The greatest movie ever made..!

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

"Seventh Heaven," Frank Borzage's poetic romantic melodrama from 1927, was the last of the three films nominated for the first Best Picture Oscar that I have now finished viewing (the other two being Lewis Milestone's "The Racket" and William A. Wellman's "Wings"). It's a sweet little movie about a meek waif (Janet Gaynor) who meets cute with a macho street cleaner (Charles Farrell) and then proceeds to fall in love with him, and he with her, while living together as a fake husband and wife in order to fool the authorities and prevent Gaynor from going to jail (that's another story, and is disposed of within the film's first 20 minutes or so). From there, the film transitions into full-blown melodrama as Farrell goes off to war and Gaynor waits stoically for him to return.This all would be enough to make one gag, if someone other than Borzage had directed it. He had a knack for taking the most saccharine subject matter and handling it with utmost delicacy; as a result, you're utterly charmed and swept up in the film's romanticism even as your head tells you you should be rolling your eyes. It also helps that Farrell and especially Gaynor were very good actors, and they make the characters believable while keeping the rampant sentimentality at bay.Borzage won the first Best Director Oscar for his work, and Gaynor was Oscar's first Best Actress, winning for this and two other films, "Street Angel" and "Sunrise," back when Oscars were given for entire bodies of work over a year and not for one specific film. Writer Benjamin Glazer completed the film's triplicate wins by taking home the first Oscar for Writing (Adaptation), before a screenplay award even existed."Seventh Heaven" was passed over in the Best Picture category for "Wings," and it also lost Art Direction (for Harry Oliver's impressive Parisian loft and WWI battlefield sets), but with five nominations it emerged as the most nominated film in Oscar's debut year.Grade: A

Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell star in Frank Borzage's Oscar-winning directed film: 7th Heaven. The seven in the title refers to the seven story walk-up to the flat Farrell eventually shares with Gaynor. Farrell is a faithless, disgruntled sewer worker who happens upon the put upon waif Gaynor in the street. Gaynor is attacked by her sister when she speaks up to relatives willing to take her and her sister in. Farrell saves Gaynor from her sister and takes her in after police threaten to arrest her. She poses as his wife, and they eventually fall in love before having to part from each other abruptly for World War I.The film, like many of Borzage's, is romantic, sentimental, and contrived beyond belief at times. However, the first pairing of Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell is somewhat magical, as they do have great screen chemistry. Like many silent films, some stars were either above the material they appeared in or elevated the material with their performances. 7th Heaven was such a film for Janet Gaynor. Charles Farrell was never much of an actor and relied mostly on his looks to carry him until the sound era revealed his voice did not match his rugged good looks.In 7th Heaven, Gaynor and Farrell are ably directed by Frank Borzage who copped an Oscar for his direction. Writer Benjamin Glazer won the first of his two Oscars, basing the script on Austin Strong's play. Harold Oliver was also nominated for the terrific art direction, which evoked a French tenement area effectively. Janet Gaynor won the best actress Oscar for a combination of three of her performances: 7th Heaven, Sunrise, and Street Angel. The film itself was also nominated for best production. The cinematography, framing, and tracking shots add to the film immensely.Borzage's films were unique for the artistic level he worked toward despite the typical subject matter he filmed. Some viewers will see the ending as more existential than unbelievable, and romantics may find little to complain about at all. Unfortunately, like many early films made in Hollywood, time has taken a toll on 7th Heaven. The ending is weakened by one too many climaxes, each one increasingly more preposterous. This mars an otherwise unique, naturalistic film; it's still one of the better late silent era films. The supporting players include Gladys Brockwell and George E. Stone making his film debut. *** of 4 stars.

...but I live near the stars.Another sublime work by John Borzage,one of the greatest directors America has ever had.Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor were the romantic couple of that era.Both were able to transcend the limitations they were working under,that is to say ,to convey any emotion without using voices.The soundtrack is particularly good including military marches ("la Madelon" sung in French,"La Marche Lorraine")as well as French folk songs ("J'ai Du Bon Tabac" "Fanfan La Tulipe")and even opera arias.Remarkable scenes: Gaynor,sadistically whipped by her sister ,and the relatives from South America,who would not take in those whores Chico (Farrell)discussing faith with his fellow men in the streets at night ,and the "miracle" : the priest telling him he would become a street-washer."The Bon Dieu" (in French in all the lines) cares about you!).Chico and Diane in the boy's apartment on the seventh floor : this is probably the most romantic scene in the whole silent age ,with the eventual exception of the scene in the church in Murnau's "Daybreak" which also featured Gaynor.These extraordinary lines by Chico: "I work in a sewer but I live near the stars.The historical episode of "les Taxis de la Marne" and the old man speaking of his old car :" She gave her life for France" .More than "the river" the complete version of which is unfortunately impossible to see,"Seventh Heaven" contained the seeds of what Borzage (and others) would do later The lovers against a hostile world subject reappear in "little man what now?" and "Mortal Storm" .All in all,the woman is stronger than the man ,it's her who builds the couple ;here,Chico did not want to say "I love you" ,he thought it was silly.And he is a remarkable fellow though; the loyal male friendship between Gobin and Chico predates the extraordinary camaraderie depicted in "three comrades" The priest and Chico's road to Damascus ,we will find them back in "Strange Crago" ,where Borzage's Christian concerns admirably emerge again.The telepathy,the supreme hour (the French title is "l'Heure Suprême" ) when the two lovers,although they are worlds apart,during which they are "together" not only influenced Henry Hathaway for "Peter Ibbetson" but also predates Borzage's own " I'll always loved you" where the two heroes communicate by music.The last pictures are so strong we do not know at first if it's reality or if Chico takes Diane away into a dream...or onto the true Seventh Heaven.But we,the audience, we were in the Seventh Heaven .Borzage was a genius,period.

My wife and I saw this film 35 years ago at a retrospective house - a single showing with a packed house. We witnessed something we'd never seen before or since. When Diane finally finds the courage to stand up to her sister - taking the whip away and whipping her sister out of the apartment - the entire audience stood up and cheered. The film affected us so much that we named our daughter Diane. We didn't see the film again until it was released on VHS several years ago. If anything, having experienced more of life, it affected us even more strongly. We each went through multiple tissues crying tears of joy. Now we often say, "Al - Patricia - heaven!" Borzage has never failed to get at least a small weep from me but Seventh Heaven is his best.