The Seventh Seal - Criterion Collection | Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot

The Seventh Seal - Criterion Collection | Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot | A powerful and melancholy film

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The Seventh Seal -...

	The Seventh Seal - Criterion Collection Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot Criterion, 1999 average customer review:based on 178 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Wonderful Criterion Release of Bergman's Masterpiece

Crusader, Antonious Block (Max Von Sydow) and his squire Jöns (Gunnar Björnstrand) have returned home after ten years. Unfortunately, thorough chaos and the black plague await them. Block himself comes face to face with a human manifestation of Death (Bengt Ekerot). Death has come for him and during Block's trials over the last ten years he has felt his faith in God diminish. Block challenges Death to a game of chess that plays on throughout the entire film. We wonder if his expectations are to actually outwit Death and survive. During his many interactions with Death he asks for true knowledge of God's existence and therefore some guidance as to his own. He is conflicted and to some degree he views the concept of God as merely an idol created to pacify fear and doom. These are just a few of the many insights that make their confrontation so enticing. Block's squire Jöns seems to acknowledge and exist in this oblivion and acts as humanity's voice of helplessness to Block. Block likely knows his death is forthcoming but is playing his game of chess as a way to delay the inevitable. The delay allows him to reunite with his wife and to further ponder on the existence of God. But most importantly, it is all a way for him to express and examine his utter dissatisfaction with the possibility that life has absolutely no meaning at all.

I was first exposed to some of Ingmar Bergman's work when I was in my teens. Back then I only thought I understood Bergman. I was wrong; with Bergman there is always some new guidance to provide further appreciation for life. Unfortunately, this outstanding director passed away in July of 2007. I felt obligated to buy Criterion's release of Bergman's masterpiece The Seventh Seal. I've seen the Seventh Seal three times. The first time without really paying attention but just kind of suspecting it was something special, this was years ago in my late teens. The other two times I watched it alone and both times I became consumed by it; once as a pious Christian and once as a skeptical agnostic. I saw the film in a dramatically different light with each viewing but yet it was still a great experience. Needless to say, if you've seen The Seventh Seal and not felt that your faith or lack thereof is being questioned and tugged at then you may need to watch it again. In the end, I found a satisfying resolution either way and the film is both personal and universal in it's commentary, so you may too. It is interesting to note that The Seventh Seal never tries to directly answer Block's questions and almost anyone could walk away satisfied with the conclusion. The Seventh Seal isn't necessarily about God and faith directly, but really just the aspects that produce them. The experience of life and finding comfort in our own personal existence is something only the ignorant or indifferent could look away from, and they may be the only ones unsatisfied with The Seventh Seal's conclusion. As a character Block is anything but ignorant or indifferent. He is more alive and passionate throughout the film because he knows full well he is in Death's grip and he wants to know if his actions in life are worth anything. This is a hugely significant film that tackles hugely significant subject matter and does so without preaching at us. It even uses some humor in doses at just the right time. I'm hopeful that one day a film like this could be produced again but somehow I see cinema going in a very different direction.

The DVD release itself is a very good one and I definitely recommend the Criterion release. The film has been restored enough to appreciate the cinematography for the time and budget, and there are also some great extras that really help to put Bergman's film career in perspective. I can honestly say that no film affected me like The Seventh Seal and I am a Bergman fan for life, with still much of his filmmography left to discover and enjoy. He will be sorely missed.

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A powerful and melancholy film

At nearly 180 reviews, there might not be much I can add about this legendary masterpiece. Probably Bergman's most famous film, it has inspired numerous copycats as well as satires, and after watching it for the first time, I can see why.

This isn't the Middle Ages that I studied in school, the Age of Faith in which religion held absolute sway over people's minds and lives. In this movie, the people think all kinds of not so spiritual and forbidden thoughts. Instead, Bergman presents us with a bunch of cynical, disillusioned misfits whose comments sound more like the conversation heard at a post-modernist, nihilistic coffee-klatch rather than the Middle Ages. In that sense, Bergman shows us that the most trenchant insights about a society often come from those who have opted out of it, or have been marginalized or ostracized for some reason. And these are the people Bergman shows us in this very thoughtful movie.

A knight has lost his faith after deciding the Crusades, which he served for 10 years, were a fraud. A former priest expounds his misanthropic and misogynistic world view all throughout the movie. A smith's wife runs off with another man, and a brutal, sadistic former seminarian preys on the unwary and the defenseless, although he does get his comeuppance in the end. The only person who retains his faith, and his honest, open, uncynical and idealistic view of life is the smith, who is portrayed and ridiculed as a doltish simpleton and a cuckhold who can't keep his own wife from running off with a low-status, traveling actor.

The entire cast is outstanding, but I especially enjoyed von Sydow in the main role and the actor who played death, who I didn't know. I'm a big fan of Sydow and he is the perfect choice for the part of the knight. He brings a quiet, reflective, and introspective intensity to the role, which is appropos for an age where people's thoughts so often turned inward in spiritual reflection and meditation.

The story takes place against the backdrop of the Black Death in Europe, which occurred from 1340 to 1347, if I remember right. During that time, 30 percent of Europe succumbed to the disease, and as many as 70 million are thought to have perished. This further adds to the dark and desperate ambience of the movie, notwithstanding the fact that Death himself has a prominent role in the film, as he stalks the knight and his friends.

Some of the scenes are memorable, never to be forgotten. A group of ragged peasants miserably roams the countryside, carrying heavy, timbered crosses on their stooped backs and whipping themselves with flails as they go, hoping by this masochistic self-flagellation to gain God's mercy from the plague, and haranguing the startled onlookers with dire predictions of doom as they go.

