "Guess the Heart". I think this is the most suitable name for the movie. The two guessed each other, and finally got each other’s hearts, even if they were beautiful but perishable in a flower shop. White roses, but as long as they have been beautiful, they are worth it.

In the original book, Katie didn’t love Walt at the last moment of his death, and forgiveness was only a unilateral appeal, not equal forgiveness, but Katie prayed for Walt’s forgiveness and forgiveness. The reason is only for liberation, not for love. This is a hard truth. I don’t know how many movie fans will sigh:

"Sometimes you have to lie to people, but self-deception is unforgivable. She regrets that Walter died so tragically, but her grief is right. As long as someone acquainted with each other will die. She admits that Walter has an admirable character, but unfortunately she did not like him, but was just bored. It cannot be said that his death was a relief for her."

Walt is dead, but he is relieved of Katie, and has a comfortable sense of freedom. It's not that Katie is so unfeeling, it's just that such two people are holding each other's strength, it is difficult for anyone to take this step, and they are struggling. Guessing each other, but hurting each other. Katie also thought that "if she can free him from resentment at this last moment, it will be a compensation for the pain she caused him." But in the end, no one responded directly to forgiveness, but played down the problem with "death." Walt died, with the last words of "the dead is a dog", Katie didn't know what he meant. The "forgiveness" that Katie was looking forward to seemed like a veil, ambiguous, untouchable, but tentative. and. Therefore, the name of "The Veil" is still suitable for novels, and "Guess the Heart" is suitable for movies.

The screenwriter’s changes to the theme of the original work are, of course, largely in order to make the main line clear. After all, the religious connotations of “salvation”, “serenity” and the “Tao” of Chinese philosophy appearing in the original work are difficult to understand for a while. Let me make it clear, besides, if there is no touching love story under the beautiful Guilin Mountains, it is also a violent thing, so the power is pros and cons, the screenwriter still expands the love, reduces the human nature, and completes the movie version of "The Veil".

But after careful study, the screenwriter still knows Maugham's original work very well. There are many in the original work, and the screenwriters have almost moved over without a word:

Katie and Walter wrote in the original book when they had a showdown:

" I have no illusions about you at all." He said, "I know you are stupid, frivolous, and empty-headed, but I love you. I know your intentions, your ideals, you are snobbish and vulgar, but I love you. I know You are a second-rate guy, but I love you. I do my best to appreciate the things you are passionate about, and to show you that I am not ignorant, vulgar, gossip, and extremely stupid. I took pains. I know that wisdom will surprise you. Lost, so be cautious everywhere, be sure to act like a fool with any man you associate with. I know you married me only for your own benefit. I love you so deeply, I don’t care. As far as I know, People often feel sad and disappointed when they fall in love with someone but get nothing in return, and then become angry and acrimonious. I am not like that. I never expected you to love me. I never imagined that you would have a reason to love me. I I have never thought that I am admired by others. For me, I should be grateful for being given the opportunity to love you. Whenever I think that you are happy with me, whenever I see joy in your eyes , I am ecstatic. I try my best to keep my love to the limit that does not bore you, otherwise I know that I can’t bear the consequences. I always pay attention to your look, but whenever your boredom shows a little clue, I will change my approach . The right of a husband, in my opinion, is a kind of favor.”

When Walt said this in the movie, the screenwriter cut his strengths to make up for the shortcomings, and took the most harsh words to express the conflict:

Walt said: "Marry you. I knew you were selfish and spoiled, but I love you. I knew that you were willing to marry me just to leave your mother as far as possible, but I always hope that our relationship will gradually deepen, but I was wrong, you did not Ability to change your feelings."
There was even a dialogue between the two of the showdown that was copied word for word:

"Why do you despise yourself?"

"Because I loved you."

