The Painted Veil (愛在遙遠的附近)

The Painted Veil (愛在遙遠的附近)

兩忘煙水裡,偷得浮生,泛舟湖上,甚會不是孕育愛情的好地方?

看完電影後,我有頗強烈的感覺,故事與電影都是要為政治服務,愛情是感人的 by-product。

故事發生在1925年的中國,男主角 Walter Fane 是駐上海英國租界的實驗室主管 ,因要調查及控制發生在長江上游的霍亂,被派往該處,負責控制疫情。 Well,租界與千里之外長江上游小村莊所爆發的瘟疫有何關係? 若是瘟疫失控,沿長江而下便會影響到大英帝國在長江各租界及內河運輸的利益,最重要還要保衛大上海區的「繁榮與安定」,所以 Walter Fane 是任重道遠。

電影因要在大陸拍攝,劇本不免要經重重審查,不知道是不是因為這,電影中的中國事物及中國人物都顯得浮光掠影,沒有什麼深刻描寫,落墨很避重就輕。 所以說黃秋生因要專注說好英文而導致演技發揮不來,這實在不公平,因為電影中從來都沒有一個機會給中國角式們去發揮,可以演的都是些跑龍套式的陪襯。

故事一個吸引我之處是它的歷史背景,電影中聰明的用了「五卅慘案」作為中國青年排斥洋人的楔子,使之男女主角不論去到那裡都會變得危機四伏,鬼子滾蛋不絕於耳。 黃秋生演的軍官兼通英、俄,是因為孫中山的「聯俄容共」 政策,國民黨中有接受過蘇共培訓的精英。 法國孤兒院中有收賣回來的兒童,要自少培養她們成為天主教徒,是受當年流行的「基督教救中國」說所影響。 軍閥之屈服於國民黨軍官的恐嚇,「這裡的地方這麼好,我們的軍隊來了就不想走啦」,是國民黨北伐前軍閥割據與政府互相猜疑的情況。 當然那些排洋急先鋒,隱約間像是受了共產主義薰陶的愛國青年。 型型式式的都豐富了電影在故事及畫面外的內容。 不過這都是我們自家的家事了。

對於 Fane 氏夫婦,最重要還是要在尋回愛情之時,最好還有解決霍亂擴散的方法。 於觀眾而言,後者可能是無關痛癢,動蕩的世情作用是要烘托出不朽的愛情。 當愛萌芽及植根在遙遠的附近後,便是功德完滿,愛是永恆,其它? 正如 Walter Fane 所云: Well, it doesn't matter now.

***
評分時間,十個愛為滿分:

故事:8 個愛 (有背叛,有掙扎,有反省,有再愛,有分離。 愛情片原素集齊啦!)
節奏:7 個愛 (沒有什麼起伏,頗平鋪直敘)
角色:8 個愛 (城府很深的男主角)
音樂:8 個愛
佈景/風景:9 個愛 (廣西實景拍攝,要風光壯麗有幾壯麗)
海報:8 個愛

整體:8.5 個愛 (The Painted Veil (愛在遙遠的附近) ,片名頗有詩意,私人加多半分)

Comments

Gnueyyma said…
Oh My God! Is it really what the film is about?? If that is the case, I am so glad that I didn't watch it.

It is completely different from the orginal story written by Maugham.

In the novel, it is not a love story at all, but it is about a woman searching for love and finally found it not from marriage but from her owm family.....excellent writing indeed.
Sarah. said…
I agree the movie is quite different with the original novel. Which one is better, I dare not to say. It sounds a little misunderstanding in the movie. The novel is about the woman how to become an independent woman and learn to love through her experience, especially her encounter with the riligious people--the nuns in the convent. Finally she finds she have realized how to love her family and her future daughter.

The novel has the episodes that the woman fell in Charlie's hug again and despised herself later, which sounds resonable for humanity. The movie skips this but remains the same meaning.

In the novel Walter is described as an hero, while in the movie he is more human and has his weakness.

It seems that the author is very religious.
dawei said…
Hey guys,
Think about that if the films always make exactly the same as the original story, then what is the point to make them? Besides, from the producers point of view, they're not making films for fun, but making both money and the reputation.
Ann said…
Since I've watched this movie and saw your comments so i sign your wedsite to my blog, and i wish you won't mind. :) Thank you very much.