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All Movie Info
Starring:
Gunnar Björnstrand, Nils Poppe, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Anders Ek, Erik Strandmark, Åke Fridell, Gunnel Lindblom, Bengt Ekerot, Inga Gill, Maud Hansson, Inga Landgré, Bertil Anderberg, Gunnar Olsson, Gunnel Lindblom
Directed By:
Ingmar Bergman
Written By:
Ingmar Bergman
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The Seventh Seal (1958)
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Movie Review by Andy
April 12th, 2007
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Classic!
This is probably the most famous movie from Ingmar Bergman. Our story is one of simply, death. The main story focuses on a Christian knight from the Crusades facing death. Not death as in the end of life exactly, but as in the angel of death. While strolling along a beach surveying his fallen fellow soldiers he meets death, but he is well aware that his time is up as well. Trying to avoid his ultimate fate, he challenges death to a chess match. The stakes are simple. The solider will remain alive as long as he can continue to win, but if he loses he must concede that he is dead. Yet, the solider's motives are not that of wanting to live, but rather to understand the point of all the madness he's seen.
The movie stars Max von Sydow as Antonius Block, the solider looking for borrowed time. Without a doubt the best role of his career. Never have I seen another movie in which Sydow comes across as so much of a leading man. It's without a doubt a very strong and commanding performance. The movie is simply stole by another actor though. Bengt Ekerot, who plays Death, creates one of the most iconic and chilling figures in movie history. Totally captivating in any scene he is in, and without a doubt has inspired just about any incarnation of the character of death in any film since. Played very simply, Ekerot is forever calm. In his portrayal of death he is never in doubt of the end result. He will take the solider's life. It's what he does. Bibi Andersson rounds out the supporting cast(all who want to live) in a very well acted movie.
The word that describes The Seventh Seal the best would have to be, twisted. The aspect of losing life is totally seen as almost a non-issue between the two main characters. The solider wants to live, but not because he's afraid to die. He wants to know what all of us do, what's the point? No doubt there are other movies that look at death in satirical light, but I think it's the blending of humor, drama and the eventual horror we all face that makes The Seventh Seal so memorable. The film is what all of the greats are, an experience.
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