The Seventh Seal (1957) User Reviews (421)

"I want knowledge! Not faith, not assumptions, but knowledge."

[elvircorhodzic · 9/10 · 12 January 2017]

THE SEVENTH SEAL is a film that presents a dramatic fantasy game between meaning of life and fear of death. A knight and his squire have returned to their country after a ten-year crusade. Deadly disease ravaged country. Knight faces Death. He calls Death on the multi-day game of chess...

The story has touched serious philosophical and religious topics. However, the story is full of intrigue, dark humor and hope. The protagonists are distracted between the vicious disease, self-pity and torture. It is interesting to see a deeply disillusioned knight, a cynical squire who hates women, a cheating wife, evil priests, a mute girl and seemingly healthy and happy family on the same road. The truth is all around them. The main protagonist used to persistently ask questions to which only he has a valid response. This film reveals some controversial issues. Is deadly disease greater threat to man or the man is the greatest enemy to himself? Mr. Bergman has painted realistic effects of fear, horror, cynicism, surprises, love and health on human faces.

Max von Sydow as Antonius Block, the knight is a more serious version of Don Quixote. Gunnar Björnstrand Jöns, the squire is a character who never changes his mood. He always has some sort of cynical jokes or words of contempt for each occurrence. Bengt Ekerot is Death in the true sense of that word. Nils Poppe as Jof is a juggler who has strange predictions. Fortunately, no one believes him. Bibi Andersson as Mia, Jof's wife is a beautiful and cheerful woman who does not fit into the landscape.

Life is a hard journey. The rare moments of happiness are a sort of salvation. The end of the film emphasizes the transience of life and the power of death which no one can escape. Of course, only in the eyes of one of the protagonists.

Checkmate

[joemiller499 · 8/10 · 16 October 2016]

Death, Death, Death. No matter the moves you make, Death will, in time, have you in checkmate. The Seventh Seal is a rightfully highly regarded film. It is a unique film, and unlike any I have ever seen. I have just finished my second viewing of the film. I have watched several Bergman films since I first saw this, but this is the one that has always stuck out to me the most. I would describe it as a dark and powerful film. There is nothing lacking in this film, in my opinion. The soundtrack is perfectly subtle, acting is agreeable, cinematography fitting and well done, etc. My favorite aspect of this film is simply the premise. A game of chess that is a matter of life and death. If nothing else, that concept is enough to make an interesting film at the very least. Death is the most persistent theme throughout the film, and is often juxtaposed to stark scenes of life, often quickly and without warning. This film was one of the first I watched in my everlasting pursuit of classic cinema, and I would readily recommend it as a starting point for anyone interested in classic or foreign films. Bergman will not disappoint in this one or elsewhere in his filmography. This is probably his most famous and accessible films. This is a staple of classic cinema, watch it and find out why.

A Very Personal Rejection of a Religious Childhood

[snazel · 8/10 · 15 February 2002]

The story of Antonius Block is the story of an agnostic who has begun to doubt.

Is life really meaningless? Is the only true ethic of life, to simply enjoy the moment? If God is there, why does he not answer? Why does he leave men with kind hearts and noble aspirations to fumble in the dark dying of the plague with no answers? Perhaps, Antonius reasons, the answers only come from Death.

No wonder then, that as Death approaches him, he cajoles the spirit to play a game with him. His intentions are to win, but most importantly, to find answers.

The little I know of Bergman's youth, the Paladin (Antonius Block) seems to symbolize Bergman's last struggles with his strict religious instruction as a child. Antonius' struggles, Antonius' angst, Antonius' withering agnosticism is a reflection of where Bergman was philosophically at this early stage in his life and career.

The climax of the film is of course the final 'duel' with Death. Antonius attempts to cheat death and in the end, death cheats him. This is an especially crushing defeat for Antonius, because the answers Death gives him, about the knowledge within Death itself, is Antonius' worst fears come true.

It struck me, that in the final moments, when each character faces there own mortality right in front of them, that the strongest and purest reaction of them all, is the one from the squire, the atheist voice in the film. I think if you are an atheist, this film is going to please you, because clearly the sanest characters in this film are either indifferent or deny God's existence entirely.

Whether it was intentional or not, I think Seventh Seal is a very personal film. Bergman deconstructs his father's teachings to us openly. There's nothing sublime here; this is a clear rejection of religion and the notion that death somehow provides 'answers'. The only answers, according to this film, lie in life and not death. A message Bergman delivers to us in striking fashion. A message Bergman knows directly contradicts what he was taught as a child.

I think this is why later in life, Bergman disowned this film. I think he saw too clearly, how much of a very personal statement it was and how in some cases it was a vindictive film against his parents. It's why I believe, Bergman, couldn't stand to watch it later in life, after he had reconciled with his parents.

While Bergman disowned it, for the rest of us, we can admire it. For us, the Seventh Seal is simple genius. A dark, but beautiful film, that is pure and meaningful, because it is so very personal.

