Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Scotty Burke It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

apzijlstra Editing, acting, lighting, pacing, they're all very good. The mix of genres makes me wonder. That something funny if not farcical is mixed in with the tragedy of WWII doesn't sit well with me, although I know that some will say that it is the crux. The best part of the movie was perhaps the introduction, the Oh, Yeah part. The scene wherein the two deserters come upon the mass execution has a beautifully grim and nightmarishly terrifying aspect. The whole movie has something of a bad dream, not in the least because of the seemingly realistic scenes which never could have happened and the use of black and white scenes that convey a sense that we have to do with a documentary. Surely, the director is, as Ingmar Bergman said, the magician, and if so, if the audience is being set up, it's only part of the show.

fred-houpt I watched this film just recently all the way through, having watched just a part of it years before. I kept thinking of "Life is beautiful" and how upset I was with that film. By upset I mean disgusted with the premise. I could not imagine what that film wanted me to. Seven Beauties goes back to the exact same landscape and arrives at a completely different portrayal.I must confess that I consider Giancarlo Giannini to be one of the greatest actors ever to appear on film in any language. His style is different than say Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro or Jack Nicholson. With Giannini what always blows me away is what he can do with his eyes and simple facial gestures. Take for example the scene where in this film he is in court awaiting the sentence for murder. His eyes catches those of a young woman he had met in the street and with whom he does a light hearted bit of flirting. Their eyes meet and entire paragraphs of dialog go back and forth between them and not a word is spoken. I was just dumbfounded. Who acts this way anymore? Just about no one. His style often reminds me of the silent greats like Chaplin (in particular) who had to emote through their faces because the audience could not hear them speak.What is this film about? Is it just an anti-Nazi rant? Not really. Wertmuller at her best, had a full palette of dramatic colors splashing about and this is perhaps her best movie. Pasqualino Frafuso as a character is both hilarious, a complete puff-ball of inflated over confidence, a sole defender of his down and out family's honor and much more. As a bumbling tough-guy-wannabe, he manages to get himself into an insane asylum; perhaps the central motif of the entire movie. He moves from one insane chapter into another. (Major spoiler)...as a survivor, we are not sure what state of mind or soul he is in when he comes back to his family.There is a key element of the dialog mirroring the directors social ethos. When Pasqualino and another Italian soldier witness German soldiers killing (what they presume) are Jews and dumping their bodies into mass graves) and in fleeing the scene the other soldier is gripped with a terrible sense of guilt...we must take note of a key message. Should we turn away when gross injustice is done to our common man or should we protect ourselves with the certainty of silence? The concentration camp scenes are very harrowing but what is incredible in this film is that despite the utterly bleak reality, we can laugh a just a little bit. It is a macabre humor, very black and teetering on a dream like quality. I am reminded of some scenes in Fellini's "Satyricon".The German commandant is a woman (most unlikely in real life) and is depicted in an over the top portrayal of life hating, totally unattractive female, who is all too aware that her war is going to wind down and she is on the loosing side. She absolutely hates the Italians she has to incarcerate and she barbarically enjoys killing them at random. That Pasqualino decides that he can seduce her is both comical and very sad at the same time. That he succeeds is beyond his or our own vivid imagination. The one thing he knew for sure was that as a very unattractive woman she most certainly was starved for sexual gratification, even if it must come from someone she hated and loathed. That is the deal with the devil he plays in order to eat and survive. Did he sell his soul to the dark side at this point? We do not get a clear answer and that is another strength in the drama. Wertmuller is telling us that there is always much more gray than colored outlines when we look to define moral limitations, and the choices made under enormous duress. What would we do to survive such hell? Are we so sure we would not lower ourselves to ANY level in order to survive? Many did and that is her point. We are not encouraged to take sides and judge. We are reminded that life sometimes takes over and we are washed away in currents much stronger than our simple moral and ethical compass we felt so sure of as a younger person.Ultimately this film satisfies as a monumental drama on so many levels. Pasqualino's sisters and mother (as actors) are outstanding, especially the eldest sister, who is made to look more ugly than ugly. The struggle to find a place in life with the burden of such horrid looks is held up in a severe way; however, we are also aware that it is over done and very exaggerated. Like some fulsome opera drama, her struggle to find safety, financial freedom and social esteem mirror the struggles of millions of others in the lower, working classes. A very familiar theme in Italian cinema. That her brother, another who felt himself to be an ugly duckling, manages to reach his own level of self-sufficiency, at the cost of hell on earth, ties a very nice parallel to her own travails. A family touched by tragedy on many levels, they miraculously survive the war intact.Seven Beauties is worth many viewings. A richly textured, very well written drama of very intense contrasts, a perfect vehicle for outstanding acting at both comedic and dramatic heights. One of the best films I've ever seen. My personal favorite of Giannini's, equal to or even surpassing his performance in Swept Away. Perhaps Wertmullers most coherent social commentary/drama masterpiece.

MartinHafer There have been many movie made on the subject of the Holocaust or the Jewish ghettos and this one is certainly unique. The ones that I find the most watchable are the ones that look at it from an unusual viewpoint--a way that gives us new insight into the wretchedness and evil. My favorite of these is THE SHOP ON MAINSTREET, though SEVEN BEAUTIES is also an exceptional film about the horrors of the Nazis as seen from an unusual man.Pasqualino (also called "Seven Beauties" in the film) is a slimy amoral Italian man who is totally apolitical and only wants to survive the war. His life, up until the war, is shown in a series of flashbacks. And, he was a pimp who mostly avoided arrest until he killed a man. Then he manages to be sent to a mental asylum and then eventually released to the Italian army. No matter how bad his problems are, this smooth talking jerk manages to survive. However, after deserting (about you'd expect from him), Pasqualino and another deserter are captured and stuck in a hell-hole German death camp. Slimy Pasqualino figures he, too, will soon die unless he does SOMETHING to survive. His plan is to seduce the German lady officer in charge. She is, by the way, the uglies, scariest and most awful "human being" you'll ever see on film. His sex scenes with her, instead of being titillating are almost comical in their repulsiveness. However, Pasqualino gets far more than he bargains for. He DOES survive, but is made a Kapo--a boss of his barracks responsible for selecting men for execution and even performing one himself! It is a tough to watch segment of the movie--seeing just how far this "man" will go to save his own skin.The film is a great study in human nature and evil. As you would expect, this film is NOT ACCEPTABLE FARE FOR KIDS! But, for a mature audience, this is well worth your time. Giancarlo Giannini did a wonderful job in the lead.

NYC Lion I've watched this movie dozens of times in the last thirty years and it's still a treat. I just bought the new DVD version and I'm in love with Lina again.It's a roller-coaster ride with scenes of the grotesque against visions of sublime beauty. And, Thank You, Lina, for the courtroom scene of poignant conversation without words.The theme of the movie is simply that we too often accept survival as an excuse to abandon honor, integrity and fundamental humanity. There is a leftist tone that may put some off but that shouldn't detract from the basic message.The simple message is told with flawless visuals, hypnotic music and acutely fine acting.Please enjoy this important part of cinematic history.