The Seventh Seal
(1957)
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Antonius Block (Max Von Sydow), a knight, returns from a 10-year crusade with his squire, Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand), to find his homeland ravaged by the plague. When the black-cloaked figure of Death (Bengt Ekerot) appears to claim them, Block, whose war experiences have left him cynical about the existence of God and the afterlife, challenges Death to a game of chess to stall for time and gain some insight into the meaning of life before passing on. The game is intermittently paused and resumed during the journey home while Block and Jons meet several traveling companions, including a mute girl (Gunnel Lindblom) whom they save from a bandit, and a family of poor traveling players--Jof, a gentle visionary (Nils Poppe); his wife, Mia (Bibi Andersson); and their infant daughter. Block witnesses much suffering and anguish along the way (an encounter with a woman accused of witchcraft who is about to be burned at the stake is especially jarring) but also finds evidence of human kindness and love, prompting him to realize that even a single gesture of goodwill might make the long struggle of his existence worthwhile. The title of Ingmar Bergman's highly acclaimed allegorical film stems from the Book of Revelation. |
Spoofed by Woody Allen, French and Saunders, Bill and Ted (on their Bogus Journey) and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Last Action Hero, The Seventh Seal is an undoubted masterpiece of world cinema. It tells of a crusader knight (Max von Sydow) who refuses to accompany Death (Bengt Ekerot) until he has found a flicker of hope in a world stricken by plague, corruption and fear. While this is a highly personal film, in which director Ingmar Bergman (the son of the chaplain of the Swedish royal family) resolves his own doubts about the existence of God, its conclusions will leave even the most cynical filled with optimism.
Halliwell's Film Guide
A modestly budgeted minor classic which, because of its international success and its famous shots, is seldom analysed in detail. It is kept going by its splendid cinematic feel and its atmosphere is that of a dark world irrationally sustained by religion