Ordered to see a psychiatrist after jumping in to the Thames in a bid to kill herself, a pianist is put under a new kind of hypnosis to find the cause of her depression. It seems her problems date back to her childhood although she still has issues now in the form of her newly acquired guardian.
by William Thomas |
Published on
Release Date:
18 Oct 1945
Running Time:
90 minutes
Certificate:
PG
Original Title:
Seventh Veil, The
A high-gloss piece of trash, melding gothic romance with then-fashionable psychoanalysis. Pianist Todd takes a suicidal plunge into the Thames and is rescued to be given over into the care of brilliant psychiatrist Lom, who uses some fairly unethical hypnosis to get to the bottom of her many neuroses which, as usual, date back to a childhood trauma.
Not only does the frigid Todd have problems, but so does her doomy, sadistic guardian (Mason), whose own obsession with his ward threatens both of them. The script is obvious tosh, but the melodramatics are hugely enjoyable, and the screenplay took an Academy Award.
An enjoyable romp, which is not to be taken too seriously but is all the more enjoyable for it. Todd is suitably innocent as the pianist forced to play by her creepy guardian played with gusto by Mason. Bennett creates a sinister atmosphere with dark shadows and a gothic set.
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