Caught between the horns of a hidebound, rigidified Medieval society on one hand, and a deadly and remorseless natural disaster on the other, the characters seem to understand the cruel absurdity of their situation but also stoically try to make the most of each day, since it literally may be their last.

A little side history note here. I once read that one reason for the low population in Europe during most of the Middle Ages was that the average poor commoner couldn't afford the traditional dowry for his daughter for the marriage. Hence, many more men and women remained single, and there was widespread resentment and discontent. By the 16th century, this had became a huge problem in Venice even for wealthy families. As an interesting article on the Armoredages website says,

"The noble families began competing with each other by seeing who could provide the largest dowry. As dowries escalated, lesser nobles were left behind. They simply didn't have enough money to keep up with the Joneses. This left a young girl with few options on how to support herself. She could decide to get employment as a maid or servant of some type, but few chose this option for obvious reasons."

This movie may not be for everyone due to its basically depressing themes, the measured pace, and the fact that there are few uplifting messages to be had here amidst the doom and gloom and the dreariness and drudgery of the Middle Ages, or the misery and destruction brought on by the Black Death. But if you can get past the overall downer themes and atmosphere you'll be treated to one of the great movies by one of the great directors of all time.

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The Great Introduction to Bergman

There are 'movies' and there are 'films'. Moviemakers are the producers, the Hollywood executives with numbers and the bottom line continually in their field of focus. Their movies, constructed by formulaic directors are meant for big numbers. There is no real art to their product, it is another 'distraction' for those with nothing to do on a Friday or Saturday night. These movies rely on people's boredom for profit. The movies make a big splash, take in the profit and slide towards obscurity.

Then there are filmmakers. Ingmar Bergman is the filmmaker par excellence. It took over a dozen films before he finally arrived at a hit, namely the great Swedish-Shakespearean comedy, Smiles of a Summer Night.

The Seventh Seal is his primary film. I watched this movie when I was twenty-one years old on Christmas day (twice actually...I made my father and step-mother watch it with me...nothing like a little bit of egg nog and a procession of black-and-white flagellants to heighten the Christmas spirit.) I was a bit of a misanthrope at the time, a hardened-cynic. I feel I have changed but the film, each time I watch it, I find something new. I feel this was my transition film, the great piece of cinematic art that made me aware that the movie screen can actually produce works of merit.

In a recent Scandinavian literature class, we read the works of Ibsen and Strindberg and watched several films of Bergman. You can't deny the latter's place in the world of literature. He may appear dark and morose but in the Jungian sense, being aware of your shadow, owning your dark side is a lot better than denying it. Bergman was well aware of his inner darkness. I would call this film a classic because it goes beyond the basic standards of telling a story through the medium of celluloid. Life is complex, and if you keep going from rom-com or blow-em up blockbusters your entire life, you may have never really see how fascinating and immense the examined life is.

This film is the place to begin if you want to know more about foreign productions. Start here and you'll never stop exploring.

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True Masterpiece of the Cinema

Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet) is a true masterpiece of world cinema. For years I avoided Bergman due to the perception that the master was gloomy and hard to watch. Having seen both The Magician and The Seventh Seal I have changed my view radically.

The subject matter is dense but presented in a fresh and even earthy way. A knight, Antonious Block (Max von Sydow) and his squire Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand) have retured home to Sweden following the Crusades. Sweden is in the throes of the Middle Ages and the plague rages. While Block is waiting to begin his journey to his castle he meets Death (Bengt Ekerot) and challenges him to a game of chess. The hope is to delay death long enough that he may do one truly good deed. Along the way we meet a troupe of actors which includes a small family:Jof (Nils Poppe)his wife Mia (the stunning Bibi Andersson) and their small son Michael.

The true question posed by the film is the meaning of life. Is there a God and what is his place in the world. Does Death provide answers or only more questions. This is a film that demands great attention but one that also provides great rewards to its viewers.

I watched the Criterion edition which provides perhaps a better transfer than audiences saw in 1957. A commentary by film historian Peter Cowie. An Illustrated filmography for Bergman and a restoration demonstration.

This is one film that demands to be seen and should be part of the backbone of any serious film collection. Buy it.

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Death and the Unknown - The Greatest Antagonist in Motion Pictures

"The Seventh Seal" is a powerful film, by the late Ingmar Bergman, about a Knight journeying home after his fight in the Crusades and his insatiable thirst to understand life and death.

The black plague is sweeping across the country. Many are dead or dying. During his voyage, the Knight comes across a hooded figure who reveals himself to be Death incarnate. What does the Knight do? He challenges Death to a game of chess! The game is on...

As the Knight continues on his journey, we intercut between his observations of a decaying world, individuals trying to thrive the best they can and his game with Death. The various characters are given near equal treatment. We see the world through the eyes of a believer, a cynic, the ignorant, the superstitious, the self-centered, the misanthrope and the protector.

This is a story with powerful images and metaphors. The existence of God, the meaning of life and what death holds for us all are questions carefully woven into the fabric of its telling.

This is a minimalist film where Bergman respects the audience enough to let us decide the truth for ourselves. Various interpretations are ensured.

[It's a 4:3 aspect ratio film, shot in black & white, with Swedish dialogue. English dubbing and subtitles are available. It won the Cannes in 1957 and is widely considered Bergman's best film.]

"Death is like a freight train in the future, heading toward us, closing the hours, second by second... If we're to live with any sense of satisfaction, we must engage life's forces of antagonism before the train arrives." - Robert McKee

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