And in the movie, the director emphasized Walter's deep love, which is right. The expansion of the novel. When the husband and wife first came to Hong Kong to see a new house, Katie saw that there was no piano in the new house, and Walt, a science male, had no sense of freshness, and she would not have thought of buying this kind of artifact for picking up girls. When I first saw this, I thought it was just a description of the gap between the two in Ruoyouruowu, but I was wrong. At the back of the movie, when Katie panicked tremblingly if her husband discovered her adultery, she relied on the piano that Walter bought for her. The piano has only appeared in the movie once, but at this time, people who are not careful will never think of Katie's complaint that there is no piano in front. But it is this kind of shot that flashes by, similar to Walt's love in his heart but antelope horns, it is difficult for the audience to detect, and it is difficult for his wife to detect it.

Transplant this passage into the current society. If there is such a man who loves such a woman, would a woman love him? He understands all about a woman, including her shortcomings, even if this man looks harsh, cold, stagnant, and appraising, he does not have the power to come by wind and rain, and he does not have the amorous feelings of the literary and artistic youth to catch the triumphant son. He will not use the entry-level Nikon D5100 as the most popular artifact, nor is it the social grass that attracts the attention of the audience, is everywhere, has a mellow tone, and laughs. He may be a physical man hiding in the Science Squirrel Club. He has an imprecise face, is not tall, not strong at all, and is small and thin. He can use Schrödinger’s equation to solve the wave function when time and space are separated. But it is difficult to integrate into the goddess's three-dimensional potential field where time and space do not intersect.

It seems that the screenwriter really understands Maugham's heart and grasps the key backbone of the novel everywhere. Then why did he rewrite the ending that is not like the ending?

Here we first take a look at what Widdington said at the end of the novel:

"The Tao is the road, and the person who walks the road. The Tao is an eternal road on which everything in the world walks. But it was not created by all things, because the Tao itself is one of all things. The Tao is full of all things and at the same time nothingness. One thing. Everything is born from Tao, grows along Tao, and then returns to Tao. It can be said that it is square but has no edges and corners. It is a sound but cannot be heard by the ears. It is a portrait, but lines and colors cannot be seen. Tao. It is a huge net, the mesh is as large as the ocean, but it is not leaking. It is a refuge for all living things. It is not anywhere, but you can find its traces by looking at the window. Whether it wants to or not, it Giving all things the law of action, and then allowing them to grow up on their own. According to the Tao, humbleness can become heroic, and hunchback can also become tall and straight. Failure may bring success, and success is accompanied by failure. But who can Distinguish when the two alternate? People who pursue sexuality may be as smooth as a child. Moderation will make the strong people win, and make the weak people avoid and settle down. The person who conquers himself is the strongest person (this paragraph is very The feeling of "Lao Tzu"). "The

world is full of everything but nothing. You can see what you want anywhere, and you can't see what you want anywhere. Since there is nothing, since there are all, why not turn humbleness into heroism, unfeeling into compassion, failure into success, and resentment into forgiveness? Therefore, in response to human instincts' expectations for good things, the editor and director let Katie share half of the spiritual growth path that she carried to Walter, and let "love" share their eternal "peace". As a woman, I still like this kind of change in my heart. It would be too thin if Katie was only responsible for the freedom and independence in the mysterious garden like in the original book. She wants to educate her child to be fearless, frank, self-controlled, and free, not like she used to be. After all, this task still requires a man to rely on. Even if the man's body does not exist, she still has his soul.

"The only thing that can free us from the hatred of this world is the beautiful things that people continue to create even in the chaos of the world. The paintings that people describe, the music that they write, the books that they write, and people's lives. And among them. The most fertile beauty is the beautiful life of people. It is a perfect masterpiece of art.”

Therefore, the change of the film is reasonable, and it is also deliberately beautiful by the director. You can think of it as a retrogression of the theme, or as a sublimation of the theme.

For example, in the following expression, they used Maugham's original sentence, but completely inverted the situation:

"I am not educated, nor savvy. I am just an ordinary young woman. Since childhood So far, I like what the people who accompany me like. I am passionate about dancing, playing tennis, and watching theater. I also have a soft spot for men who love sports. It's not bad, I have already treated you, and You are so tired of those things. They are worthless to me, and I have no intention of letting them be worth in the future. You drag me around in those tedious galleries in Venice forever. I would rather be in three-dimensional treatment at that time. Enjoy my golf.” The

original story is that the two people talk about their dissatisfaction and gaps, full of gunpowder. But in the movie, it was a little ridicule of the two. Walt heard Katie's sigh and not only did not show a cold expression, but also smiled silly. It is more about communication and forgiveness. In the end, they also gave birth to a very cute point: it is too silly to look for the qualities that the other party lacks. The same words have different endings, whether they are there or not; whether they are fictitious or real, why bother with so much?