I confess, I am a layman and I know little of Bergman's work and indeed have only seen this film once. But, I loved this film. It struck a very personal reaction in me, however uninformed that reaction might be. That reaction, pure and simple is that this movie is a very personal statement about life, God and death.

Grim, but not entirely hopeless

[RWiggum · 10/10 · 24 January 2003]

Middle Ages: Antonius Blok, a Swedish knight, returns from the Crusades only to find his country dying of the plague, religious fundamentalists taking over and Death himself wanting him to come along. Antonius challenges Death to a game of chess and is meanwhile driven to desperation because of the absence of God. This description sounds like a very serious, philosophical and dour film, and actually it is serious, philosophical and dour; but there is also a little warmth, hope and humor, maybe not for Antonius, but for the viewer.

When Blok and Death interrupt their game of chess (due to the plague, Death is very busy), he meets two actors, Jof and Mia, with their little son, the most human characters of the film, and I don't think it's a coincidence that there names sound very much like Joseph and Mary. These people may be a little dim, but they are good at heart and you can see the happiness in Antonius' eyes when he is together with them for the first time.

But the main aspect of Ingmar Bergman's arguably best film are Antonius Blok's grim encounters, as the young girl about to be burnt at the stake, as a scapegoat for the plague. And the haunting image of a huge crowd of flagellants interrupting a play of Jof and Mia and trying to convince the crowd thery are doomed; hardly any other film is that direct in asking controversial and essential questions about God, religion and mankind as The Seventh Seal.

Another reason for the impact this almost 50-year-old film has still today is the acting: Max von Sydow's face always seems to reflect what Antonius Blok is thinking, Nils Poppe's performance as the naive actor and caring father is priceless and Bengt Ekerot's Death became a part of film history and survived all its spoofs (the best one being in Woody Allen's tremendously funny "Love and Death"). But the best performance is done by Gunnar Björnstrand as Antonios Blok's misogynist squire, dryly commenting all their encounters even in the face of death.

The Seventh Seal is not subtle in raising it's questions, that's for sure. But it makes you think about these questions nevertheless. It's disturbing and grim most of the time, but at the end it gives you the hope that it might become better.

Ingmar Bergman questions the meaning of life, death, faith, and the existence of God in this masterpiece of world cinema...

[ACitizenCalledKane · 10/10 · 1 January 2005]

Antonius Block - "Who are you?" Death - "I am Death." Antonius Block - "Have you come for me?" Death - "I have long walked by your side." Antonius Block - "So I have noticed."

The Seventh Seal, considered by some to be Ingmar Bergman's greatest achievement, is the desperate prayer of a sensitive, introspective, and insightful young man confused by the horrors of the world around him. Ingmar Bergman's films are often very deep, full of symbolism, philosophy, spirituality, emotion, and thought. The Seventh Seal is classic Bergman. Expressing his fear of life with no meaning, death with no understanding, and faith with no validity, Ingmar Bergman takes us deep into the well of his mind.

As the Black Plague ravages the world, a Antonius Block and his squire, Jons (Max Von Sydow and Gunnar Bjornstrand, respectively), return from fighting in the Crusades. They find their homeland devastated by the plague, their countrymen mad with fear, and their cause lost. Antonius Block is confronted by Death (Bengt Ekerot). Block challenges Death to a game of chess to provide him time to seek answers to the questions that plague his mind as Death has plagued his country. Death accepts, knowing that Block cannot escape his fate, and the two begin their game. As the story continues, Block and Jons meet with several testaments to the agony that the Black Death has brought upon their land. They find a young girl who is to be burned at the stake for having been with the Devil. They find madness in the eyes of all they meet, as everyone is convinced that God is angry and is punishing the world with the plague. They also find a small group of travelling actors, who appear to be the only souls to have remained sane in the midst of all of the death and fear. Block and Jons move across the countryside in the hopes of finding safety in Block's castle, but Death is always around the corner, biding his time.

Brilliantly conceived, and stunningly executed, Bergman's vision is brought to the screen through Gunnar Fischer's powerful cinematography creating images that will likely remain with you for the rest of your life. Strong performances from everyone involved bring humanity to the film. Max Von Sydow's brave and conflicted Antonius Block matching wits with Bengt Ekerot's sinister, omnipotent Death is a microcosm of the forces at work in this breath-taking interpretation of the mortal struggle.

A masterpiece!

A masterpiece

[howard.schumann · 26 May 2003]

In the magnificent 1957 classic The Seventh Seal by Ingmar Bergman, Antonius Block (Max Von Sydow), a knight returning home from the Crusades with his squire Jöns (Gunnar Bjönstrand) meets Death (Benkt Ekerot) on a lonely beach and challenges him to a game of chess. If he wins, he lives. While the game goes on, he gets a reprieve. It is the 14th century and suffering and pain abound. Penitents flog themselves, seminarians rob the dead, people go mad from fear, and witches are burned at the stake. It is the time of the Black Plague and Death has his hands full. As in the Greek legend of Kronos and medieval folklore, Bergman depicts Death as the Grim Reaper, a man clothed from head to foot in a black habit and hood. In The Seventh Seal, however, Death is not frightening or sinister, just an old man performing his job with a wry detachment.

