The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet) (1957)
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Cinematographer: Gunnar Fischer
Run-Time: 96 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Film Stock: Black & White 35mm developed at Film-Teknik, Stockholm, Sweden
The Seventh Seal is the story of a Swedish medieval knight who is being chased by Death. The film is extremely historical and also fantastical in its elements and storytelling. The main protagonist Antonius Block travels through his home country after returning from war and finds that the plague is ravaging his countrymen, so he flees. The runtime of this film is only 96 minutes in total, but it allows for the story of a man facing off against Death to be deeper and more fulfilling than many other films can attempt in at least 120 minutes. Antonius Block must face off against Death in a game of chess that will decide whether he lives or dies. The Seventh Seal is shot in black & white and still feels more familiar and real than life itself, the themes and images convey feelings that cannot be properly described without diluting its power. Ingmar Bergman is certainly an auteur who has the power to create a fantastic history that encapsulates the idea of life and struggles within it as well as crafting a world that engulfs any viewer into it.
Ingmar Bergman as a director has created many significant arthouse films that are still shown and taught today for the advancement of cinema as art. His most famous film is arguably The Seventh Seal, a film that truly encompasses what it means to be an art film. This film utilizes philosophy as its main tool, something that is incredibly common in films that are considered “art films” or similarly “arthouse films”. The entire premise of The Seventh Seal revolves around the idea that humans are unaware of what, how, and why death must be a part of every one person’s life. Protagonist Antonius Block faces off against Death personified, adorned in a long black robe with a very pale white face, in a game of chess for Antonius’ life. This game of chess spans the entire length of the film, intermittently cutting in and out before or after certain scenes of Antonius and his posse encountering despairing situations. This game of chess with Death is very metaphorical for the game that we play every single day against that same mysterious being. Ultimately though we all lose to Death there is a glimmer of optimism that seeks to point out our job as human beings to live daily instead of just stalling death. The philosophical aspect of this film is one of many reasons I truly love it.
[Image: Bergman, Ingmar, director. The Seventh Seal. Criterion Collection, 1957].
Personally, I have always been interested in the philosophical as well as the banal reasons as to the meaning of death. This event is something that every person deals with at one point or another during their life, so why is it so difficult to deal with? Many of us, myself included, have had to deal with some sort of death close to us at one point or another in our lives, but why is that? Why is it death? Why isn’t there another option for when our time on Earth is up? The Seventh Seal is one of the first films I’ve ever seen that really contemplates death in an entertaining and meaningful way. The first time I watched this film was only in my freshman year of college here at Rutgers University, yet every time I think of it I feel as though it’s an old friend whom I’ve known since we were both children. I still cannot quite pinpoint why this film is so familiar, and though it deals with such a difficult concept, why it feels so comforting. I’d like to think that this is one of the very few films ever made that can actually offer some meaningful substantive philosophy as to why death is what it is and why. It’s not so much why or when we die as it is how we live.
[Image: Bergman, Ingmar, director. The Seventh Seal. Criterion Collection, 1957].
I live every single day of my life with the knowledge that at any given time or place I could cease to exist. Though this sounds extremely depressing and quite scary, and sometimes it is, I know that I was not put here to die so I must live. As much as this film is about death, and even Antonius’ battle with Death, it is just as much about the way in which people cope with living. Antonius Block finds peace and solitude in religion and similarly I find peace and solitude in nature and in humanity. Every person, living or dead, does or has found peace through something that gives them strength, just enough to get through each and every day. Another bit of hope that I get from life that pauses any thoughts about death include any number of activities or hobbies I do or are interested in. This film is largely about death as much as it is about life. What we do in between birth and death is how we live, death is only an end point in an entire existence.
[Image: Bergman, Ingmar, director. The Seventh Seal. Criterion Collection, 1957].
My love for this film is due to all reasons listed previously but also because of the mastery of dialogue in it. Conversations are not just between characters like in many other films, instead they are prayers or manifestations of their thoughts. Though all characters in this film understand that their death is imminent they still pray and discuss what would be difficult for most other people. These characters are focused on what cannot be understood through language but through experience most importantly the first-hand sight of Death personified. While these characters pray as well as disavow religion, they are all ultimately brought to their end by Death himself.
To understand the end of this film better a reading of The Book of Revelations from 8:1-6 would be incredibly helpful and insightful as to how Ingmar Bergman utilized death in an art film.
[Image: Bergman, Ingmar, director. The Seventh Seal. Criterion Collection, 1957].
Finally, my favorite quote of the entire film:
Antonius Block – “This is my hand. I can turn it. The blood is still running in it. The sun is still in the sky and the wind is still blowing. And I… I, Antonius Block, play chess with Death.”
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