Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Candida It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

jonathanruano Director Lina Wertmueller's "Seven Beauties" feels like a never-ending roller coaster as the cowardly anti-hero Pasqualino Frasfuso (played very well by Giancarlo Giannini) blunders into one bad situation after the other from the the 1930s to the end of the Second World War. Alternating from uproariously funny to deadly serious, this film uses Giannini's life to convey a very cynical message about life and the world. Wertmueller happily subjects Giannini's character to one humiliation after the other in order to make this large point: namely, that Pasqualino survives these misadventures (including a prolonged stay in a concentration camp) not because of his heroic or noble qualities (he has none), but rather because he is weak, cowardly, and selfish. Admittedly, this message may strike viewers as very depressing. Yet, Wertmueller's "Seven Beauties" makes for great entertainment anyway precisely because it is an unconventional, fast-paced, colourful, loud, musical, stereotypical, and action-packed picture where the unexpected often happens and catches you unawares.

edcar47 I am truly pleased to read all these positive comments about this movie. Even though the total comments are rather few in number they are all positive, which in itself is remarkable. I saw it when it first came to the theater and have loved it ever since. The movie hit on all cylinders for me in a way that probably no movie before or since could do. (Kazan's EAST OF EDEN comes close.) This is not an easy movie to like in that it is a Totally Focused Character Study about an individual who we meet for the first time in the movie. It is not a simple Genre movie that focuses on one aspect of life (crime, war, anti-war, comedy, romance, tragedy, coming of age, sex, survival etc.). This is a one-of-a-kind Character Study that asks you to follow the life of a human being (combining all aspects of life) as it unfolds before our eyes. And as there is justification for each of his sins (and they are legion) we cannot judge him too harshly, or at all. Also, because we initially like the character we become complicit in each one of his monstrous deeds and soon there is no turning back for either him or us. We can only continue going forward together, if only to see how it all ends. Oh Yeah. Perhaps that is what the OH YEAH Beat poem at the beginning is all about. That is the final irony- how the start of the movie and the end become one. At the end of the movie (or the true beginning of his life) Pasqualino becomes the person being mocked in the Oh Yeah poem of the opening scene. I think the reason everyone seems to like this movie is that the people who would not like or understand it knew instinctively within themselves to simply stay away. Or they walked out on it as soon as they realized this was not their kind of (genre) movie. Historical Note- I heard on the History Channel on a program about Naples during WWII that fully 30 percent of the women of Naples were prostitutes during the war. ed

ackstasis Giancarlo Giannini is an actor whose performances I've always enjoyed, and he first came to my attention as Renaldo Pazzi in the startlingly-underrated 'Hannibal,' in which he nonetheless managed to outshine the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore and Gary Oldman. My search for more of his excellent roles led me all the way back to 1975, in Lina Wertmüller's powerful Holocaust drama/comedy, 'Pasqualino Settebellezze {Seven Beauties}.' Surprisingly, for a foreign title, the film proved quite successful at the 1977 Academy Awards, receiving nominations for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director (the first such nomination for a female director), a well-deserved Best Actor (Giannini) and Best Original Screenplay.The film follows the exploits of Pasqualino Frafuso, a proud young man from a poor, rather unattractive family. Over the course of his life, Pasqualino has gained a certain level of respect in his home city of Naples. Whilst not particularly brave or dangerous, he possesses enough confidence to convince others that he is, and few people bother him. He carries around a gun for intimidation purposes, but doesn't really know how to use it properly. Thus, despite his less-than-good looks, Pasqualino considers himself a great success, and refuses to allow anybody to tarnish the great reputation that he has garnered himself. When one of his seven sisters becomes a prostitute to make ends meet, he responds violently, his reaction resulting in murder. In order to minimise his punishment, Pasqualino abandons his morals and feigns insanity, before enlisting in the defence force to escape the debilitating mental institution.All his own life, Pasqualino has treasured his sense of pride, but, when faced with death, he finds himself becoming… not quite a coward, but something akin to one. He deteriorates into a pathetic, grovelling, low-life creature, his will to survive outweighing his former notions of respect and family honour. It is not, in any way, a heroic bid for survival; it is painful to watch; we are repulsed; we pity him for the lengths he has gone to. When ordered to randomly select six young members of his own people to be executed, he does so. He puts a bullet in his own friend because he is told to. There are no heroes here; only the raw, brutal facts of reality.'Seven Beauties,' peculiarly for films of its subject matter, is a mixture of comedy and drama, and this gave rise to some of its biggest flaws. At numerous points, the film seems unsure of exactly what it wants to be: the bright, funny sequences are funny; the dark, dramatic sequences are certainly dramatic. However, the two extremes can't seem to comfortably co-exist on the screen, as you'd imagine when dealing with events of this sort. As much as my opinion is destined to be an unpopular one, I thought that Roberto Benigni's 'La Vita è bella {Life is Beautiful} (1997)' did a better job of using comedy to make the events of the Holocaust seem even more tragic.Another point that shouldn't affect my enjoyment of the film – but does – is the fact that 'Seven Beauties' features a selection of the most repulsive women, both morally and visually, in the history of cinema. Giannini, despite referring to himself as ugly at one point, stands as a shining beacon of handsomeness among this crowd, which is not necessarily a compliment. I realise that this was probably a requirement for the film itself to work, but that doesn't make it any easier to look at the television screen. After watching 'Seven Beauties' for the first time, I find myself satisfied, but ultimately feeling as though it has been done better.

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.