The film opens and closes with the passage from Revelation from which it takes its title: `When he broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour' (Rev 8:1). Bergman's message, however, is more about the silence of God on earth than in heaven. Block is tormented by the fact that God will not outwardly reveal himself. He says to a priest during confession, `I want God to stretch out his hand to me, reveal himself and speak to me. But he remains silent, I call out to Him in the dark but no one seems to be there". But Block still senses the God within him and is tormented. "Why can't I kill God within me?" he asks. "Why does he live on inside me, mocking and tormenting me till I have no rest, even though I curse him and try to tear him from my heart' Block asks Death if he knows anything but he knows nothing. He even asks a woman being taken to the stake if he can see the Devil so that he can ask him about God but all she says is to look into her eyes.

The Seventh Seal is not all heavy "significance", however. It has a good story with believable characters, wonderful performances, lots of comic relief and moves easily from drama to comedy as in the great Shakespearean plays. We meet an actor named Jof (Nils Poppe), his wife Mia (Bibi Andersson), and their infant son Mikael. Block looks with envy on the simple love of this family for their child. Both Jof and Block see visions of the spiritual world but Jof's visions are life affirming whereas Block sees only reflections of darkness. The film has unforgettable images such as a hawk floating in a cloudless sky, two horses standing in the surf, Jof's vision of the Virgin Mary caring for her child, and a frightening procession of plague-infected flagellants.

Perhaps too melodramatic for modern viewers (it has been parodied), The Seventh Seal still touches a universal longing deep within us. Some view the film as a complete denial of God, but it seems that God does show his face -- only Block and his squire cannot see it. It is there in the wild strawberries, the fun of watching a troupe of players perform, the innocence of the little boy, the eyes of the young lovers, and the haunting visions of Jof. The film ends on a note of affirmation including one of the most memorable scenes in the history of cinema, the Danse Macabre, the Totentanz -- a string of silhouetted figures dancing in a line with arms outstretched as they are about to enter the unknown. In the magnificence of his vision and the timeless beauty of his art, Bergman has answered the question about God's existence simply in the act of posing it.

The Quintessential Bergman Picture

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 25 July 2002]

One thing that can be certain after watching the Seventh Seal, outside of being thankful for living in this century, is that Bergman knows his film-making- and imagery. He uses subliminal and not so subliminal techniques to convey a dying, frightened world, where making a living is almost impossible and the debate of god's control over life is discussed like un-rhyming yet fascinating poetry.

The result is beautiful cinema, capturing the always foreboding fear and allure of the almighty and for the waiting death, appropriately staged in post-crusades, mid dark age Europe. Max Von Sydow gives an excellent showing as the opponent of Death (in a clever and meticulous chess game), yet the character of Death, played by Bengt Ekerot with chilling conviction, steals the show, if only for the alluring quality of the character.

Even if the story veers it veers in good and interesting territory, focusing on people who convey Bergman's point and or style. I can't reveal what the bottom line point is (many newcomers to Bergman's work won't either, especially if you're not in the mood for soul searching), but one thing is for certain, an allegory on life and death is shown perfectly in the second to last shot of the reaper and his minions following in a dance across the field. This is one of the most pure of cinema's masterpieces and certainly Bergman's best cine. A++

Compelling Drama From Ingmar Bergman

[jhclues · 10/10 · 4 November 2000]

A compelling contemplation of death and the nature of Man's existence, Ingmar Bergman's `The Seventh Seal' is uncompromising, riveting drama that is every bit as striking conceptually as it is philosophically. In the Fourteenth Century a knight, Antonius Block (Max von Sydow), and his squire, Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand), have returned after ten years away at the Crusades to their native Sweden, and are beginning their journey home. For Block, it is a pensive time; he is troubled by what he perceives as God's silence, and thirsts for knowledge and some meaning to his life, as well as a resolution of faith, which has deserted him. Jons, meanwhile, is a study in jaded indifference, who believes in nothing beyond the present and whatever his senses and current circumstances dictate. Shortly after their arrival on the coast of Sweden, Death (Bengt Ekerot) comes for Block. But Block strikes a bargain with him, challenging him to a game of chess, to be played as they continue on with their journey. As long as Block prevails, they will go on; if he wins, he will be released. And though Block knows what the outcome must inevitably be, he welcomes Death's acceptance of his challenge, for the game affords him perhaps enough time to fulfill his quest, while adding purpose to what promises to be an arduous trek through a land being ravaged by the Black Plague. Von Sydow brings a commanding presence to the screen as Block, his very countenance bespeaking strength and poise. His subtle, stoic approach to this enigmatic character is captivating, and lends a depth and dignity that makes Block truly memorable. By contrast, Jons' strength seems born of his indifference; he takes things as they come, and is governed by a somewhat fatalistic philosophy. Bjornstrand, a gifted, eloquent actor (and veteran of numerous Bergman films), invests an earthy, gritty quality to Jons that plays effectively opposite von Sydow's more ethereal portrayal of Block. It is significant that in the closing scene the final speech, in the presence of Death, is accorded to Jons; for it elevates the character to a station equal to, if not surpassing, that of the protagonist, Block. The supporting cast includes Nils Poppe (Jof), Bibi Andersson (Mia), Inga Gill (Lisa), Gunnel Lindblom (Girl), Anders Ek (The Monk), Ake Fridell (Plog) and Erik Strandmark (Skat). Written and directed by Bergman, `The Seventh Seal' is a thought provoking, earnest meditation on faith and mortality that is filled with stunning metaphoric and visual images that will forever be indelibly inscribed in your memory. One scene in particular, in which the players link hands and, silhouetted against a twilight sky are led by Death in a dance across the crest of a distant hill, is breathtaking in it's simplicity. It stands (as does this entire film) as an example of why Ingmar Bergman is one of the greatest directors in the history of the cinema. I rate this one 10/10.

