The Seventh Seal

"Set in medieval Sweden, a philosopher knight seeks adventure, chess and gets an extended and intermittent conversation with death. This is a visually alluring black and white film with interesting characters and several plot lines, all underscored by the death character. A travelling minstrel show intersects town scenes and the knight’s travels. "

"+ This contains some of my favorite experiences in existential, meditative cinema. Ingmar Bergman really understood how to make the psychological element work without overindulging in philosophical ideals. It asks deep questions about human nature and the struggle to find meaning in everyday life, but it does so with great spirit. Some movies feel like they are addressing the audience as if to show off an overblown intellectual thesis (Stalker and other European movies come to mind), but when Bergman puts a medieval knight in a chess game with Death himself it comes across more as a parable or myth than premise. The idea never upstages narrative. It's also not without a sense of humor. - Like even the best classics it shows its age in certain aspects. Though the performance of Bengt Eckerot as Death is a classic, the aesthetic representation is a bit hokey. Sometimes it can come across as a bit on-the-nose, lacking a certain subtly, but really, this is a tiny gripe for an otherwise five-star classic. If anything the minus section only adds to its charm. Overall: A wonderfully acted, existential meditation by one of the best directors in cinema. It makes the most out of its 90+ minute runtime and delivers some wonderful cinematic moments. This is a classic for a reason."

"I give it 10 chess pieces out of 10. ... ... ... I've just been informed that there are, in fact, 32 pieces on a regulation chess board, but my rating stands. The Seventh Seal is an allegorical look at existential dread and questions, almost an inversion of The Pilgrim's Progress. The film repeatedly asks the question of whether there is a God, and, if so, why is He silent? Plague-ridden Europe is used as a backdrop to represent humanity's suffering and the inevitability of death. The seventh seal, as described in the biblical Book of Revelation, is used as the title and a conversational piece for its reference to heaven being silent. In the film, Death comes to claim knight Antonius Block, who is returning home from a crusade. Block travels with Jons, his squire. The knight challenges Death to a chess match, stating that Death must spare him if he wins, and that he must be allowed to live until the match is over, just as we're all in a game of chess with Death. Block uses the time to journey home while pondering on the reality of God and the nature of suffering. While watching, due to Tolkien's Elvish being based on Scandinavian languages, I felt like I was watching a movie entirely in Elvish, lol. SPOILER ALERT The ending ultimately offers no answers, but I think writer Ingmar Bergman wanted to give none, adding to the existential dread of the film. Block and Jons come to opposite conclusions on the reality of God, even, making the vote 1:1. Some scenes, such as the burning of the supposed witch, are truly moving. Others are genuinely hilarious, such as Jons' commentary on Plog, Lisa, and Skat's spat. All in all, it's a truly great, reflective film, terrible for a party, even if all your guests speak Swedish, but great for an evening alone with your thoughts. "

"I am horrified that there is 1 rule 34 image for this movie. 10/10"

"Spooktober: Movie about how people deal with death be it through comedy, terror, or searching for answers even when none are to be found in the case of the main character. It even explores how we channel these various coping mechanisms into art with stage plays and paintings throughout. To date this is still the only Bergman movie I've seen and I technically first watched it years ago. This should probably change at some point."

"This reminds me of childhood"

"Dark and somewhat difficult but I think it should be in any serious movie person's collection"

"This is the 2nd installment of "the movies that got me into movies." I honestly don't think I'd ever seen a non-English movie before this one. For my first non-domestic title, I sure started with a good one - Ingmar Bergman films aren't always easy to watch but they are always worth the effort. Watching through his filmography is like a masterclass in Cinema. Just amazing!"

"This movie is for people who know whats up"