Dir. Ingmar Bergman
Sweden, 1957
The
Seventh Seal is one of Bergman’s personal favorites. Perhaps because it draws
from his own religious background, his father was a clergyman, or maybe because
it in some way delves into his own internal search for God. Either way, the
film is a masterpiece.
The
storyline follows a knight, played by Max Von Sydow, returning from the horrors
of the crusades. He finds a plague has killed most of his countrymen, and he
searches for the truth about what he was fighting for. While searching he
begins to play a game of chess with death incarnate. Death wants to take the
knight as his own, but only if he wins the game.
Bergman
confronts the existential motif with an incredible lightness. Where most
directors might use a heavy-handed imagery based focus on this theme, Bergman
is able to establish its presence without delving too much into the muck of the
subject. He accomplishes this task by intertwining the story with the lives of
others. Parts of the film are dedicated to the traveling band of actors trying
to use their religious plays for good, while escaping the destruction of the
plague. These actors, played by Bibi Andersson and Nils Poppe, provide a humor
and a different look at the situation at hand compared to the heaviness of Von
Sydow’s character.
The
Seventh Seal is considered to be a classic film by a masterful director. The performances
are profound and spellbinding. However, in order to watch, one must be patient
and in the mood for something a little heavy on the mind. If you’re not
prepared to watch something of this magnitude; you will not enjoy it. Yet, if
you are ready for something of this stature; it is a film to be enjoyed and
thought over.