Bergman's Brilliance Abounds

[johnmbale · 10/10 · 23 April 2006]

What makes The Seventh Seal - an apocryphal and uncompromising fable of medieval Sweden - one of the masterpieces of Cinema ? Ingmar Bergman creates a believable world of dark happenings, wherein Death can play chess with a Knight, witches burn at the stake, with flagellants, and plague ever present. Through superb black and white images, each carefully composed for maximum effect, sets and costumes, his fine actors seem to truly inhabit this frightening world. Max von Sydow, Gunnar Bjornstrand, and Bengt Ekerot lead a marvelous cast. But its not all doom and gloom, as the Knight tries to determine in his quest, the meaning of life, and if God exists at all. There are moments of sheer happiness and peace, such as the sequence of the milk and strawberries at dusk, and a number of bawdy comic moments throughout the film. Which balances the darker side. It is unforgettable and I still remember seeing it on its first release, being stunned by the quality of the photography, and the performances. A restored version on DVD is recommended. Bergman is one of the great film makers of our time. Seldom today do we see such precise and considered images on the screen. Not to be missed.

The Curse of Existence...

[Xstal · 10/10 · 21 April 2020]

An abstraction of your fears, conjured progressively through years, walks beside you every day, may cause some to halt, then pray; it's a demon that's passed on, through generations come and gone, as fixed and certain as the tide, nowhere for you to run, or hide; is there a game that you can play, that extends your time and stay, with instructions and some rules, that don't leave you, as the fool; can the clock that's counting down, tick half as fast before you frown, and gaze with stoical askance, as you begin, your macabre dance.

Signed, sealed and delivered as many times as you may care for, but the curse of existence is never knowing how the story really ends, or why it was started in the first instance.

Didn't like it but will definitely see it again in the distant future

[bsinc · 6/10 · 6 September 2005]

First of all, I have taken the time to read some posts on this movie before writing my review because I was searching for lots of answers. Didn't get many though, the popular thing fans like to say (and please, no pun intended) is that it just takes time to understand and appreciate this movie. To this I quickly reply that my perception of "Det Sjunde Inseglet" was that it is a rather dull, if not eventless, movie. It has some really nice moments (and for some reason I really liked the concept of a man playing chess with death itself) but in the end almost nothing is resolved except from the main protagonist who, at the brink of his death, discovers that it's love that makes people want to live ,very roughly put, I apologize, but even this revelation was hidden from the writer of this comment. And this is what bothered me the most, I couldn't read (for the lack of a better word) any of these important details, the movie very coldly rolled in front of my eyes and I just didn't get it! Now the easiest and dumbest thing to say is that this is all the fault of the director for not having a more universal way of film-making, rather the viewer has to decipher such information if he wants to fully appreciate his movies. I've just realized that I could say the same for Kubrick's visionary movies, I didn't like most, scratch that, none of them the first time around, they grew on me after a second viewing. And I dig Kubrick, a lot!!!

I was also surprised with the admiration the cinematography received, it did not impact me whatsoever (and I am more so a visual that a sensual movie buff and love this kind of stuff). All in all, as Antonius Block, I am searching for answers, important ones. It bothers me a lot that I don't appreciate this movie, and I ask anyone to help me resolve my problem.

What am I missing? What don't I get? What should I know about "The Seventh Seal", its meaning, its importance, its making, its director...?

Thank you for your time

Top ten favorites. The Seventh Seal.

[Captain_Couth · 10/10 · 19 November 2003]

Seventh Seal (1957) is one of my favorite movies. I have to rank it up there with A Touch of Zen, Seven Samurai and Battleship Potemkin. If there ever was such a thing as a perfect film, this one would have to be a nominee. I've never seen such a picture (and I probably never will) that was so moving, well shot, written, acted and directed. The chess game between the knight and death is an all-time classic. Words cannot describe how great this film is. There will never be another one like it. Truly amazing piece of celluloid.