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The visualization of

the image of the veil: The image of the veil in the novel is more obvious than in the movie. As far as I know, there are at least three direct descriptions. Others The indirectness varies from person to person.

1. The scene when Katie first arrived at the new home of Meitan Mansion:

"Katie is the only one left in the simple living room of the late missionary. She lay down on the bench facing the window and stared at the other side of the river. Temple (the evening light casts a wonderful mystery on that temple)."

——This is the face of the most basic life veil, mysterious and wonderful, giving people a curious and good impression. You can't stand wanting to uncover it, tease it, because you think it's beautiful inside.

2. Katie’s thoughts after returning from the monastery:
"Most men are clumsy to coax their children, but he is not at all handy, what a weird person. However, apart from the touching memories of this scene, it seems to her There is also a hidden layer of shadow (like a black cloud with a circle of black clouds on the edge of a silver cloud), which can't go away."

——We have seen the shadows of life. It turns out that there are suffering and mud lurking behind the veil. You can't avoid it, and you can't get out of it.

3. At the end, Katie followed the declaration of

her father to start a new life: "At this moment, she suddenly remembered something, as if it came out of her consciousness for no reason. It was between them-her and poor Walter On the way to the plague city that told him to die, one morning, when the sky was still dark, they boarded the sedan chair and set off. As the sky got brighter, she saw it—or a picture appeared in an illusion. A breathtakingly beautiful sight, it instantly soothed her suffering heart. She seemed to feel that all the suffering in the world was nothing. The sun rose, dispelling the fog, and a rugged path appeared in front of her eyes. Crossing the rice fields, crossing the creek, undulating on the vast land, extending to places invisible to the eyes. Now she understands, if she walks along the path that is becoming clearer and clearer in front of her-it's not witty The old Widdington said that there is no destination, but the road that the nuns in the monastery walked on without complaint—perhaps all the wrong things and stupid things she did, all the hardships she endured , Is not all meaningless-it will be a road to peace."

-The veil of life was finally lifted, a breathtakingly beautiful scene, which instantly soothed the suffering heart. The rugged path appeared behind the veil, leading to tranquility and eternity.

The image of the veil in the movie is not exactly the "veil of life", it is the "veil of emotions". Behind the veil, there is sincere love.

The first time was when the husband and wife had just set off to the cholera area. The initial love was a closed heart for each other, just like the smog in the first picture. Even though the road was blurred and vibrant, they were isolated from each other because they couldn't guess.

The second time was when the two people's knots were unraveled, and after tolerating each other. Gradually the dusk came, and the gentle sunset slowly dragged through the haze, and the veils were slowly lifted. They saw each other's hearts clearly, no need to guess, they were already comfortable.

Finally, after Watt's death, Katie left by boat. The old people have gone, and staying alone is also melancholy. The smoke of the ferry once again enveloped the picture, did it put up a new veil? No, there is only him behind her veil, just for him.

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It was written as the party’s self-talk in the original work, and the heart is cool...


View more about The Painted Veil reviews

Extended Reading
  • Floy 2022-03-28 09:01:03

    Huang Qiusheng's English is much better than Mandarin!

  • Ophelia 2022-03-22 09:01:54

    The plot is cliché, but love is not cliché. Worth a look.

The Painted Veil quotes

  • Walter Fane: I'd like to press on, if you don't mind.

    Kitty Fane: Surely my comforts are no concern to you.

  • Walter Fane: Do you like flowers?

    Kitty Fane: Not particularly, no. Well, I mean yes, but we don't really have them around the house. Mother says, "Why purchase something you can grow for free?" Then, we don't really grow them either. It does silly really. To put all that effort into something that's just going to die.