SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

disgusting, overrated, pointless

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

I watched this 1945 film, because I was 9 years old in that year and wanted to see how the era was portrayed. (I liked the 78 RPM shellac records were the only kind commercially existing then. But I digress.) I first gave the film a "5" (which is low for me) because the writers, though inspired by a real story, devised a "backstory" that was unnecessarily long, added little to the film, and had the protagonist embarrassingly portrayed as a child by the adult star, Ann Todd.I increased my rating to a "6" after we progressed past childhood and onto an interesting, although antiquated, presentation of psychiatry as it was simplistically understood at the time. Ms. Todd and Mr. Mason carried the movie, despite a lackluster supporting cast.How did I get to a "7," which is my average? Well, that was because of the last half hour that presented a somewhat interesting narrative, plus, a surprise ending.Oh, and I enjoyed the piano music throughout.

"The Seventh Veil" is significant for its depiction of therapeutic hypnosis--one of the first ever in films.The story is told mostly in flashbacks--the memories of a suicidal, nearly catatonic, pianist (portrayed by Ann Todd from age fourteen upward) who has suffered horrible emotional traumas. A therapist (played by Herbert Lom) seeks to unlock her debility through regression, using music as a trigger to recall key emotional moments.The depiction of hypnosis, as might be expected, is rather simplistic and too easy. The acting is strong. And the music, which pervades the entire film, is enjoyable.The end of the film is reminiscent of the final scene of a whodunit, when the detective assembles the suspects for his final revelation, but the final scene holds an interesting surprise.

This is a good film EXCEPT for the same complaint I often have about British films of that era -- the pace is too slow. And, there are places where it seems a bit melodramatic, but I could over look that if the pacing was better. The other BIG complaint I have are the scenes where Ann Todd is playing her character as a teenager. Just making your legs awkward doesn't work. It would have been MUCH better had a young actress played the part of her character as a teen.What did I like best about the film. Frankly, seeing Herbert Lom in a serious role long before "The Pink Panther" series. And, Ann Todd does a remarkable job of faking playing the piano. While I am certain that was not her playing, I would guess she had some talent in the area, because I have never seen it done so well on screen. What you have here is a story of a young woman who has been boxed into a life not of her own making. She is emotionally abused by her guardian (James Mason)...although you know from the beginning...well, I'd better let you figure out what happens there. Abused by an American band leader who was married. And damaged by a painter who involves her in a car crash (although we really can't blame him for that circumstance). Well, okay...all of that works.The 5 main characters here are: 1. James Mason as the guardian -- excellent performance, although his character is not very likable. 2. Ann Todd as the pianist -- other than the teen scenes, a good performance, although it seemed a tad bit stiff to me. 3. Herbert Lom as the psychiatrist -- a good performance, although the streak of gray in his hair was a little silly. 4. Hugh McDermott as the band leader -- good performance. 5. Albert Lieven as the painter -- good performance. To be honest, it's difficult to criticize the acting here, but Mason does best.The pace here really got to me. It took me several sittings to get through this film, but I was still glad I watched it.

Excellent psychological thriller about a repressed pianist (Ann Todd) and her equally repressed cousin (James Mason) who is also her guardian.Slow but compelling story about a young girl with musical talent who is sent to live with her odd cousin. They seem to despise one another and have only music in common. He tries to mold her into a concert pianist but she falls in love with an American band leader (Hugh McDermott). He whisks her off to Europe to continue her education. She becomes a famous pianist but is always under the Svengali-like spell of her lame cousin until she attempts suicide by jumping off a bride. Enter the doctor (Herbert Lom) who tries to unlock her secrets.The music is glorious but it's the stunning Ann Todd who is mesmerizing here. A cool icy blonde with a Garbo mouth, Miss Todd (once married to David Lean) is one of the greatly underrated English actresses of the 40s. She is just superb here as Francesca (not Francis and she's NOT Ann Harding as mentioned in other reviews here). Todd has an uncanny ability to play repressed yet volcanic women. She was equally excellent in films like SO EVIL MY LOVE, MADELEINE, TIME WITHOUT PITY, and THE PASSIONATE FRIENDS. She also got to work for Hitchcock in the US in THE PARADINE CASE.As Todd and Mason play cat and mouse, the viewer is left to guess what their secrets are and how the men in her life fit in. Todd's story is basically told in flashback while she;s under hypnosis. We never learn Mason's story.Handsome film and well worth sticking with. Also a word must be said for Todd's amazing piano-playing scenes. She displays about the best keyboard work in any film I can think of. Her scenes as the pianist as excellent; my guess is she could also play in real life.While Deborah Kerr, Greer Garson, and even Margaret Lockwood became major stars and well-known in the US, Ann Todd remains virtually unknown. What a pity. She's superb.