Seventh Seal

UPC: 715515044615

Studio: Criterion

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Questionable for Children]

Summary: Endlessly imitated and parodied, Ingmar Bergman's landmark art movie The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet) retains its ability to hold an audience spellbound. Bergman regular Max von Sydow stars as a 14th century knight named Antonius Block, wearily heading home after ten years' worth of combat. Disillusioned by unending war, plague, and misery Block has concluded that God does not exist. As he trudges across the wilderness, Block is visited by Death (Bengt Ekerot), garbed in the traditional black robe. Unwilling to give up the ghost, Block challenges Death to a game of chess. If he wins, he lives -- if not, he'll allow Death to claim him. As they play, the knight and the Grim Reaper get into a spirited discussion over whether or not God exists. To recount all that happens next would diminish the impact of the film itself; we can observe that The Seventh Seal ends with one of the most indelible of all of Bergman's cinematic images: the near-silhouette "Dance of Death." Considered by some as the apotheosis of all Ingmar Bergman films (other likely candidates for that honor include Wild Strawberries and Persona), and certainly one of the most influential European art movies, The Seventh Seal won a multitude of awards, including the Special Jury Prize at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Special Jury Prize – Cannes Film Festival

Features: Introduction by Ingmar Bergman, recorded in 2003
Audio commentary by Bergman expert Peter Cowie with new afterword
Bergman Island (2006), an 83-minute documentary on Bergman by journalist Marie Nyrer?d, featuring in-depth and revealing interviews with the director
Archival audio interview with Max Von Sydow
A 1989 tribute to Bergman by filmmaker Woody Allen
Bergman 101, a selected video filmography tracing Bergman's career, narrated by Cowie
Theatrical Trailer
A booklet featuring an essay by critic Gary Giddins

Seventh Seal

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 06/16/2009

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 97 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Subtitles: English

Region: Blu-ray region A (North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia)

Tom Wiener

For filmgoers of a certain age (baby boomers who attended college between the late '50s and late '60s), The Seventh Seal was their first exposure to the films of Ingmar Bergman. And indeed, the film has been referenced by other directors, from Woody Allen to Barry Levinson, as well as becoming the subject of a popular parody short, Dove. Although other filmmakers, such as Jean Cocteau in Orpheus, had dealt with similar concerns, Bergman made them more accessible. The Seventh Seal is a skillful blend of realistic drama (the disillusioned knight returning from the Crusades in a land wracked by plague and madness) and the allegorical (most famously, the chess game and further encounters with a black-robed figure representing Death). The historical setting provides a convenient vehicle for Bergman to deal with issues of death and spirituality that are ultimately timeless. The film also gave major exposure to actors Max von Sydow and Bibi Andersson, who both had small roles in Bergman's Wild Strawberries. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Erik Strandmark  Actor 
Ulf Johansson  Actor 
Gunnar Olsson  Actor 
Gudrun Brost  Actor 
Lars Lind  Actor 
Tor Borong  Actor 
Benkt-Ake Benktsson  Actor 
Maud Hansson  Actor 
Anders Ek  Actor 
Gunnel Lindblom  Actor 
Bertil Anderberg  Actor 
Ingmar Bergman  Director 
Ingmar Bergman  Screenwriter 
Eric Nordgren  Composer (Music Score) 
Allan Ekelund  Producer 
Max von Sydow  Actor 
Gunnar Björnstrand  Actor 
Bengt Ekerot  Actor 
Nils Poppe  Actor 
Bibi Andersson  Actor 
Åke Fridell  Actor 
Inga Gill  Actor 
Inga Landgre  Actor 

Country: Sweden