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Edinburgh University
Film Society 47 Years of Student Run Cinema 1963-2010 Student Film Society of the Year 2002, 2005, 2006 |
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Ingmar Bergman, Sweden 1956, 105 minutes
“The strict lord Death bids them dance” The source of some of celluloid’s most memorable images, Ingmar Bergman’s cinematic masterpiece tells the tale of a knight, Antonius Block (Max Von Sydow), and his squire returning home from the Crusades to find a world crumbling under the grip of the Plague. Met by Death himself, Block challenges him to a game of chess, wagering his soul. As the game is played out the grim reality of a disease ridden world, where religious fervour is rife whilst God seems clearly absent, becomes apparent. The iconic figure of a man playing chess with the Grim Reaper himself has lent itself to many a parody, but no imitation has been as poignant as the original. The irony of a man who had committed many an evil in the name of God playing for his life with Death, whilst the world around them is crippled by an unrelenting sickness is just sheer genius. The visuals are stark, the dialogue concise; The Seventh Seal questions the absence of God during a time when Christianity’s stronghold on a continent waned. If none of the religious content appeals, then the beautiful cinematography alone will wholly satisfy. This is a film which absolutely deserves its status as a cinematic masterpiece and an opportunity to see it on a big screen should not be missed.
Review by Steph Wright
Taken from EUFS Programme Spring 2004
The first of Bergman's mature works, The Seventh Seal is concerned with that heavy question which everyone has probably asked themselves at some point: Does God exist? Whilst a universal question, it's also one that had added angst value for the writer-director, on account of his being the son of a minister, and represents a theme he was to turn to again and again over the next decade or so, in a number of key films - Through a Glass Darkly, The Silence, etc.
As the Biblical-reference title suggests, the film takes place in a situation where the day of judgement seems to be at hand (nicely allowing for cold-war parallels with the late 1950s when the world was facing up to the prospect of nuclear annihilation): Knight Blok (Max Von Sydow) returns from the crusades to find his homeland ravaged by the plague and witch-hunts. The black cloaked figure of Death shows up, and tells Blok it's his time to die. Blok wants a little more time, and makes a deal with Death. The two will play chess, which Death is fond of, and Death won't take Blok until the game is over. With this brief reprieve, Blok has a few more hours to question the mysteries of existence with those around him. Some, like his squire Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand) are agnostics. Others, like the wandering players (including Bibi Andersson), are believers.
The Seventh Seal is, as you'd expect, brilliantly acted by Bergman's stock players. Bergman's direction is incredibly powerful, with many memorable moments - the opening light in the sky; the parade of flagellants; and, of course, the dance of the dead over the hill, shot on the spur of the moment in a truly inspired piece of film-making. It is testament to The Seventh Seal's greatness that bits of it have not only been spoofed by Woody Allen - who you'd expect - but also Stephen Herek in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. So, if Bergman's movie leaves you feeling a bit drained and down, just think of "We totally melvyned Death, dude" or some other Bill and Ted-ism.
"Contains some of the most extraordinary images ever comitted to celluloid" - Time Out
Review by Keith Brown
Taken from EUFS Programme 1996-97
Arguably Bergman's most famous flim, The Seventh Seal firmly established both him and Max Von Sydow and greatly enlarged potential audiences for films from other foreign directors. The highly symbolic medieval allegory appealed to cinema audiences around the world with content far more intellectual and less dependent on plot than the standard Hollywood movies.
Antonius Blok (Von Sydow) is a knight who has just returned from a 10 year crusade to Sweden where he has to face certain harsh realities: his disillusionment with a crusade which does not seem to have fulfilled its Holy purpose, the plague ravaging Sweden and the fact of his own imminent death. Death appears to him and Blok challenges him to a game of chess (apparently this idea is 'borrowed' in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey) to give himself time to consider his significance on earth before he dies. Blok meets a young happy couple with their baby. Jof and Mia (the names mean Joseph and Mary) and, as he is so swayed by their cheerfulness and simple innocence, he diverts death from taking them so they can escape and thus he can die without regrets, having found his raison d^etre.
The symbolism is rampant in this film; Religion, Death, Metaphysics, juxtaposing frivolity and terror to confuse moments of jest and threat, 20th century existentialist themes - these are all fair game for Bergman. Many of the images are now legendary, especially one near the end of six figures led a dance by Death silhouetted against a dark stormy sky, arguably the most famous single image in world cinema. Many of these images have been copied and hence run the risk of seeming clichéd, but the film still has inimense power, through Bergman's ability to mix literary allegory into an atmospheric cinematic context. The Seventh Seal operates on many levels, from a strong narrative and good characterisation to the many leitmotifs and metaphors holding up the film's symbolic nature, all of which work together to produce a film of emphatic strength.
Review by Mark Radice
Taken from EUFS Programme 1993-94