THE SEVENTH SEAL is Ingmar Bergman's meditation on Christianity and death, told through the tableau of a medieval setting and a mixed bunch of players on the stage. Max von Sydow headlines the cast as the Crusader knight who famously challenges Death to a game of chess, and the film follows his ruminations as well as the lives of others caught up in the same time and place.

This is certainly an original film, I can't think of one quite like it, and one that's tough to describe. Stylistically it has the same kind of quality as a Kurosawa film to it, such as RASHOMON. It has an almost episodic feel in places, and there's no real thrust to the narrative; instead it's more of a depiction of everyday life, exploring interactions between various folk. But despite the lack of obvious focus, it's never less than utterly watchable. Melodrama it might be, but it's good melodrama.

Bergman has a way of directing that reminds me of Kurosawa; he doesn't do anything obvious but his film nevertheless looks stylish and carefully composed throughout. The Swedish cast members are all very good and there are lots of powerful moments, from a jester being bulled in a wayside inn to the ultimate fate of a hapless witch. The ending employs a classic bit of imagery that left me feeling chilled. The whole enterprise is dark, morbidly so, and yet the depth and maturity of the insight are what makes it a classic.

This is one amazing film, and in my view Ingmar Bergman's best. Visually, The Seventh looks wonderful, the bleak scenery adds much to the mood, the cinematography is beautifully composed and skillful and the lighting is atmospheric. It also has many memorable images like with the flagellates, the hawk flying in the cloudless sky, Jof's vision of the Virgin Mary and the milk and strawberries in the dusk. Bergman's direction is superb, Erik Nordgren's score is resolutely haunting and the dialogue is some of the most thought-provoking I've heard with some nice bawdy humour with especially the squire that doesn't feel misplaced. The story is like an allegory and meditation of life, death, love and fear(amongst other things),and it is dealt with in a very intelligent and careful manner. Again there are some timeless scenes like the ending, the scene of the girl about to be burnt, Death being challenged to a game of chess and with the jester. The acting is also exemplary, Max Von Sydow gives one of cinema's finest performances, stoic yet always commanding with a face that speaks volumes about what he's thinking. Bengt Ekerot evokes chills as Death, while Gunner Bjornstrand is suitably dry as the squire. All in all, a really amazing film, fully deserving of its reputation. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is a strange movie--period! However, it is also one of the most parodied films and for that reason alone it is worth seeing! Now, on to explain the part that is parodied: A man is returning from war in the time of the Reformation and the plague is about the countryside. The man meets the Angel of Death and is told it is him time to die. The man asks if he can first challenge him in a game of chess--if the man wins, then his life will be spared. The Grim Reaper, not wanting to be a spoilsport, agrees and they play a game that starts and stops again and again. This exact same contest has been used in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, the cartoon series The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, and an experimental film De Düva: The Dove (starring Madeline Kahn among others). In the Bill and Ted movie, they did not play chess but a series of games including Battleship and Twister! In The Dove, it was a badminton game! I can't remember what the game was in the cartoon series, but instead of their deaths, the children played the Grim Reaper over the soul of their pet hamster! Isn't is weird how this art film has appeared again and again and in the silliest of places! Give it a try to see the FIRST death-match and because it is a good film--with excellent performances all around--from Max Von Sydow to all the supporting players. Also, do not give up on the film too quick--I did and only saw it all years later when my sister-in-law convinced me to give it another try!