Classic Bergman: The Seventh Seal

When one thinks of the term "Art house Cinema", one is hard pressed to not think of Igmar Bergman. The Swedish director was a master of the camera and using the screen as if it were a canvas and he was the painter. This is part one of a continuing series of analytical posts about the films of Igmar Bergman.


In 1957, Swedish filmmaker Igmar Bergman released his 18th film, Det sjunde inseglet (The Seventh Seal). The film follows a medieval knight, Antonius Block(Max von Sydow) as he travels across the plague-ridden Sweden. He encounters a figure, Death(Bengt Ekerot), who has come to collect his life. Antonius challenges Death to a game of Chess, the wager being his life. They start their game, but Death is called upon and must resume the game at a later time. Antonius and his squire Jons(Gunnar Bjornstrand) travel across the country side and soon after their encounter with Death, discover a dead man who appeared to be sleeping. They enter a stone church. Jons talks with a painter as Antonius enters the confession booth. He explains how his life has been a "futile pursuit, a wandering, a great deal of talk without meaning. I feel no bitterness or self-reproach because the lives of most people are very much like this. But I will use my reprieve for one meaningful deed." He then explains how he is in a chess match with Death and reveals his strategy on the perfect victory. The priest opens the wall and Antonius finds that the priest is actually Death. Soon after, Jons saves a girl from being raped and is joined by two others who are tormented by the man as well.


There is a subplot in The Seventh Seal. It follows an actor named Jof. He is introduced to the audience by waking up and claiming he saw the Virgin Mary in the distance. He rejoins his wife and kids and as they are traveling across the countryside, they enc outer Antonius, who is in the middle of his match against Death. He warns them of the plague that is spreading through the land. Death leaves again and Antonius joins the family. Antonius finds peace as he eats with the family in a field. He explains how he loved his wife before he left for the Crusades as much as Jof loves his wife. He invites them to his castle so they can be safe from the plague. As they travel they encounter a young girl, marked a witch, who is to be burned at the stake. As she is being tied, Antonius asks her to summon Satan so he can "Ask the Devil about God". As they rest, Death returns to continue his match with Antonius. Antonius knocks over a chess piece, distracting Death long enough for Jof and his family to escape. Death checkmates Antonius and declares the next time they meet, his time will be up. Antonius and his party return to Antonius' castle where his wife is waiting for him. They eat a "last supper" before Death comes for them. A storm hits as Death arrives. Antonius pleads to God to have mercy on them. In one final famous scene, as Death collects them, one of the girls smiles and simply states, "It's finished." The final shot is of Jof and his family waking up on a beach where he sees a vision of his friends dancing in a line with Death.


Bergman tackles so many themes in this classic. The contrasts of life and death, the questions we have about religion (the title is a reference to a passage in the Book Of Revelation). Bergman masterfully uses mythic overtones but grounds them in reality. Antonius is a man who has led a life he is not proud of and is desperately trying to redeem himself in his 11th hour. He does this by befriending Jof and his family, and then rescuing them from Death by sacrificing himself. Bergman tackles both spiritual belief and spiritual denial in the characters of Antonius and Jof. Jof is a family man who believes anything is possible even in a world ravaged by the plague. Antonius is man who has lost his faith in God and in man. They meet and contrast and it appears at one point that Antonius feels that although Jof is less successful than him, he is a better man with better values. Antonius is a generous, good human being at his core, he has just been hardened by the world around him.

Bergman's Seventh Seal will forever be a classic piece of cinematic history. It won the Cannes Jury Special Prize, and has been praised since it's release as a masterpiece of Cinematography. It is truly a film that is overlooked by many noted film organizations, most notably the American Film Institute, yet still this film resonates. It a piece of dark poetic storytelling done better than perfect by the master himself, Igmar Bergman.

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