Det sjunde inseglet, a review by Danae Cassandra
Where We Are: Sweden
wikipediaWhat We Watched:
Det sjunde inseglet (The Seventh Seal)Overview:Disillusioned and exhausted after a decade of battling in the Crusades, a knight (Max von Sydow) encounters Death on a desolate beach and challenges him to a fateful game of chess. Much studied, imitated, even parodied, but never outdone,
The Seventh Seal (
Det sjunde inseglet), Ingmar Bergman's stunning allegory of man's search for meaning, was one of the benchmark imports of America's 1950s art-house heyday, pushing cinema's boundaries and ushering in a new era of moviegoing.
My Thoughts:This is an art film - striking cinematography, arresting visuals, allegorical, philosophical, symbolic. It is also the art film, richly deserving of its status as classic. It's an extraordinary piece of art, a dark, beautiful film with great power to disturb the viewer.
Steeped as it is in conflicts/contrast between faith and disbelief (the Christian knight and his atheist squire, the condemnation of the flagellants fanaticism and the simple beauty of Jof's vision of Mary and the Christ Child) I ultimately found the film to affirm the Wiccan adage "For if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without." The knight, seeking endlessly for answers, has the answer within himself the entire time - only you give your life meaning.
Of course, perhaps Bergman means for us to each find our own message in the film. It's a rich, complex, layered piece of work and highly recommended for the thinking film enthusiast. A new favorite.
Bechdel Test: Fail
Overall: 5/5
(From Around the World in 86 Movies on August 12th, 2013)
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May 17, 2024, 11:21:13 AM
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