By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Bengt Ekerot | Bibi Andersson | Gunnar Björnstrand | Inga Gill | Max von Sydow | Nils Poppe
Original language title: Det sjunde inseglet
Country: sweden
Year: 1957
Running time: 96
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050976/reference
Michael says: “It was the 17th film Bergman directed, but it was his breakout. Based on his play, ‘Transitions’ THE SEVENTH SEAL follows a knight, Antonious Block, returning from the Crusades with his squire, to find his homeland ravaged by the plague. As he questions his faith, and the nature of God, he is approached by the personification of Death. Block challenges Death to a game of chess in an attempt to stave of his fate, all while searching to the answers of life. During this match, Block and his squire encounter a small troupe of actors, passing through a village at the same time. They find themselves caught up in various altercations; the squire rescuing a mute servant woman from being raped; a woman sentenced to death by burning for cavorting with satan as a witch, the same rapist spurring a drunken crowd on to torment one of the actors. When Block stumbles upon that actor, his wife, and their young son, they share a meal of strawberries and milk on a hillside that he pronounces to be one of his best days that he will carry with him always. Eventually Block and his squire gather a small band, including the two actors, the mute servant girl and a couple of others, and pledge to lead them safely through the woods, while death and the plague bedevil them from all sides. Block never really finds the answers he searches for before his fate presents itself.