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Directed by: Ingmar Bergman Starring: Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot I'm ashamed to admit, but this was my first foray in the world of Bergman. After viewing this, I have to say I'm very excited to add his other films to my collection. Anyways, Antonius Block (von Sydow) is a Crusader returning from the Holy Land in the mid-14th century to his homeland where the plague is doing its thing. He and his squire Jöns (Björnstrand) encounter many people along the way, each looking for something in life. We learn that Jöns has the most bleak outlook on life (we're alone), Block is a sort of middle ground with some faith, and Jof (Nils Poppe) is the one who has the most faith. Perhaps the best example of the contrasting views between the squire and the knight is in the final dinner scene at Block's castle. Death (Ekerot) is ever present throughout the film and really gives a great performance. Block plays chess against Death in order to prolong his life so that he can accomplish an unsaid goal. There's no flashy camerawork employed here, but it is really solid and some of the framing is nothing short of great. Bergman really knows how to pace his film, too, as no scene ever seems to linger on too long. As an allegory for the search for the meaning of life, it works on so many levels. The questions posed about what it is to die and to live are great; the Seventh Seal is instantly added to my favorites list. Also, I can't ever hope to completely understand everything that the film was trying to say. 5.5/5 RATING: 5.5 PROS: Symbolism, acting, death CONS: None ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050976/ EDIT: I was kind of surprised there was no thread, but I searched all possible iterations of the title and couldn't find it. If it's in archives, well, I don't have archives. Mike_V fucked around with this message at 06:56 on Mar 13, 2006 |
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Jan 4, 2006 07:41
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Huh. I thought I posted this ages ago, but I guess not. "Rich tapestry" might be a cliché of sorts, but it's exactly how I would describe Seventh Seal. It has so much to offer, covers a lot of ground in a short time, and does it with fascinating images and horror and humor and warmth and dread. Not even my favorite Bergman, but no less than a masterpiece. 5.5
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Jan 5, 2006 00:49
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Great Swedish film by director Ingmar Bergman about the journey of a man's soul. Our time on Earth and what awaits us in the great Beyond. The setting is during the Crusades with the Black Plague looming. Pretty good film, enjoyable. Good film for high IQ and high EQ individuals. The characters are well realized and the cinematography is compelling. Influenced tons of films since release. You might catch elements that you've seen before many times. Well worth a watch alone one night around 3am with a chemically modified brain. 4.5/5
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Nov 25, 2023 23:42
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