A knight and his squire are returning home from the crusades. For the past few years he's been in the middle east fighting for Christ. On his trip home he notices a familiar face, one that he has seen many times on the battlefield. It is death and it wants him to come with him to his new home. The knight strikes a bargain with death, they'll play a game of chess if he can defeat death then he'll spare his life as well as the squire's. Death is amused by this unusual challenge and accepts it. But as long as the game is on the life will continue to live. So he uses this time to look back at life and realizes how precious it is. Along the way he meets a young couple, they're from a performing troupe. They have a baby and are content with life. The husband has visions and can see interesting things like the Virgin Mary and little Jesus. He can also see the darkness that lies ahead as Black Death ravages the countryside. Will the knight defeat Death? Can the couple weather the storm of chaos that lies ahead? To find out you'll have to watch The Seventh Seal, one of the finest films ever made.

If Bergman never made another film this one would have made him a legendary film maker. But he continued to make even more classic cinema. This one however is his finest work.

My highest recommendation possible.

Death never takes a holiday...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 5 September 2006]

While I'm not going overboard in extolling the virtues of THE SEVENTH SEAL, I do think it has some striking imagery and had the potential to be the ultimate work of art Ingmar Bergman was obviously striving for. But do I think he achieved it? No...for the simple reason that it leaves us unenlightened on the subject with no new knowledge.

Bergman really has no answers to the age old questions we all have about life and death and what happens in the hereafter. And giving Death a human face seems to me the wrong decision on Bergman's part. He should have kept him a hooded spectre and nothing more--faceless and unknown within the shadows of his hood. Humanizing him doesn't work, at least not for me.

A cruel streak runs through some of the more boisterous moments, such as when one of the actors is put through some hazing by a sadistic man who later gets his comeuppance. Everyone laughs and applauds as the man is humiliated beyond the endurance of this spectator for the sake of bawdy humor which seems forced and contrived, as does much of the clowning by the group of actors.

But there are so many good things about the richly photographed film, that I don't want to give this review an entirely negative impression. But the truth is it offers no new insights into the age old questions of life and death. It's all presented as an allegory with religious symbols (flagellation, the cross, the witch burning) and we suspect that among the many utterances we hear from The Devil will be something to ponder and think about.

But no. There's only the hopelessness that Death offers when the plague is rampant over the land and is something which cannot be avoided by man, no matter how clever he thinks he is. The chess game that the Black Knight proposes is a ruse that the Devil sees through from the start. And we suspect near the end that he knows the young couple with the infant have escaped since he says that he knows all that is happening, even behind his back. The young couple will be doomed too, eventually. Death will consume all.

But Max van Sydow is excellent as The Knight questioning his reason for being and his reason for dying. The B&W cinematography evokes the Middle Ages with striking scenes that stay in the mind afterwards and the film, while bleak and disturbing, is always riveting to watch.

It's a very engrossing film, but there are many weaknesses. I don't consider it the masterpiece that so many others label it.

The Seventh Seal (1957) **

[JoeKarlosi · 5/10 · 8 February 2009]

Let me make this pretty quick -- a friend brought this Ingmar Bergman "classic" to the house last night (on Blu-ray), and it was my first experience with this acclaimed filmmaker. All I can say is, I was immediately struck by the cinematography, and I started getting interested in the idea of a knight (Max Von Sydow) playing chess with "Death" himself, as a means of deciding the fate of his own soul.... but that's as far as it went.

From then on, nothing made much sense and the noble core idea of the film (presumably about questioning death, and the existence of God) seemed to go out the window, as we spend our time with secondary characters I just could not become interested in. I wanted to focus more on Max von Sydow's troubled crusader and his crisis of faith, especially since I myself am presently going through some personal bouts of despair in my personal life with my own crosses to bear... but he was only sparingly used, and I just could not follow any type of coherent storyline to this thing, for all its pretty picture style. There was no story, just images... and it's not that this approach never works for me in other films, but it didn't connect for me this time. I can't say that this is going to be my last visitation with Bergman, but this is not a promising start, considering this is allegedly one of his greatest works, if not THE greatest. Apologies to Woody Allen. Okay, let the slings and arrows fly. ** out of ****

Chilling, audacious, and awe-inspiring. An undisputed masterpiece.

[Cowman · 5 May 2004]

The mysteries of religion and death have long been a popular focus among artists of all media, including film. And while many films question these mysteries, they seldom provide any real insight into the world of the unknown. In Ingmar Bergman's THE SEVENTH SEAL, these mysteries are not only questioned; they are dissected, splayed, and scrutinized.

THE SEVENTH SEAL could very well serve as sort of a manifesto for existentialism. Its deep acuity and haunting imagery is powerful enough to jar even passive viewers out of their complacency and force them to examine their own reality. The delicately crafted story centers around a 14th century knight named Antonius Block and his ongoing game of chess with a shadowy, hooded figure: Death. Bergman uses this allegory not just to personify death, but to illustrate the lengths man will go to in order to avoid it. In the end, however, Death is a much better player than any of us, and though he may humor some of his opponents by letting them think that they have the advantage, the end result is inevitable: Death always wins. No matter how skillfully we plan our moves or how determined we are to win, we can never beat Death.

