The Seventh Seal (1957) Reviews

Questo film fonde la cinematografia con il teatro e la filosofia. Parla di argomenti molto importanti con una semplicità geniale, senza cadere mai nel banale.


This film combines the cinematography with the theater and philosophy. It talks about very important topics with a brilliant simplicity, without ever falling into banality.

''I met Death today. We are playing chess.''

A man seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.

Max von Sydow: Antonius Block

The Seventh Seal is dark, beautiful, meaningful, and indeed explores the most serious themes regarding faith and search for the Divine; Known by many as a defining masterpiece from the Swedish film-maker Ingmar Bergman. One of the film's inspirations was a painting that Bergman saw as a young boy and was awed by: "There was everything that one's imagination could desire. Angels, saints, dragons, prophets, devils, humans. There were very frightening animals: serpents in paradise, Balaam's ass, Jonah's whale, the eagle of Revelation. All this was surrounded by heavenly, earthly and subterranean landscapes of strange yet familiar beauty. I remember Death playing chess with a Crusader, Death sawing at a tree to a branch of which clung a naked man with staring eyes, and across a gentle hill Death leading the final dance towards the dark lands''.



Det sjunde inseglet, which translates as The Seventh Seal, refers to a passage concerning the end of the world from the Book of Revelation, used both at the very start of the film, and again towards the end, beginning with the words "...And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour..." (Revelation 8:1).
The concept of the "Silence of God" in the face of evil, or the pleas of believers or would-be-believers, may be influenced by the punishments of silence, upon which the film attempts to explain and analyse with great detail and poise.
Interestingly, in Bergman's original radio play, sometimes translated as A Painting on Wood, the figure of Death in a Dance of Death is represented not by an actor, but by silence, "mere nothingness, mere absence...terrifying...the void."

The film follows the journey of a knight Antonius Block (Sydow) returning from the Crusades, through Sweden ravaged by plague. The knight has lost his faith in the blood and horrors of the battlefield, his faith has been tarnished due to no recognition from God and the horrors he has seen,"Faith is a torment. It is like loving someone who is out there in the darkness but never appears, no matter how loudly you call".
On his way home, he encounters people dying from starvation and disease, being burnt as witches, and encounters with Death(Bengt Ekerot) himself who challenges him to play a game of chess. We then have the story of the family; a happy juggler, his wife, and their infant son. This family is happy because they love each other. They represent the simple joys and hopes of ordinary life in human proportions.
The Seventh Seal is not entirely heavy upon significance though. It has an incredible story with believable characters, wonderful performances, lots of comic relief and moves easily from drama to comedy as executed 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.

''I want to confess as best I can, but my heart is void. The void is a mirror. I see my face and feel loathing and horror. My indifference to men has shut me out. I live now in a world of ghosts, a prisoner in my dreams.''

In one of the most intense scenes, Block enters a church and confides in a cloaked man he believes to be a priest (but is actually Death). He asks Death many questions about God, but receives no answers. This is the first time we see Block have some kind of weakness; he almost breaks down and relents thus says ''I call out to Him in the darkness, but it's as if no-one was there...'', and ''I want God to stretch out His hand, uncover His face and speak to me.'' What answer does he receive? Not even Death knows if God exists. At the end of this scene, Block points out that we should make an idol of our fear, and that idol we should call God. This profound statement is reflected throughout the rest of the film, as we realize that the communities across Sweden do not simply believe in God, but they also live in fear of him. They see the plague as a punishment directly from Him, cue a casual performance with a sinister march, where the damned whip themselves and monks sing the Dies Irae, whilst townspeople sombrely state 'Judgement day looms' in the local tavern.
Later, Block encounters a witch, whom is being prepared to be burnt at the stake. The first time he sees her, he casually asks her if she has ''seen the Devil?'', but is given no reply. He sees her once more as she is about to be burnt and gives his reason: 'I want to ask him about God.' What comes next is one of the most powerful images of the film. The witch asks Block what he sees in her eyes? Thus apart from fear, he sees nothing. No Devil. No God.

In the end, Block does his good deed before his death. Seeing his looming checkmate and defeat at hand, he purposely knocks the pieces of the chessboard to momentarily stop the game whilst the young couple, Jof (Nils Poppe) and Mia (Bibi Andersson) escape. Death asks him 'Did you profit from your respite?', and he replies 'Yes, I did.' With this selfless act he has saved other lives disregarding his own. Thus actually saving his own soul.
On to the young couple, they have been interpreted as many different things, what their role is in the film and if they are simply a device. Many believe they symbolize the Virgin Mary and Joseph, however I believe not. Bergman clearly says that they do not represent Mary and Joseph, the evidence being, why would Jof have a vision of the Virgin Mary if she was his wife? Jof provides much of the comic relief, the film, although short, his intense and challenges entice you to think. Jof, who appears innocent, clumsy and somewhat stupid, allows us to take a moment from the film and simply laugh. He provides more than this however. He, his wife, and their baby all appear to be innocent and good. They represent the purity in people, and even through the plague, a corrupt society and man's doubt in God and religion, there still are pure people.

