The great Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal features one of cinema's greatest images - a knight taking on Death in a game of chess
"Nothing escapes me. No one escapes me." Although these are the memorable words spoken by Death (Bengt Ekerot) in Bergman's masterpiece, they could also have been a reference to The Seventh Seal itself, a towering achievement by one of cinema's greatest talents. Such is its power, it has been lovingly and regularly parodied, by Woody Allen (Love And Death), in classic teen comedy (Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey) and even in an Arnold Schwarzenegger blockbuster (Last Action Hero). Whenever cinema turns its attention to mortality, Bergman's Death is there in the wings.
The Swedish director is now used as convenient shorthand to indicate serious-minded filmmaking, but it was only with The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries (both released in the same year) that Bergman began to develop his reputation as one of cinema's most spiritual, questioning voices.
Max Von Sydow stars as medieval knight Antonius Block, returning from the Crusades during the Black Death. "I want God to put out his hand, show his face, speak to me," he tells a hooded figure in a church. He gets a revelation, but it's not what he expected. The mysterious figure is in fact Death, who explains that he has been by the knight's side for a long time. The knight strikes a deal with Death: they will play for his soul over a game of chess - winner takes all. Their game continues, on and off, throughout the film, interspersed with some scorching images: a witch manacled to a stake, a parade of flagellants, the Reaper leading his conquests on a macabre dance of death. Along with Through A Glass Darkly and Cries And Whispers, The Seventh Seal finds Bergman questioning the existence of God, and in particular asking how can we be expected to have faith when God refuses to reveal Himself. The title, taken from the book of 'Revelation', signifies the strength of metaphysical and allegorical musing that Bergman sought to explore throughout his directorial career.
Questioning the worth of the film 40 years after its release, Roger Ebert wrote: "Films are no longer concerned with the silence of God but with the chattering of men. We are uneasy to find Bergman asking existential questions in an age of irony, and Bergman himself found more subtle ways to ask the same questions. But the directness of The Seventh Seal is its strength: this is an uncompromising film, regarding good and evil with the same simplicity and faith as its hero."
A palpable aura of doom clings to the film, yet it remains more entertaining than a summer rom-com. The startling gravitas of the performances keep events portentous rather than pompous. There'll never be another film quite like it.
The Swedish director is now used as convenient shorthand to indicate serious-minded filmmaking, but it was only with The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries (both released in the same year) that Bergman began to develop his reputation as one of cinema's most spiritual, questioning voices.
Max Von Sydow stars as medieval knight Antonius Block, returning from the Crusades during the Black Death. "I want God to put out his hand, show his face, speak to me," he tells a hooded figure in a church. He gets a revelation, but it's not what he expected. The mysterious figure is in fact Death, who explains that he has been by the knight's side for a long time. The knight strikes a deal with Death: they will play for his soul over a game of chess - winner takes all. Their game continues, on and off, throughout the film, interspersed with some scorching images: a witch manacled to a stake, a parade of flagellants, the Reaper leading his conquests on a macabre dance of death. Along with Through A Glass Darkly and Cries And Whispers, The Seventh Seal finds Bergman questioning the existence of God, and in particular asking how can we be expected to have faith when God refuses to reveal Himself. The title, taken from the book of 'Revelation', signifies the strength of metaphysical and allegorical musing that Bergman sought to explore throughout his directorial career.
Questioning the worth of the film 40 years after its release, Roger Ebert wrote: "Films are no longer concerned with the silence of God but with the chattering of men. We are uneasy to find Bergman asking existential questions in an age of irony, and Bergman himself found more subtle ways to ask the same questions. But the directness of The Seventh Seal is its strength: this is an uncompromising film, regarding good and evil with the same simplicity and faith as its hero."
A palpable aura of doom clings to the film, yet it remains more entertaining than a summer rom-com. The startling gravitas of the performances keep events portentous rather than pompous. There'll never be another film quite like it.
Verdict
A grand, thought-provoking and highly enjoyable piece of cinematic history.
A grand, thought-provoking and highly enjoyable piece of cinematic history.
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