Every Veil hides scars.
Written and directed by Atom Egoyan, Seven Veils tells the story of Jeanine (Amanda Seyfried), a theatre director who has finally re-entered the world of opera. Tasked with staging her former mentor’s most famous work, Salome, Jeanine finds herself increasingly haunted by her past experiences. Battling repressed trauma, Jeanine’s world begins to unravel, threatening both her professional and personal lives in ways that she could have never imagines.
Without question, the strongest element in Veils is its star. Re-teaming with Egoyan for the first time since Chloe, Seyfried is absolutely stunning as Jeanine. Taking on the role of director for a production that reignites traumatic experiences within her, Jeanine is a character caught between the past and present. Having been previously involved with the director of her performance of Salome, Jeanine clearly views this production as an opportunity to redeem the story for herself.
Nevertheless, as we discover the depth of the abuse that she suffered, the pain within her bubbles to the surface. In these moments, Seyfried plays Jeanine with complexity. She is both broken and empowered, leaning into her trauma while still attempting to repress it. As such, while the title ‘seven veils’ is directly related to the opera’s final dance, so too is Jeanine pulling back the veils of her own suffering.
Having produced ‘Salome’ on stage multiple times, Egoyan is clearly familiar with (and passionate about) the material. Here, however, the director focuses his narrative on the world surrounding the play, rather than the performance itself. As a director who revels with complexity, Egoyan weaves a world that’s torn from within. Whereas most people simply see the play, he sees the brokenness of the characters who are bringing it to life. This level of meta-storytelling is not uncommon but Egoyan is always most interested in the psychology of his characters.
Having said this, if there are cracks in this production, they may lie with the film’s subplots. Although Seyfried’s story remains the driving force behind the film, Egoyan’s side characters take the film in directions that can be almost distracting. (More specifically, a plot thread featuring blackmail behind the scenes feels disconnected from Jeanine’s inner torment.)
Yet, not all side stories seem disjointed. In fact, Egoyan manages to inform Jeanine’s story on a deeper level. Without giving any spoilers, Seven Veils is very interested in highlighting the differences between the ways that sexual miscondust is dealt with in both the past and modern day. Younger characters consistently debate whether or not previous performances of Salome were appropriate, given its emphasis on graphic sexuality. Meanwhile, older performers speak of the controversial material as ‘simply how things were done’. (There are even concerns raised by the opera’s intimacy co-ordinator regarding the ways that Jeanine would like some scenes to be performed.) This tension leads into a story of assault that takes place backstage. In doing so, Egoyan highlights the boundaries of modern sexuality while still calling for those that hold on to ‘the old ways’ to remain accountable.
What’s more, Egoyan also seems interested in discussing what it means to tell stories with negative connotations. Given the history of Salome, the sexual politics within the play remain controversial. After all, this is a story of sex, assault and, eventually, murder that could not be written today. But what does it mean to tell stories like this in the modern era? Should they be hidden away as relics of the past? Or is there a way to make changes that resurrect the text in a new light? (After all, Jeanine insists that her changes will be ‘small but noticeable’.) Admittedly, by the film’s finale, Egoyan seems unsure as to where he lands on this argument.
Even so, while Seven Veils may have its flaws, one can’t deny that its character arc for Jeanine remains compelling. Bolstered by some solid work by Seyfried, Veils leans into the ways that past trauma can affect (and infect) our lives in the present. And, just like the opera itself, our repressed pain can ultimately lead us to tragedy.
Seven Veils is available in theatres on Friday, March 7th, 2025.
