The Seventh Sign
The Seventh Sign | |
---|---|
Directed by | Carl Schultz |
Written by | Clifford Green Ellen Green |
Produced by | Ted Field Robert W. Cort |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Juan Ruiz Anchia |
Edited by | Caroline Biggerstaff |
Music by | Jack Nitzsche |
Production company | |
Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $18,875,011 |
The Seventh Sign is a 1988 apocalyptic drama film written by Clifford and Ellen Green and directed by Carl Schultz. The title and plot reference the seven seals described in the Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament of the Bible.[1]
Plot
Signs of the apocalypse are appearing, along with a mysterious wanderer. Father Lucci (Peter Friedman) is the Vatican official investigating them. He dismisses the occurrences as natural, but Abby Quinn (Demi Moore) believes that they are real.
In the film, Jürgen Prochnow portrays Jesus' return to Earth in the year 1988 to judge humanity. The final judgment is averted by an act of faith that prevents the final sign of the apocalypse from occurring.
In the film, through a flashback, Prochnow also portrays the original Jesus on the eve of his crucifixion. Father Lucci is revealed to be Cartaphilus, a Roman Centurion and Pilate's porter who struck Jesus before his death and was sentenced to wander the Earth until Christ returned to judge mankind. The Lucci-Cartaphilus character is a combination of the Longinus and the Wandering Jew legends. In the movie, Abby—who is soon to give birth—discovers that she is actually the reborn woman some identify as Seraphia, the woman who offered Christ water during the Crucifixion but was turned away by Cartaphilus. She learns that the prophecies lead up to the birth of her child, who may not survive because there will be no more souls left for the newborns unless someone offers their own.
Cast
- Demi Moore as Abby Quinn
- Michael Biehn as Russell Quinn
- Jürgen Prochnow as David Bannon
- Peter Friedman as Father Lucci
Release and reception
The film was released theatrically in the United States by TriStar Pictures in April 1988. It grossed $18,875,011 at the box office.[2] It received negative reviews from critics, and holds a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 16 reviews.
The film was released on DVD in the United States by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in 1998.[3]
See also
References
- ^ CANBY, VINCENT (April 1, 1988). "The Seventh Sign (1988) Review/Film; The World in Very Big Trouble". The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2012-09-26.
- ^ "The Seventh Sign". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
- ^ "The Seventh Sign (DVD)". dvdempire.com. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
External links
- The Seventh Sign at IMDb
- The Seventh Sign at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Seventh Sign Review by Roger Ebert
- 1988 films
- 1988 horror films
- American horror films
- American films
- Apocalyptic films
- Films about Evangelicalism
- Portrayals of Jesus in film
- Pregnancy films
- Religious horror films
- Down syndrome in film
- Films about the seven seals
- Films directed by Carl Schultz
- TriStar Pictures films
- Interscope Communications films
- Film scores by Jack Nitzsche