The Seventh Veil

Another James Mason film I swoon for is "The Seventh Veil." It's mired in psychiatry that's two generations old and presents a facile solution to a deep seated problem. But it pulls me in and every time I watch it, I find more and more hidden meaning in it.

A warning to those who haven't seen the film: I'm going to reveal the ending. It's about a young pianist, Francesca, who tries to commit suicide in the belief that her hands have been badly injured and she will never be able to play again. When she's rescued, she is in a catatonic state and a psychiatrist is called in to treat her.

Using a narcotic-induced hypnosis, he gets her to recount the story of her life and the importance of her hands. She begins by telling him about an episode where she and a friend were caught out late and got into trouble. Francesca begs the headmistress not to cane her hands because she has to audition for a music scholarship that afternoon. The headmistress canes her anyway and she loses out on the scholarship.

Soon afterwards she is orphaned and goes to live with her second cousin Nicholas. Nicholas (played by James Mason) is domineering, sardonic and wants nothing more than to avoid the company of women. But when he discovers Francesca's talent he devotes himself to helping her develop it, at the cost of her freedom and social life. She practices for four or five hours every day under his watchful eye.

Nicholas sends her to a music college, where she finds a boyfriend, Peter. Peter is an American working his way through college by playing in a jazz club. He convinces Francesca to go dancing with him and after rebuffing him a few times she falls in love with him. Peter seems content to dally with her but he doesn't ask for her hand, so a 17-year old Francesca pops the question.

When she announces her engagement to Nicholas, he ignores it, orders her to go to bed and says to pack a bag because they are leaving for Paris in the morning. Francesca objects that she won't go because she is going to marry Peter, whereupon Nicholas slaps her and then coldly informs her that he is her legal guardian and she must obey him until she is 21. She doesn't see Peter for the next seven years, and he doesn't make any effort to stay in touch with her.

It's clear that although Nicholas is caustic and overbearing, he recognizes Francesca's talent and is devoted to helping her develop it. He is with her constantly, teaching her how to behave onstage and always admonishing her to take care of her hands.

The torch she has carried for Peter is extinguished when she finds him again and learns something that explains why he never tried hard to get in touch with her during all the years she was away. Then she meets Max, whom Nicholas has commissioned to paint her portrait. Max falls in love with her and asks her to go to Italy with him, but like Peter, he doesn't offer marriage. Still, she is determined to go with Max and get away from Nicholas's influence. She admits that Nicholas has an uncanny power over her.

Nicholas finally breaks out of his cold and rejecting shell when Francesca says she is going off with Max. At first he begs her not to leave, saying he can't be without her. Then, as she ignores him and plays Beethoven's Pathetique, he becomes irate, tells her she won't go because she belongs to him, and finally lashes out by striking her hands with his cane. Francesca runs away from him and leaves the house with Max who has just arrived. But as they drive away, escaping from Nicholas, they get into a car crash and Francesca's hands are burned in the accident. No matter how Max tries to assure her that her hands are only slightly injured and she will play the piano again, she doesn't believe him, and sneaks out of the hospital to jump off a bridge.

Max takes her away from the hospital against doctor's orders, and the psychiatrist tries to convince him to allow her to go back into treatment. Max refuses, and the psychiatrist visits Nicholas to try and persuade him to help. Nicholas, hearing the "Pathetique" played, knows his part in Francesca's despair, and smashes the recording. Thus he reveals the depth of his love for Francesca and his belief that she could never love a lame and embittered man such as him.

But when she is cured and put to the test, given the choice between Peter, Max and Nicholas, Francesca runs to Nicholas's arms.

Although Nicholas was a difficult character, I felt she made the right choice. Peter and Max were happy to accept her favors but they weren't offering her permanence. That might not matter as much today but in 1945 when the picture was released, their reluctance to marry her said a great deal. Nicholas never says a word but you can tell from his anger at the idea of Francesca living with Max that he is the honorable one who would marry her in a New York minute.

He was also the only one who sufficiently respected and nurtured her talent. Peter had talent of his own and wasn't going to concentrate on her. Max just wanted her to himself. Even though Nicholas was dominating and prickly, he was the one who was always there for her.

It seems the psychiatrist's work with Francesca gave Nicholas a benefit too as he was able to get in touch with his feelings and finally hold out his arms to the woman he loved, instead of bullying her and restricting her freedom. Oddly, Nicholas didn't seem to realize just how overbearing he was, and wondered aloud several times why Francesca was afraid of him. When he finally showed his gentle side, he won her over easily, as she'd been hoping for that all along.

The music in the film seemed to make a statement also. Nicholas was contemptuous of modern music such as jazz, and only recognized classical music as the genuine article. He was also the one man who could fully appreciate and complete Francesca. When it came to Peter, he was the "king of swing" and had a "modern" and cavalier attitude when it came to love. Nicholas took love so seriously, and was such a lamed and wounded soul, that he almost shut himself away from it forever.

I've probably revealed too much, but if not, I highly recommend this film.