69 Years Later, This 93%-Rated Masterpiece Still Asks the Biggest Questions About Life & Death
This is a film that doesn't provide answers, but rather, gives you the courage to ask questions.
Ingmar Bergman and the theme of death are incompatible, yet the culmination of his reflections was The Seventh Seal, the movie that made the Swedish director famous worldwide.
The 1957 black-and-white masterpiece, in which a knight plays chess with Death, received mixed reviews but eventually became a classic.
Today, it is watched less for the religious controversies that troubled 1950s Swedish intellectuals than for the eternal question it poses: how should one live knowing one's mortality?
What Is 'The Seventh Seal' About?
In the mid-14th century, Knight Antonius Block returns to his native Sweden after spending ten years on a crusade. His faithful squire accompanies him. The plague is ravaging his homeland, people are dying.
Block is weary of life and disillusioned with faith. He seeks an answer to the question: is there a God?
On a deserted shore, Death approaches him to take him away. The knight offers to play a game of chess with him instead. If he wins, Death will let him go. If he loses, Death will take him away.
The Imagery of 'The Seventh Seal' Has Taken on a Life of Its Own, Transcending the Iconic Film
The Seventh Seal is often considered a film about religion – Bergman genuinely wanted to discuss faith, work through his fear of death, and comprehend God's silence. However, decades later, it's the images, not the dialogue, that remain etched in our memory.
The knight playing chess with Death has become an archetype. Death, pale-faced and cloaked in black, calmly rearranging the pieces, is the visual embodiment of inevitability.
These images are universal and convey the idea that a person can resist inevitability, search for meaning, and ask questions even when there are no answers.
'The Seventh Seal' Had an Immeasurable Impact on the World of Cinema
The outstanding cinematography of The Seventh Seal influenced an entire generation of directors. Francis Ford Coppola, Ang Lee, David Fincher, and Woody Allen have all acknowledged that Bergman's work shaped their vision.
The allegorical nature, black-and-white aesthetic, and ability to speak of the sublime through the concrete all migrated into their movies.
Bergman made existential drama accessible, showing that thoughts about death are part of the human experience, not just the domain of armchair philosophers.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Seventh Seal'?
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The Seventh Seal has 93% from both critics and viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the movie has a score of 8.1/10.
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On Letterboxd, The Seventh Seal scored 4.3/5.0.
Where to Watch 'The Seventh Seal'?
The Seventh Seal is available to stream on The Criterion Channel.
