"The Nordic reputation for lack of humor is well founded". ...Doctor Sheldon Cooper :
I last saw The Seventh Seal about fifty years ago. I found it gratifying to revisit it.
Set in Sweden during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight (Max von Sydow) and a game of chess he plays with the personification of Death (Bengt Ekerot), who has come to take his life.
As Block and Death play chess, Block travels through Sweden with Jöns, encountering a variety of people, including a group of traveling players, a family of blacksmiths, and a group of peasants who are being burned at the stake for witchcraft.
Block is disturbed by the suffering and misery he sees, and he becomes even more disillusioned with the world. He begins to wonder if there is any meaning to life at all.
The title refers to a passage 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." Here, the motif of silence refers to the "silence of God," which is a major theme of the film.
is a profound and moving meditation on the human condition, exploring themes such as mortality, faith, and the meaning of life. The film is also notable for its stunning visuals, Bergman's masterful direction, and the powerful performances of its cast.
"Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish filmmaker and theatre director. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential screenwriters and film directors of all time, his films have been described as "profoundly personal meditations into the myriad struggles facing the psyche and the soul". Some of his most acclaimed works include The Seventh Seal (1957), Wild Strawberries (1957), Persona (1966), and Fanny and Alexander (1982); these four films were included in the 2012 edition of Sight & Sound's Greatest Films of All Time. Bergman was also ranked No. 2 in The Guardian's list of the top 25 film directors of all time." From Bard
I've seen this one, and I recall feeling it was essential to watch the additional materials; it's one of those I felt like I needed some guidance with, yaknow? So I can see how it would be a good one to re-watch.
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