Customer Reviews

The Seventh Sign

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Amid the various current releases with themes relating to the turn of the millenium and the Apocalypse, The Seventh Sign is a thought-provoking and scary sleeper from a more than a decade before (1988) that's bound for a revival in 2000.

A very pregnant Abby Quinn (Demi Moore) has a disturbing, recurring dream of a Roman soldier (Peter Friedman) striking a condemned Jesus Christ to the ground and demanding, "Will you die for him?" Little does she know the future of the world rests on her answer to the question after the Messiah returns to Earth as David Bannon (Jurgen Prochnow), a mysterious traveling teacher of ancient languages who rents a Venice, California garage apartment from Abby and her husband Russell (Michael Biehn).

Prochnow (Das Boot, The English Patient) puts on such a convincing performance as Christ it's very easy to believe he is indeed the Messiah returned to the present to unleash the wrath of God as he breaks the seals of the Seven Signs. An ethereal musical score by Jack Nitzsche helps set an eerie mood as the plot moves rapidly to a startling and uplifting Judgment Day conclusion. This is one worth watching again and again.

This is a movie people! It is obviously not a true interpretation of the Book of Revelations. It is an enjoyable movie with a "religious" plot. Watch it for what it is. Not for it's biblical prophecies.

Most have never even heard of this movie, which is a true shame, for The Seventh Sign is a nice little look at what will happen, or might happen, when the seven signs of the apocalypse come to pass. Demi Moore plays Abby Quinn, a woman in the last month of her pregnancy who meets a man intent on renting the apartment above the Quinn's garage. This man is seen earlier in the film walking among different places, cracking seals that unleash ruin on the lands and seas. Abby, after much deliberation, begins to discover that her tenant is not what she originally saw him to be, and suspects that he may want to bring harm to her unborn child. She dreams of a man being struck, and a soldier yelling, "Will you die for him?" This movie definitely has a factor of suspense which is evident throughout most of the picture, and the conveyance of each of the seven signs is very haunting and original. Acting is an added plus, especially in the most tense of situations. Do not be mistaken by its low-key status; The Seventh Sign will have you on the edge of your seat, hungry for answers.

I saw this movie on the big screen in 1988. I loved it then..and I love it now. It's a dark, intellectual, emotionally draining, and completely enjoyable thriller. Demi Moore does a fantastic job playing a pregnant neo-Madonna, in search of answers about her haunting dreams and odd renter. Bit-by-bit, the movie uncovers the secret of the "seven signs," and teases us with flashbacks of ancient times. The ending is only predictable seconds before it happens, but the movie keeps our brains working as we second guess the next scene. Out of all the movies I've ever seen, only three or four would rate four or five stars. I suprise myself by including this one amoung them because it's not my typical movie genre. If you hate typical blood, guts, and gore thrillers (Friday the 13th, Scream, and Halloween), look into this one.

I would give this film three stars, but five for Jurgen Prochnow's remarkable performance. It is almost tragic that Hollywood has never known what to do with this intelligent, charismatic actor, so brilliant in "Das Boot," and demonstrating such a quietly compelling presence even in this apocalyptic melodrama. As for the film itself, intriguing scenes alternate with others that don't add up. Demi Moore's character is cited for her kindness, but in actuality, she seems completely oblivious to the sensitivities of others. We see her obsess and invade her tenant's privacy to the point of actually stealing (and even casually destroying) possibly priceless artifacts, with her only "excuse" a morbid curiosity and an ignorance threatened by what she can't immediately explain, and to which she gives the most self-obsessed interpretation. As for the movie's question, "Would you die for me?" - it is truly not answered by the ending, as most mothers would die for their children: as presented here, it is hardly a world-redeeming choice. As in most such films, the theology is extremely muddled, but the glimpses we see of Prochnow's Christ-figure, both the contemporary scenes and the flashbacks, do indeed give us a Jesus worth dying for. If only this movie could have been worthy of that embodiment of divine suffering and compassion. What a lovely angel-come-to-earth he would have made, in a different film.

The Seventh Sign is one of those Sleeper Movies you hear about. It might take two or three times watching it before you start to realize the deeper implications. Unfortunately most people now, don't have the time, or the attention span to sit through a movie more than once, but I can honestly say that it's one of my favorites. When I first saw it, I was still in my teens and it stuck with me. I have a copy on video and now a copy on dvd. A lot of people won't understand or get the biblical references and inferences, but my advice would be to just sit back and watch. It is creepy, surreal, and, ultimately, a movie of sacrifice that leaves you wondering what you would do. Demi Moore was really beautiful as Abby.

Don't you cherish finding a superb movie that is mostly unknown? I do. This movie is one of those rare gems. It's a love story, but much grander. It's a mystery that once unraveled haunts with proverbial poignancy. It's a story of biblical magnitude. More than anything, it's a story of hope.

The film begins slowly but builds to a beautiful climax as we watch Moore ,who portays a woman of little or no faith, discover what faith really is about. I enjoyed how the biblical references were explained and used not to carry the story, but more as a guide for the story to follow. This is a story that will renew your faith in man if not God.

I really enjoyed this movie, saw it in 1989, but watched it again tonight on cable, and I still say this movie is fantastic. The actors are great, the director is great, and the film overall is great. I cry at the end everytime I see it.

A fantastic film worth watching over and over again. Demi Moore's best performance. Jurgen Prochnow's (David Bannon) performance is remarkable and unmatched. I love Apocalyptic films and this one is up there with The Omen in my opinion. Best quote of the film: David Bannon speaking to Avi: "Remember it all, write it down, tell it; so people will use the chance she has given them." A great last line for any movie. Watch this movie hundreds of times and I guarantee you will never get tired of it. After viewing the film for the first time I suggest that all people take David's advice and stay close to God no matter what your religion is.