The Seventh Seal

96% of users liked it
(935 ratings)

Ingmar Bergman's 1956 film has been parodied by everyone from Woody Allen to Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, but it remains one of the strangest and richest classics of world cinema. Max Von Sydow plays a knight returning from the Crusades to encounter an apocalyptic scenario inspired by the Book of… More Ingmar Bergman's 1956 film has been parodied by everyone from Woody Allen to Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, but it remains one of the strangest and richest classics of world cinema. Max Von Sydow plays a knight returning from the Crusades to encounter an apocalyptic scenario inspired by the Book of Genesis. He plays chess with Death (Bengt Ekerot), sees a manacled witch, watches a band of flagellants go by--all of it foretelling an inevitable end to life. Unabashedly allegorical and lyrical and existing in a world unto itself, the film is enormously mesmerizing no matter what one thinks of the weighty meanings Bergman has attached to it all. The DVD release has English subtitles, audio commentary by critic Peter Cowie, theatrical trailer, and Bergman's filmography. --Tom Keogh

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 36 min.
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Classics

No Critic Reviews Found…

Featured Audience Ratings

Cindy I

Every time I see this Ingmar Bergman classic chronicling a Crusades knight's return home and encounter and subsequent chess game with Death-- I think I'm up to 8 times now -- it gets better. I always see something I didn't see before, and enjoy the performances more.… More
Every time I see this Ingmar Bergman classic chronicling a Crusades knight's return home and encounter and subsequent chess game with Death-- I think I'm up to 8 times now -- it gets better. I always see something I didn't see before, and enjoy the performances more. All are first rate -- Max von Sydow as the knight, Gunnar Bjornstrand as his aide, and a host of others. My particular favorite is the young family that make up the traveling theatre troupe. The photography is just amazing to behold, including the iconic last shot of the sillouetted cast dancing behind Death in a surreal conga line. For an extra treat, see a film called "Phantom Carriage", starring a VERY young Victor Sjostrom. It's said that Bergman loved this film so much that he modeled many scenes in Seal after it, and put Sjostrom in Wild Strawberries as a tribute to the man.
Pierluigi P

Profound, existentialist and visually stunning. wisely narrated by an inspired Bergman.
_kelly .

unrivaled in film history
Barry L

Odd film but it needs to be seen by true film fans just for the artistic ability of Bergman

The Seventh Seal

No Critic Reviews Found…

Featured Audience Ratings

Cindy I

Pierluigi P

_kelly .

Barry L