The Seventh Veil

It's like Grand Piano except the sniper is a relationship manipulator. It's like Whiplash except it might ultimately lead to marriage. James Mason is a fascinating actor.

Though I typically love these kinds of classics, this one was a bit overboard on the melodramatics, to me. Still, definitely worth a watch and great piano music.

Who cares

Doesn't stand the test of time as well as others. Seemed very dated and the beginning was god awful slow. Plus I found it nearly impossible to determine how old the leading female was. They used the same actress to portray her as a child and used some freaky camera techniques to make her seem smaller than she was. But the only thing that changed as she 'got older' was her hair style and her clothes. I didn't like that. Then the ending was very typical Hollywood for that time.

A psychological "thriller" that starts to feel like that origami fortune teller thing ("A loves me, no, B loves me, wait, C loves me").* A good two-thirds of the movie is flashbacks which move glacially and really make you wonder if the scriptwriters have ever had human relationships before. And then there's a real whopper of an ending. Pretty dull, but there was such beautiful music throughout. -* I always called that thing a "cootie catcher."

It's an interesting film using the psychology of an abused mind as a storytelling framing device. The piano scenes and musical selections used are lovely. James Mason is entertaining and Ann Todd gives a strong performance. But any positive value to be praised in the film is torpedoed by the last 15-20 seconds. I guess this is a spoiler alert for an 80 year old film, but having a woman be "cured" of an emotional breakdown only to go back to the abuser who caused it is severely disappointing.

The Seventh Veil (1945) is stunning and unlikable at the same time. There's this weird dynamic between the characters and the psychology involved. Fascinating to absorb. There's no denying that this is a film that'll make you feel something.

Superior psychological gothic romance. Beautifully set, fine musical sequences, and Mason's portrayal is archetypical.