7th Heaven

A good silent which, even though it is somewhat slow, plays well today. Many romance hallmarks in this one - and they probably were fresh back in 1927, too. Janet Gaynor was the Naomi Watts of the twenties.

Shamelessly melodramatic and banal story, but Its romance hallmarks, which clearly has been copied several times since, plays surprisingly well today. Excellent cinematography as well as the acting from Janet Gaynor.

A satisfying mix of melodrama, action and comedy. A sewer worker rescues a young lady from her villainous sister, and naturally a romance blooms. I didn't care for the religious sentiments, or the somewhat anti-feminist values, but both these elements are fairly slight in view of the larger picture. Chico and Diane make a charming couple and watching their relationship develop and overcome hurdles is a pleasure. Borzage demonstrates some very impressive camera technique.

2. Absolutely gorgeous. 93 years after its original release, the film is spectacular. Filled with emotion, honesty, a true portrayal of hardship and romance, lots of silly, cute and endearing moments, but all executed pitch perfect. I lived and breathed those characters. Even the banal and expected finale hit right in my heart and I cried tears of purity. Heartbreaking, heartwarming and infinitely beautiful - this is what true cinema is about.

Like most silent dramas it's a bit too slowly paced but it's got some nice visuals and a pretty compelling story. Gaynor deserved her Oscar for a wonderful performance as her character goes through a range of predicaments. I have to say I was a little annoyed by the ending which is forced and heavy-handed bot overall this is really good silent.

# 853

Something about films from this period is that they were dreadful at depicting action sequences. The Romance arc, the bulk of the story, although slow and melodramatic, is still touching. The War sequences in the middle completely lost my attention however, and the film suffers for it.

913

A very good film with an outstanding performance from Janet Gaynor. The film loses a bit of steam once the war begins and the ending seems a bit forced. But otherwise, it's definitely top notch Borzage.

A picture with no lack of memorably impressing set pieces, but romance pictures live by the strength of their lead performances, and this one has a strong foundation indeed. Admittedly, the wartime section that makes up the last third or so feels a bit superfluous in part because we get less of said lead performances to appreciate—but the blockbusters of this year did seem to need their WWI sequences.

Truly and utterly heartfelt from start to finish. Stunned me.

89.00.

Fuck the male lead. The female lead is the beast characters in this entire film and absolutely deserves the first Best Actress Oscars. Her performance was practically the single best thing about this movie; her expressions, the utter suffering she was in, her longing for love and affection, truly heart-breaking. She elevates this otherwise mediocre story. Also there are some cool shots

909

A fantastic silent melodrama about a proud sewer worker who lives in "heaven" and a girl imposes herself into his life.

A very small mystery here. It's so primitive, yet the actors carry it throught, even beautifully. They actually built the seven story building for that shot. The tempo and lushness of the photography in the strange last bit, and the whole feeling of the scene, tells you it's open for interpretation. A time capsule. You can't do this again, can you?

Solid silent that can get a bit cheesy at times and has an ending that feels like a bit of a cheat--it doesn't make much sense with an earlier scene at all. Gaynor is pretty great, elevating the film and it's a nice movie in general, but the rest of the cast is kind of middling and the story is nothing all that special.

#941

A good film to test how much of a romantic you are. I suspect some modern viewers might find some of the acting, dialogue and plot developments too cheesy, but I loved this film. Janet Gaynor is the big reason for this. Her ability to convincingly convey emotions and win sympathy is among the best ever! (psi: 77)

2x speed, cut the war stuff and the intertitles, add something like Philip Glass' Mad Rush on the organ for a soundtrack. it could scrub up quite nicely

It could be a second Sunrise but after the war sequence, movie is getting slower. and the final: She answers "ok, to make a fresh start" to a new proposal after learned that she is now a widow. Happy (!) ending is not impressive in that moment. then already movie ends. Second half kills the movie. Sadly.