In Antonius's search for answers, he encounters a variety of very unique characters, each with their own outlook on life, death, faith, fear and love. Their commentary on such matters is often dryly funny and always brilliant, continuously and effectively challenging our perceptions of the world around us. For me, the dialogue was definitely the high point of the film, as it was extremely thought-provoking and carefully constructed throughout. Almost every line spoken is, in one way or another, daunting and unforgettable. Jöns's description of love as "the blackest of all plagues" is a quote that will forever be engraved in my mind.

THE SEVENTH SEAL truly is a remarkable accomplishment in the world of cinema. It is a deep, mesmerizing, and darkly beautiful work of art. More importantly, THE SEVENTH SEAL is one of those rare movies that doesn't just entertain, but also has the power to change the way one thinks.

Fully deserves its rep as a masterpiece

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 31 August 2012]

This is one amazing film, and in my view Ingmar Bergman's best. Visually, The Seventh looks wonderful, the bleak scenery adds much to the mood, the cinematography is beautifully composed and skillful and the lighting is atmospheric. It also has many memorable images like with the flagellates, the hawk flying in the cloudless sky, Jof's vision of the Virgin Mary and the milk and strawberries in the dusk. Bergman's direction is superb, Erik Nordgren's score is resolutely haunting and the dialogue is some of the most thought-provoking I've heard with some nice bawdy humour with especially the squire that doesn't feel misplaced. The story is like an allegory and meditation of life, death, love and fear(amongst other things), and it is dealt with in a very intelligent and careful manner. Again there are some timeless scenes like the ending, the scene of the girl about to be burnt, Death being challenged to a game of chess and with the jester. The acting is also exemplary, Max Von Sydow gives one of cinema's finest performances, stoic yet always commanding with a face that speaks volumes about what he's thinking. Bengt Ekerot evokes chills as Death, while Gunner Bjornstrand is suitably dry as the squire. All in all, a really amazing film, fully deserving of its reputation. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Intelligent and accessible with incredible imagery

[FilmOtaku · 8/10 · 9 December 2004]

'I live now in a world of ghosts, a prisoner in my dreams', a line spoken by Antonius Block (Max Von Sydow) in 'The Seventh Seal' is also a good descriptor of this critically lauded film. Directed by Ingmar Bergman, the film explores, through an allegorical fashion, human relationships and the struggle with ones own psyche. Block is a knight on his way home from the Crusades who becomes increasingly disillusioned while surveying his country, which has been ravaged by the Black Plague. Along the way he avers that he doesn't care about anyone, and questions the existence of a God who could allow these things to happen. In the beginning of the film he meets Death, who informs him that it is his time. Block manages to push off Death for a little while by distracting him with a chess game while he travels home; encountering several different characters, but Death is always following close behind until the inevitable end of the game.

Bergman's style is not straight forward, rather quite symbolic and philosophical. The imagery at times is astounding, and I still (a month after seeing the film for the first time) see the image of 'the dance with Death' in my head when I think of the film. However, what I discovered was that this film carries with it a lot of intellectual and philosophical baggage that is not necessarily warranted. Nothing is really spelled out in this film, but it was much more easily 'accessible' than I thought it would be; I assumed I would have to put on my 'Affected Art House' hat on to watch it and nothing could be farther from the truth. Steeped in beautiful irony, the film, while having the pervasive specter of Death hanging over it, really celebrates life through its characters and their unusual circumstances.

It is truly unfortunate that the powerful image of man playing chess with Death has become such a cliché, and oft repeated in some ridiculous manner or another. Bergman directed a thought-provoking and beautiful film with 'The Seventh Seal', and I personally look forward to seeing it again, this time not to grasp the story, but to marvel at the incredible images. I would recommend this film to anyone, but I especially highly recommend it to those who consider themselves students of film – it will give you a lot to chew on. 8/10

--Shelly

Really weird but worth seeing for the experience

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 13 June 2005]

This is a strange movie--period! However, it is also one of the most parodied films and for that reason alone it is worth seeing! Now, on to explain the part that is parodied: A man is returning from war in the time of the Reformation and the plague is about the countryside. The man meets the Angel of Death and is told it is him time to die. The man asks if he can first challenge him in a game of chess--if the man wins, then his life will be spared. The Grim Reaper, not wanting to be a spoilsport, agrees and they play a game that starts and stops again and again. This exact same contest has been used in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, the cartoon series The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, and an experimental film De Düva: The Dove (starring Madeline Kahn among others). In the Bill and Ted movie, they did not play chess but a series of games including Battleship and Twister! In The Dove, it was a badminton game! I can't remember what the game was in the cartoon series, but instead of their deaths, the children played the Grim Reaper over the soul of their pet hamster! Isn't is weird how this art film has appeared again and again and in the silliest of places! Give it a try to see the FIRST death-match and because it is a good film--with excellent performances all around--from Max Von Sydow to all the supporting players. Also, do not give up on the film too quick--I did and only saw it all years later when my sister-in-law convinced me to give it another try!

