The Seventh Seal (1957)

Upon his return from the Crusades, Antonius Block (Max von Sydow) is greeted by Death. Unafraid to die, he challenges Death to a game of chess to give him time to find answers. The game is played over several days while Block questions his faith and meets up with other travelers on his way home. Plague has ravaged the countryside and Death’s influence is everywhere.

With someone with the art house/film school reputation of Bergman, I find it surprising how lighthearted much of his films are. Surely there are themes that warrant extended thought and discussion, but The Seventh Seal, like Wild Strawberries, is very watchable. His squire, the travelling performers, the unfaithful wife, the jealous husband, all serve both as comic relief and as foils to our dour Crusader. Block, unlike his companions, needs answers. Answers that even Death himself cannot give.

Also surprising is how low budget the film appears. The period costumes have the reductive appearance of quickly made cosplay garb and the sets were almost nonexistent. Still, this does not detract from the narrative. In fact it lends to the desolate feel of the film.

Younger viewers will remember von Sydow as the Three Eyed Raven and older viewers will remember him as the old priest in The Exorcist, but he appeared in a ton of stuff. Seriously, look him up. His CV is amazing.

At once haunting and comical, simple yet enigmatic, The Seventh Seal (a reference to the book of Revelations) almost demands a second watch and discussion with friends. Had I any that's exactly what I would do. AMRU 4.