Film Review
The film that earned Ingmar Bergman the Special Jury Prize at Cannes in 1957 and established
his reputation as one of the greatest filmmakers of his age was
The
Seventh Seal, a bizarre morality tale which explores religious and philosophical
themes with startling originality and efficacy.
Some of cinema's most iconic images
are to be seen in this film - most notably the shot of the knight playing Death at chess
on a deserted beach and the heart-stopping Dance of Death sequence at the end of film,
where the victorious Death leads his victims across a hilltop. Rarely is stark black
and white photography used so effectively, with such artistic flair, as in this extraordinary,
timeless piece of cinema. This film, along with the one that
came immediately afterwards, the equally sublime
Wild Strawberries (1957),
marked Bergman's transition from a talented film director to a world class
cineaste.
Stylistically dazzling, the film is also fascinatingly ambiguous and admits various
interpretations. The reading from the Book of the Revelations (which gives the film
its title) makes it a plausible allegory for the very real threat of global nuclear annihilation
(the film was made at the start of the Cold War). The prospect of instant obliteration
at the press of a button must have made life in the late 1950s appear as meaningless as
it did to pagans living through the Black Death in the Middle Ages. What's the point
in anything if you know you are likely to be charcoal in a few minutes' time?
The film can equally be read as a full-on assault against organised religion, implying
that the true God lies elsewhere than in the dry litany of self-flagellating mystics.
Contrast the misery that surrounds the supposed Christians - who bring death and persecution
to others, even young girls - with the cheerfulness, innocence and contentment of a group
of carefree travelling actors. If God exists, it is not within the confines
of a barren stonewalled edifice or on the blood-soaked battlefields of the Crusades, but
rather in the warm-hearted tenderness of a young family rejoicing in each precious moment
of life. Religious and ontological concerns would inspire some of Bergman's
most illuminating films, notably
Winter Light (1962)
and
The Silence (1963).
Whatever its meaning, it cannot be denied that The Seventh Seal is a
masterpiece, arguably one of Bergman's greatest films, and a work of art that cannot fail
to make a lasting impression on anyone who sees it. Less austere and ponderous
than the director's later films, it is still a pretty sombre work with some very unsettling
images. Mercifully, the sombre mood of the piece is punctuated by some unexpected
comic touches, and even Death seems to have a penchant for wit.
What is perhaps most surprising about this film is how Bergman succeeds in making it relevant to our own time.
The film may be set in another age, yet, in contrast to most historical dramas, it is
extraordinarily easy for the spectator to project himself into this unfamiliar world and
relate it to his own experiences, to find meaning therein. Whilst it portrays, with
some harshness, the failings of organised religion, the film shows us the necessity and
value of faith to human existence, whether that faith derives from the face of an unseen
God, or the hidden goodness that lies in each one of us. It may not answer definitively
what life is meant to be about, but The Seventh Seal at least inspires us to lift our
gaze and look for meaning in what we see around us, before our amiable companion Death
looks us in the eye and whispers: “Mate”.
© James Travers 2006
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Ingmar Bergman film:
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Film Synopsis
In the mid-fourteenth century, Europe is being ravaged by the Black Death.
On his way home from the Crusades, a knight, Antonius Block, is visited by Death, in the
form of an old man in a black cowl. Block is in no hurry to die and challenges
Death to a game of chess. If the knight wins, he will be allowed to go on living;
if he loses, Death will claim another victim. The distraction of the game allows
Block a brief respite, which he uses to look for evidence of the existence of God...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.