Has anyone seen the Swedish 1957 film: ‘The Seventh Seal’ ?

[Michie]

Disillusioned knight Antonius Block and his cynical squire Jöns return from the Crusades to find the country ravaged by the plague. The knight encounters Death, whom he challenges to a chess match, believing he can survive as long as the game continues. The game they start continues throughout the story.

I’m just curious what people’s impression was of it. I’m still watching it on TCM and finding it very interesting. Just wondering if anyone has seen it and what their impression was of it. I’ll check in tomorrow.

 

[Gnarwhal]

I’m just curious what people’s impression was of it. I’m still watching it on TCM and finding it very interesting. Just wondering if anyone has seen it and what their impression was of it. I’ll check in tomorrow.

Haven't seen it, looking forward to a review when you're finished though!

 

[chevyontheriver]

I’m just curious what people’s impression was of it. I’m still watching it on TCM and finding it very interesting. Just wondering if anyone has seen it and what their impression was of it. I’ll check in tomorrow.

I was on an Ingmar Bergman kick back in college, so yes, I've seen it. But it was so long ago.

 

[Michie]

What a dark and depressing film. Seems the knight comes back from the crusades disillusioned and questioning the presence of God. It has a backdrop of an ongoing plague. People seems to be acting irrationally and taking extremes one way or the other under the circumstances. He meets death, where he challenges him to a chess match for more time living. Seems death is the only reality he acknowledges and believes in. The closing scenes shows death leading them across a hill and demanding they dance.... depressing. It was interesting but I did not particularly like it. I’ve given the barest of reviews. In the background we have a girl getting ready to be burned at the stake for being accused of sleeping with the devil, bringing the plague and people self flagellating themselves, attempted rape, etc. Not my cup of tea.

 

[chevyontheriver]

What a dark and depressing film. Seems the knight comes back from the crusades disillusioned and questioning the presence of God. It has a backdrop of an ongoing plague. People seems to be acting irrationally and taking extremes one way or the other under the circumstances. He meets death, where he challenges him to a chess match for more time living. Seems death is the only reality he acknowledges and believes in. The closing scenes shows death leading them across a hill and demanding they dance.... depressing. It was interesting but I did not particularly like it. I’ve given the barest of reviews. In the background we have a girl getting ready to be burned at the stake for being accused of sleeping with the devil, bringing the plague and people self flagellating themselves, attempted rape, etc. Not my cup of tea.

That's what I remember of it. Very dark.

 

[tz620q]

What a dark and depressing film. Seems the knight comes back from the crusades disillusioned and questioning the presence of God. It has a backdrop of an ongoing plague. People seems to be acting irrationally and taking extremes one way or the other under the circumstances. He meets death, where he challenges him to a chess match for more time living. Seems death is the only reality he acknowledges and believes in. The closing scenes shows death leading them across a hill and demanding they dance.... depressing. It was interesting but I did not particularly like it. I’ve given the barest of reviews. In the background we have a girl getting ready to be burned at the stake for being accused of sleeping with the devil, bringing the plague and people self flagellating themselves, attempted rape, etc. Not my cup of tea.

My recollection is that the knight believed in death because he had seen it in the Crusades. One could envision him going off to the Crusades with a fervor for God and returning with only a grim acquaintance with Death. In the final scene I saw him as bringing Death back with him to his home. I do wonder if Bergman was remembering the flu epidemics that were supposedly brought home by the returning troops after WWI and killed millions.