A skillful blend of realistic drama and the allegorical.

[khanbaliq2 · 10/10 · 2 July 2010]

Death comes for a knight (Max von Sydow), who challenges him to a game of chess while trying to postpone his end by showing him illustrations of goodness in mankind.

The Seventh Seal is a modestly budgeted minor classic which, because of its international success and its famous shots - the chess on the beach and the dance of death sequences - 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. The film significantly helped director Ingmar Bergman in gaining his position as a world-class director.

"I live now in a world of phantoms, a prisoner of my own dreams."

[classicsoncall · 9/10 · 26 December 2016]

On the Criterion Collection interview with Ingmar Bergman, he relates that he wrote the chess scene over his own fear of dying. This would have been an immensely interesting idea to explore, but after he mentions it, the interview is practically over. That left me rather frustrated.

The film itself may also leave one rather frustrated, as it explores the principal character agonizing over God's unwillingness to show His face and answer his existential questions about the meaning of life and the certainty of death. When Death (Bengt Ekerot) makes his entrance to claim him a victim, Antonius Block (Max von Sydow) challenges the Grim Reaper to a game of chess, the winner to exact his own reward. The Knight must quickly readjust his game plan after he unwittingly reveals his strategy to the black clad harvester of souls.

The film is set during the time of the Black Plague, following a 'worthless' crusade of ten years that the Knight and his Squire Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand) participated in. All around them are wanderers half crazed with fear at the thought of the Plague approaching. All the time Death appropriates his victims, he claims to know nothing and hold no secrets. Fearing his own demise, Block (Bergman?) disrupts the chess board, intent on prolonging his existence in a world full of uncertainty.

"The Seventh Seal" is Bergman's stunning allegory of man's search for meaning, but what I've come to understand after many years is that each person must come to terms with himself from within. Attempting to extract answers from a single source is bound to end in disappointment, trapped if you will in a Knight's world of phantoms and dreams more like nightmares. This is the kind of film that presents more questions than answers, as I'm sure Bergman understood and intended.

Great, but far from Bergman's best

[Bergmaniac · 9/10 · 4 June 2004]

I find it strange that "The seventh Seal" has always been widely considered to be the best Bergman movie and is so much more famous that all the others he made. Yes, it's very good, especially for its time, but compared with the real masterpieces Bergman made like "Wild Strawberries", "Through a Glass darkly", "Persona", "Winter light" and "Fanny and Alexander", it really pales in comparison. The ideas and the questions asked in this movie are pretty interesting and profound, but I feel that Bergman has done so much better in his later movies on similar subjects. The theme about the God's silence is much, much better developed in the famous "Faith Trilogy", especially "Through a glass darkly" and "Winter light". The theme about how to cope with fear of death is well developed, but couldn't really convince me. Also I feel that the film has too many "comic relief" moments. Many people have praised the cinematography in this movie, quite a few saying that it's one of the best ever. I beg to disagree. It's very, very good, excellent at times, but again Bergman has done so much better in his other movies. Personally I feel that the cinematography in Bergman's movies improved when he changed his director of photography Gunnar Fischer(who worked on this movie and "Wild Strawberries") with Sven Nykvist. Watch "Through a glass darkly" or "Persona" if you want a really stunning cinematography. But even "Wild Strawberries", made shortly after "The Seventh seal" and looking visually quite similar, is better IMO. Here the settings and the lighting looks too theatrical to me for most of the times. Of course, there were quite a few memorable images, especially the start with Death on the beach, the dance with Death at the end, the procession of the fanatics who whipped themselves through the village,etc. But still, something was lacking in many of the scenes. Bergman had to shoot the whole movie in just 35 days, so it's understandable IMO. After being so critical to the movie so far, it's time to mention its strong points. They are typical of Bergman's movies. Very strong acting(especially from Max von Sydov), amazing dark medieval atmosphere, really makes you think about the important questions. The music was very well and effectively used too. It's a great movie, no doubt, and it established Bergman as one of the all-time greats, which is big plus for a huge fan of him like myself. Still, my advice is: don't limit your Bergman experience to just this movie, watch his others, many of them are even better. 9/10

How can this be a masterpiece for some?

[caglayanhilal · 7/10 · 4 February 2021]

I now get it why people like this movie so much. The nice quotes. Not much not less. This movie is cool, a bit boring, but the visuals and the characters are what catch people's attention. Beside of that, nothing of that movie moved me. The ending is boring and the message behind it, is.... empty. I guess it was cool as a concept but when we dive deep in it, we feel so disappointed. The theme is what made me watch it but I felt like it could've be more explicit about death, disease and fear.

