Movie Monday: The Seventh Seal

Movie Monday: The Seventh Seal

There are very few films one could label as masterful in the way they portray their thematic elements. In particular, films that ascribe themselves to darker themes have the potential of getting lost in their own self-wallowing, creating hopelessness without any tact. A film that wants to engage in a less-than-happy story should do so, but it also has to be able to present itself with tact. A classic of Swedish cinema that manages to tackle dark themes well is Ingmar Bergman’s 1957 film The Seventh Seal. A dark fantasy set in the 14^th century, The Seventh Seal chronicles a journey of faith for a knight, Antonius Block, who has returned to plague-riddled Sweden after participating in the Crusades. Disenchanted with the world and accompanied only by his pessimistic squire, Jöns, Block’s return to his home country is also marred by the presence of Death himself. Death has come to take Block away, a fate Block refuses to accept given his holy beliefs and all that he’s experienced. In denial of his own demise, Block challenges Death to a game of chess, believing he will live so long as he wins, and thinking he can save himself so long as the game carries on.

 

What makes The Seventh Seal such an interesting film isn’t really its story, which involves Block, Jöns, and a group of actors they cross paths with journeying toward Block’s castle to take refuge from the Black Plague. Rather, the film shines because of its major characters as well as the central themes involved in the film. To start with, Block’s development and growth throughout the film gives an air of realism to an otherwise fantastical idea. Having now engaged with Death himself in a game of chess, Block is forced to reevaluate his religious beliefs in order to come to terms with this new spiritual figure he hadn’t believed existed. Much of his change is also influenced by his greed, which plays a role in the story I won’t spoil here. Jöns also gets standout moments throughout, oftentimes stealing the show with his presence thanks to an incredible performance by Gunnar Björnstrand. The major characters in the previously mentioned group of actors—these being Jof and his wife Mia—also go through interesting character arcs. Jof in particular has his own journey tied together with the supernatural, envisioning a religious happening early in the film. In some capacity, Jof and Block are polar opposites of one another, both seeing religious ideations of Death in different ways. Without going too much into spoiler territory, Jof’s visions tie directly into the start and end of the film, doing so in stark contrast to the myriad of conversations Block has with Death over their game.

 

The decision to set the film in 14^th century Sweden also assists in bolstering the movie’s dealings with the concept of death. Death follows the characters everywhere they go, even if he isn’t doing so via a personified, cloaked figure. The group comes into contact with people that have been impacted by the plague in one way or another. Some have been relinquished to a life of crime, while other groups have formed religious doomsday cults surrounding the illness (likening it to the First Horseman of the Apocalypse, Pestilence). These encounters allow for different ideas of death as a concept to be explored throughout the film, death acting as one of the main driving forces behind its story, character arcs, and thematic elements. By creating different lenses by which death is viewed, characters and even one-off groups feel realistic in this world. Historically, the Black Plague’s ruination of Europe through its small survivability rate would have resulted in this wide array of perspectives. So it’s good to see so many of them laid out in the film.

 

Overall, if you’re looking for a movie that tackles themes surrounding death and religion that’s more character-driven than it is plot-driven (and you have about four bucks to spare for renting it), I’d check out The Seventh Seal. It’s not going to be a happy movie, but it’s one that stands the test of time despite having been made over sixty years ago. It’s a well-crafted dark fantasy that doesn’t shy away from tackling some hard-hitting topics. Highly recommend it if you’re looking for something thematically pleasing to watch.