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The Seventh Seal/Ingmar
Bergman
Format: Black & White, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, NTSC
Language: Swedish
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD
formats.)
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
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Number of discs: 1
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Rating 
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Studio: Criterion
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DVD Release Date: January 26, 1999
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Run Time: 96 minutes
From just a nuts & bolts perspective, this
edition of THE SEVENTH SEAL has very readable & unobtrusive subtitles &
excellent film quality.
This was the first Bergman film way back in the last
century--and it left an indelible imprint of my soul. I'm one of those people
who actually like b&w format--and Bergman was a master of the craft from
the beginning of his high profile career. I can't imagine SEVENTH SEAL in color.
Sacrilege!
As the title suggests, the film is based on the Apocalypse & awash with
biblical metaphor & imagery. It takes place at the height of the Bubonic
Plague in Europe, which also coincided with the Crusades era. People are seeing
horrific death all around them and are frightened out of their wits. The Church
took advantage of this fear in order to bind people even more tightly to
religion.
The main characters include a Knight returning after years of fighting in the
Middle East; his sarcastic Squire; a thick headed lumberjack & his
lascivious wife; a ham actor who also directly a motley three person traveling
troupe that includes a visionary, his beautiful wife & child; a woman whose
family have all died from the Black Death.
The Knight plays chess with Death who has been stalking him. He's not afraid of
dying, but he is afraid of the emptiness of human existence & God's
apparent refusal to intervene, or make himself known.
All the characters
meet where the actor's are performing. In the middle of "the show" a
group called The Flagellants make one of the most stunning entrances in theatre
history--on stage or on film. Based on absolute historic recreation, The
Flagellants were groups of people, encouraged by The Church, roamed the
countryside whipping each other, wearing crowns of thorns, hauling crosses
& in other ways abusing themselves. This is a central moment in Bergman's
film and is unforgettable, and like a car wreck you can't keep your eyes off
it. The scene emphasizes the masochistic hold of religion reinforced by
superstition & stupidity. This idea extends to the persecution of a
mentally challenged girl accused of witchcraft.
Bergman's vision--evidenced in this & his other films--is existentially
surrealist reflecting an anger & perhaps dependency on Christianity. He was
extremely popular in the 60's art film milieu, but his emphasis on the
intellectual is probably not particularly appreciated today.
Bergman & Fellini remain my all-time favorite directors.
Ingmar
Bergman - Four Masterworks (Criterion Collection)
Fanny
and Alexander (Special Edition Five-Disc Set) - Criterion Collection
The
Ingmar Bergman Special Edition DVD Collection (Persona / Shame / Hour of the
Wolf / The Passion of Anna / The Serpent's Egg)
Persona
Cries
& Whispers - Criterion Collection
Autumn
Sonata - Criterion Collection
Review: JEFarrow
Updated 12/07