Much of the film's imagery is derived from medieval art. For example, Bergman has stated that the image of a man playing chess with a skeletal Death was inspired by a medieval church painting from the 1480s in Täby kyrka, Täby, north of Stockholm, painted by Albertus Pictor.
However, the medieval Sweden portrayed in this film includes creative anachronisms. The last crusade (the Ninth) ended in 1271, and the Black Death hit Europe in 1348. In addition, the flagellant movement was foreign to Sweden; large-scale witch persecutions only began in the 1400s.
Generally speaking, historians Johan Huizinga and Friedrich Heer and Barbara Tuchman have all argued that the late Middle Ages of the 14th century was a period of "doom and gloom" similar to what is reflected in this film, characterized by a feeling of pessimism, an increase in a penitential style of piety that was slightly masochistic, all aggravated by various disasters such as the Black Plague, famine, the Hundred Years' War between France and England, and papal schism. This is sometimes called the crisis of the Late Middle Ages and Barbara Tuchman regards the 14th century as "a distant mirror" of the 20th century in a way that echoes Bergman's sensibilities.
It is a modern poem presented with medieval material that has been very freely handled; The script in particular, embodies a 20th century existentialist angst upon it's lucrative frame and indulgences.
For audiences to fully grasp the film's questions and answers, they must allow Bergman, his artistic license, and the script's modernisms may be justified as giving the story's medieval theme a compelling and urgent contemporary relevance.
The film succeeds to a large degree because it is set in the Middle Ages, a time that can seem both very remote and very immediate to us living in the modern world....Ultimately The Seventh Seal should be judged as a historical film by how well it combines the medieval and the modern. It should also be judged for it's deeper aspects that blossom from the fundamental foundations, the story and characters offer.

In conclusion, I can say that The Seventh Seal is certainly one of the greatest films ever crafted or conceived from the 21st Century.
A masterpiece of cinematography, an unfathomably well-made script, the wonderful photography (shot by one of Bergman's regulars, Gunnar Fischer), the haunting score, the incredible acting and the powerful message all make The Seventh Seal one of the few stunning films ever to be created back in the 50s and even to present Modern day.
What is the answer to the ever asked question though? Does God exist? Is the idea of a supreme entity a reality? The answer is not black and white, its quite simple...we will never know, not until our time comes. Thus begins the circle again for another generation; Ultimately it is the journey and our fulfilment of life that reaps the most glory, not the questions concerning what happens afterwards.

''I shall remember this moment: the silence, the twilight, the bowl of strawberries, the bowl of milk. Your faces in the evening light. Mikael asleep, Jof with his lyre. I shall try to remember our talk. I shall carry this memory carefully in my hands as if it were a bowl brimful of fresh milk. It will be a sign to me, and a great sufficiency.''

"I shall remember this moment: the silence, the twilight, the bowl of strawberries, the bowl of milk. Your faces in the evening light. Mikael asleep, Jof with his lyre. I shall try to remember our talk. I shall carry this memory carefully in my hands as if it were a bowl brimful of fresh milk. It will be a sign to me, and a great sufficiency."

Ingmar Bergman put his country on the cinematic map with The Seventh Seal; an atmospheric, peculiar, eerie, ambiguous production that is a surreal masterpiece of the highest order. Words cannot accurately describe the appeal of this movie. Needless to say the film is certainly not for all tastes. It requires a viewer who is patient and whose attention span is not limited to mainly tolerating fast-paced films.

The Seventh Seal moves at a snail pace and is strictly for those who can easily endure rich, perplexing world cinema. I will admit that I quickly grew tired of reading subtitles for each line of dialogue. Of course this is not a negative downfall. Foreign countries would say precisely the same thing about an American film. Foreign filmmakers should be given the opportunity to craft a film in their native language and I of course respect this.

The film opens as a disillusioned knight named Antonius Block, played by Max von Sydow, is returning from the crusades in the 14th century when he is confronted by Death (Ekerot) who casually tells him that his time is up.

However, Antonius is not willing to give up so easily and challenges Death to a game of chess for his life. While the chess match is still happening, Antonius can live. And if he checkmates Death then it could mean a significantly longer life indeed. Alas, Antonius travels across a country now stricken by the Black Death (i.e. the plague) in search of a concrete sign that would implicate that God really exists. No matter where he goes, Death is always following in his footsteps.

The film is both elegant and extensively atmospheric. Most of the entrancing panorama we're presented with is apocalyptic and filled with dread. The black and white photography further retains this quality. As the characters travel across the land they find devastated villages and unnerving forest scenery.

The film is also rich in religious themes that also pose a question to the viewer; does God really exist? The final image also raises questions about what occurs after death. We see a string of silhouetted figures dancing with arms outstretched as they are about to enter the unknown.

The Seventh Seal is also a film that is heavily ambiguous. What does each character symbolise? The audience is left to draw their own conclusions after the credits have rolled. Not many films similar to this have the eminence of extensive ambiguity, chiefly in a religious sense. The film has been widely regarded as one of the world's most important pieces of cinema. There is little mystery surrounding this.

The performances weren't excessively engaging. There are some pretty distasteful characters, but they all appear to be allegorical (similar to the film as a whole, in that sense). Max von Sydow had the hardest job of pulling off such an important character. He adds intensity to the game of chess and he is quite enthralling.

Director Ingmar Bergman did a fantastic job with this film. His direction will keep one mesmerised for the film's duration. It moves at a slow pace, granted, however the classy direction allows something interesting to appear on screen quite frequently.

The Seventh Seal is a film that won't be appreciated by all tastes. It falls into the category of 'world cinema' so expect to be reading subtitles the whole way through. I guess if you're too lazy to read subtitles then this would be one to leave on the shelf.

The Seventh Seal is captivating and surreal, as well as dark, disturbing and grim. Its sheer indistinctness alone makes it worthy of a screening.