Product Description

After a decade of battling in the Crusades, a knight challenges Death to a fateful game of chess. More than forty years after its initial release, Ingmar Bergman's stunning allegory of man's apocalyptic search for meaning remains a textbook on the art of filmmaking and an essential building block in any collection. Criterion is proud to present The Seventh Seal in a pristine new transfer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5568 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-01-26
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: Swedish
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
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

Customer Reviews

Bergman tackles a topic of death
Made in 1956, in black and white, this film was one of the first ones ever to explore the topic of death. Fans of Ingmar Bergman know that director explored the meaning of death in his work. Born and raised in a strict and religious family, Bergman was intrigued about the mysteries of life and death, purpose of life and meaning of punishment. This film, placed in 14th century Sweden immediately after Crusades were over and Black Plague decimated the population of Europe, explores exploitative power of religion., pristhood and church, hardship of life for artists and actors and one knight's desire to elude death until he finds answers to his own questions about life and death; purpose of life; belief in God and other existential questions. In attempt to gain time, he bargains with death to buy in some more time while playing the game of chess. He is hoping that finding answers would give him hope on his life spent on earth and also help him save a young family from doom in hopes that perhaps the next generation will find a greater purpose. We learn that search is futile and that there is no barganing with death. We all receive death and our final hours differently just as we are all unique individuals and as such live our lives on earth. Some of us are ready and resigned to it, some scared, some fearful, others welcoming of death as a means of our begining of the new life. Just like life, death turns out what we make of it. It is unavoidable and part of every living being. It cannot be denied, talked out of it, bargained with or postponed. It comes at its own time on its own terms and releases itself into a new day. It gives a different kind of hope to humanity and still leaves many unanswered questions. It eventually gets us all: evil ones, meek ones, righteous ones and cynical ones. We only hope it will release us into something eternally good and not turn into perpetual punishment for our ignorance.

One of the best movies ever made
For me, the Seventh Seal, along with Casablanca, is one of the best movies ever made. In terms of asking the question, "Is there meaning in life and Is there a God?," no other film dares to so boldly ask such questions and give such existential answers. There appears to be a Mother Mary and a Christ Child, but there's also Death in this film, and Death, disguised as Clergy, or with the help of ignorant people as well as the clergy, tortures people wholesale in this film. Each person in this film tries to find meaning in his or her own way, as a Knight playing chess with Death tries to find the meaning of his life, before losing and dying to Death at the end of the chess match. At first, the Knight, Antonius Block, appears to have the upper hand in the match, as we do when we feel young and strong, but by the end of the film, as near the end of our lives, Death has the upper hand. In the end, the Knight finds meaning by appearing to help a young family escape Death, but I'm not sure if Death made it appear that Death lost the family just to let the Knight have some meaning before his own end. I highly recommend the film in case you haven't already seen it if you wish to explore these religious questions of meaning and "Does God exist?," all mixed in with life during the Middle Ages with a Crusade, and a Plague to boot to get people to thinking. . .Don't be put off that the film has sub-titles. Once you get used to reading them, they can be quite funny. Worth watching and worth owning, particular the Criterion Collection, because of the work they have done to restore the original film. Definitely a must see.

One of the Greats
Religious allegory is packed into this film. It is definitely one of the great films.