Product Description

Few films have had as large a cultural impact as Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (Det sjunde inseglet). Disillusioned and exhausted after a decade of battling in the Crusades, a knight (Max von Sydow) encounters Death on a desolate beach and challenges him to a fateful game of chess. Much studied, imitated, even parodied, but never outdone, Bergman’s stunning allegory of man’s search for meaning was one of the benchmark foreign imports of America’s 1950s art house heyday, pushing cinema’s boundaries and ushering in a new era of moviegoing.
SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:
• New, restored high-definition digital transfer
• Introduction by Ingmar Bergman, recorded in 2003
• Audio commentary by Bergman expert Peter Cowie
• A new afterword to the commentary by Cowie
• Bergman Island (2006), an 83-minute documentary on Bergman by Marie Nyreröd, featuring in-depth and revealing interviews with the director
• Archival audio interview with Max von Sydow
• A 1998 tribute to Bergman by filmmaker Woody Allen
• Theatrical trailer
• Bergman 101, a selected video filmography tracing Bergman’s career, narrated by Cowie
• Optional English-dubbed soundtrack
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Gary Giddins

Stills from The Seventh Seal (Click for larger image)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1120 in DVD
• Brand: Image Entertainment
• Released on: 2009-06-16
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, DVD, Full Screen, Special Edition, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: Swedish
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 97 minutes

Customer Reviews

Remastered and Loaded Up with New Extras!
It's safe to say that The Seventh Seal is Ingmar Bergman's most famous film judging by how firmly entrenched it has become in popular culture over the years. Key images and scenes from it, including Death, the chess game, and the Dance of Death, have been emulated and parodied countless times over the years. On a historical level, it has also been credited with helping launch art-house cinema in the 1950s, along with the films Akira Kurosawa and Federico Fellini. However, this has done little to diminish what a powerful meditation on man's search for purpose in the universe it is.

The first disc starts off with an audio commentary from the previous edition by film scholar Peter Cowie. He briefly talks about the impact that the first time he saw The Seventh Seal had on him. He points out where Bergman drew his inspiration for the look of Death. Cowie populates this track with production anecdotes along with an analysis of what we are watching as well as the film's themes.

"Afterword" is a follow-up by Cowie to the 1987 commentary he did for the Criterion Collection. He points out the film's rich humor, despite its reputation as a dark, brooding film about death. This extra gives him a chance to mention things that he failed to when he originally recorded the commentary.

"Max von Sydow Audio Interview" features excerpts of interviews Cowie conducted with the veteran actor in 1988 for a book about the man. He talks about his upbringing and his parents. He recounts his first experience with the theater and how it led to him becoming an actor.

"Woody Allen on Bergman" features a wonderful short film from Turner Classic Movies with Allen talking about his love for Bergman's films over a montage of clips from them. He says that The Seventh Seal is his favorite Bergman film. This is an eloquent tribute to the man and his films.

Also included is a trailer.

The second disc includes "Bergman Island," an impressive feature-length documentary about Bergman that was released in 2006. Bergman reflects on his life and career, coming across as a modest and humble man who tells all kinds of engaging anecdotes from his life. There are many clips from his films and excellent behind-the-scenes footage.

Finally, there is "Bergman 101," a crash course on the life and career of Bergman by Cowie. He narrates over stills and clips from the man's films. This is an excellent primer that traces Bergman's career arc and touches upon many of his films while also providing factoids and analysis.

A staple for any lover of cinema...
1957 was one of my favorite years for film, and `Det Sjunde Inseglet' is one of the many reasons why. One of Ingmar Bergman's finest films (and that is saying a lot, since he is one of the greatest directors of all time), `Det Sjunde Inseglet' is a startling glimpse at death and religion and the impact those two very important subjects have on life. With stunning performances (Gunnar Bjornstrand gives perhaps my favorite supporting male performance of all time) as well as crisp and engrossing black and white photography, `Det Sjunde Inseglet' is nearly as beautiful as it is powerful.

The films core is found on a desolate beach where Antonius Block meets Death and challenges him to a game of chess.

This game represents the game we all play, that of life. Death is an inevitable end, a course we cannot cheat (for there is no way that Block can actually `beat' Death), but one has the opportunity to give the game their best effort. Thus, one has the chance to embrace life while they have it. Block has seen a lot in his lifetime (war and plague to mention just two) and so his faith has begun to waver; his doubts surfacing about God and his concern for humanity. This theme of religion (or better yet, spirituality) is touched upon in the majority of Bergman's films, but the poignancy and emotional relevance has never been stronger than it is in `Det Sjunde Inseglet'.

I find hesitation in really explaining much more of the film, for it is an experience that one should walk into blind almost. There is so much to uncover here, but what is so wonderful about filmmakers like Bergman is that they present a message one has to really uncover themselves. There are many ways to interpret this film, and no which way is really correct. It all depends on how the film touches and or moves you. If I really elaborate on my own personal findings it could unfairly influence your interpretation of the film, and so I'll reserve my thoughts on the matter for those who have already developed their own opinions.

So watch the movie!

The acting, like I mentioned, is sublime. I easily fill my Best Supporting Actor ballot with almost everyone in this film. Like I mentioned, Bjornstrand is my favorite supporting male performance of all time, so he takes this in a cakewalk; but Bengt Ekerot is extremely effective as Death himself, and Nils Poppe is marvelously entertaining as Jof. All three are leagues above any other performance that said year; and 1957 is a stunning year in nearly every category (Lead Actress is also jam packed). I really enjoyed Max von Sydow's detachment here, but he is clearly out-acted by the supporting cast.

I wanted to take a few moments to really expound on my love for Bjornstrand here. He is utter perfection; quite possibly the most complete supporting performance ever recorded on film. He is witty, charming, genuine, engaging, stern, desperate, depressed, concerned, focused, heroic, dashing and even a bit scary. He covers all of the bases with effortless balance and not a single ounce of awkwardness. He is stunning here, no ifs ands or buts about it.

I am a huge fan of Bergman, and while `Det Sjunde Inseglet' is not my favorite of his films (I reserve that honor for `Scener ur ett Aktenskap') it is certainly one of his finest moments and one of the best films of all time. At the price listed here it is a steal, so for once you don't have to splurge to experience something special!