Imaging Death

[Polaris_DiB · 9/10 · 21 February 2006]

This is one of those movies, like Seven Samurai, where you watch it for the first time, following one character, and suddenly not-quite-midway through you realize that every character is important and intricately linked into the progression and exposition of the story and themes, so you know before you've even finished that you need to watch it again.

One of the more blatantly philosophical films out there (which is a good thing in this case, by the way, don't think that I'm using the term "blatant" as a negative indicator), Ingred Bergman's The Seventh Seal basically is a contemplation on Death. I'm sure you've read that already, on the back of the Criterion DVD box, on the synopsis written for it at any site where it's listed, in the many reviews, both critical and mundane, and everywhere that even mentions this movie.

So I'm not going to go so much into the focus of the characters on Death, as it were, because you know it all already, even if you haven't seen it. Instead what I'll focus on is the idea of presenting Death or, roughly, imaging him. One of the key things that sets the events in this movie off is that the knight asks Death to play chess and, when Death asks him how he knows he likes chess, the knight answers, "I saw it in a painting." Throughout this movie are shown many different artists, philosophers, and people trying to present what Death is and looks like via different media such as painting, theatre, prayer, actions, and discussions, and yet the main memorable image of this film is precisely the distinctive image of Death himself, the man with the thin lips and large forhead who holds his arm out to envelop on the front cover of the Criterion DVD. A film that invests its interest in Death needs a way of presenting him in a way that isn't completely stuck in the inspirations of other presentations, else focusing an entire work on Death becomes merely repetitious to what has all been said before. Thus we have a very original and thus very compelling image of Death that becomes the inspiration instead of just being an amalgamation of other's ideas.

Thus this movie brilliantly shows Death personified and characterized without holding all the dialog towards Death as a person but Death as a force. By showing that other people "draw" Death in various forms and different symbolic ways, the subjective viewpoint of who Death is is reinforced without having to be stated, which can be condescending.

Then we are so pleasantly allowed to sit back and watch the other characters all invest their energy into their ideas of Death, to mix them together and come up with a complete idea of how Death affects us profoundly and psychologically.

--PolarisDiB

Portentous yet intriguing.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 6/10 · 24 October 2019]

Death is the major theme of this 'The Seventh Seal (1957)', with the great plague backdrop acting as an apocalyptic omen for almost everyone involved. The piece is dripping with portent, a low-key but tangible melancholy that's almost oppressive. It's bleak, for sure. It's certainly not fun. Of course, it isn't supposed to be. Instead, it aims to tackle its taboo head-on. It doesn't provide easy answers, with the spectre of the grim reaper seeming to exist entirely separately from any from of God. The search for God is also a major theme. Each character has a unique relationship with their faith, which evolves over the course of the plot. No view is ever expressed as 'right'; it's simply what the character believes. The overall result of the picture is downbeat, despite some moments of hope. Though it feels loose and segmented, it undeniably has an effect. It leaves you with a melancholy that's difficult to explain. In the moment, however, it's never hugely engaging. It's not bad, but it doesn't really connect with you on a conscious level. Obviously, it must resonate in some way in order to leave you feeling the way it does. It's just that the cold, meditative discussions that make up its narrative aren't often all that compelling. Neither are the odd set-pieces which actually feel somewhat 'random'. It has its moments and isn't constantly grim. When the portentous stuff gets more overt, it's really effective. A scene of mass self-harm is genuinely rather upsetting, for example. Thankfully, the piece doesn't always deal in overt sadness. The previously mentioned moments of hope help to elevate its dour effect, making for a relatively rounded experience. In the end, its message is about acceptance rather than doom. No matter which way you cut it, though, it's still quite bleak. At least it has the guts to tackle something that most people actively try to avoid. As I said, it's not fun. 6/10

Death takes knight, checkmate.

[Lejink · 3/10 · 9 October 2014]

I suppose one has to view the reputed great classics of cinema to sort of test one's critical faculties against established standards and coming to this iconic film I was certainly aware of some of its famous imagery, in particular that of the soldier playing chess with Death, but nothing more than this. It does make for an arresting start to the film but after that I found it rather heavy going I must say.

Once said soldier Max Van Sydow treks after the family of travelling performers, I struggled to make sense of the narrative as the film follows a picaresque trail of incidents such as as the backstage seduction of a fellow-performer's wife, the humiliation of the travelling husband at an inn and the death by fire of a young female witch. Where exactly are they all headed? Well, with Death silently and unobtrusively along for the ride, I think I get the inference; nobody lives forever.

Mind you, I guess in all of it there's lots of stuff I'm still missing about faith, relationships, class, superstition and the human spirit, the meaning of life in short, but I'm afraid much of its symbolism passed me by. It is well shot in black and white and language-barrier notwithstanding appears to be well played with the actors certainly giving life to their individual characters, Van Sydow in particular, but I found the bitty, episodic development of the story as mystifying and unsatisfying as the higher allegorical meaning striven for.

In fact the only really memorable scene for me was the chess match, which of course I knew about already, so really there was no need for me to watch the rest of it and I'm kind of sorry I did.

Not my cup of tea, I'm afraid.