The Seventh Seal Blu-Ray Review
Posted by Shawn S. Lealos on 06.19.2009
A true cinematic masterpiece has been re-released by The Criterion Collection in both standard edition and Blu-Ray. Has The Seventh Seal been justly rewarded by this recent release?
Written and Directed by Ingmar Bergman
Max von Sydow ... Antonius Block
Gunnar Björnstrand ... Jöns, squire
Bengt Ekerot ... Death
Nils Poppe ... Jof/Joseph
Bibi Andersson ... Mia/Mary
Åke Fridell ... Blacksmith Plog
Inga Gill ... Lisa, Blacksmith’s Wife
Maud Hansson ... Witch
Inga Landgré ... Karin, Block’s Wife
When Ingmar Bergman passed away, I was very surprised at how many people were unfamiliar with his work. I didn't understand how filmmakers and actors I worked with had not viewed some of the master's great works, some unsure of what movies he actually directed. With Oscar nominations for films such as Wild Strawberries and Cries & Whispers, as well as a nomination as recently as 1984 with Fanny and Alexander, to be ignorant of this man's great work is just shameful. I am even more surprised that his home country of Sweden did not realize what a treasure they had until after his death.
His greatest masterpiece however was never nominated for an Oscar and even lost the prestigious Golden Palm Award at Cannes to Friendly Persuasion, a religious film dealing with the Quakers in Indiana. The Seventh Seal was the polar opposite of that film, an understatement to say the least. While Friendly Persuasion deals with Christianity and the Christians trouble when violence erupts around them, The Seventh Seal deals with the loss of faith and packs an existentialist punch that was unique for the time.
The film begins in typical Bergman fashion as the lead characters are almost born from the ocean. Antonius Block (Max Von Sydow) and his squire Jöns (Gunner Björnstrand) rest on a beach following their return from the Crusades. They return to a home country decimated by the plague and before they can set off for home, Block is confronted by the figure of Death. Block quickly challenges Death to a game of chess, to prolong his life. Back in the real world, the knight and his squire set off to reunite with their families before coming across a travelling troupe of performers, trying to entertain a society that has begun to crumble under the weight of death and pestilence.
The knight might have originally began the game of chess with Death on a whim to remain alive, but has a chance to do something good as he realizes he might be able to avert Death from taking a loving couple in the troupe and their infant son. The couple is Mia and Jof (Mary and Joseph) and their son bears the Biblical name Mikael, mirroring the birth of life and hope while contrasting the lives of the knight and his squire, walking arm-in-arm with Death.
Jof see visions of an angel and a child, religious in nature, and continues to have an optimistic outlook on life with Mia and Mikael. In the meantime, Jöns ponders religious paintings depicting pain and suffering instead of joy and laughter and the knight continues on his journey, questioning the existence of God relentlessly. "I want God to put out his hand, show his face, speak to me. I cry out to him in the dark but there is no one there." It is these questions of faith and existence that are emphasized throughout much of Bergman's. The extreme fear of death is evident throughout this film.
Born to a strict Lutheran minister, Bergman’s early films tend to display a bleak outlook on life. He was never at ease with lighthearted films that might be considered unrealistic. It is with more serious subject matter in films like Sawdust and Tinsel, Wild Strawberries and The Seventh Seal his true genius showed through. A brilliant scene in The Seventh Seal that showcases this disdain for lighthearted affairs is the scene where the troupe's joyful play is interrupted by a horrible religious progression meant to offer a penance to offset the plagues that had attacked the town. While the comedic play is ridiculed by the crowds and the actors are mocked, the progression, full of men carrying heavy crosses while others whip themselves, is given reverent honor. It is only when serious subject matter is approached that serious appreciation is deserved. There is no room for frivolousness in times of tragedy.
However, despite the subject matter, this is not a movie that speaks only of pessimism. There is always a flicker of hope in the eyes of the characters. The knight is looking for something to believe in, something to find hope in. He sees purity and hope in Mia and Jof as well as the future of their child. The seeming lack of God in the story does not mean there is a lack of hope. While he never finds God in his journeys, the knight still possesses faith and completes his journey on his own terms.
It is the character of Death that remains the most interesting character in the film. I have read comparisons to Anton Chigurth in the 2007 Oscar winner No Country for Old Men. The entire movie, the knight plays a dangerous game with Death. There are only three scenes in the movie where the two are actually playing chess, yet the game between the two carries on in the background the entire film. When the witch is burned at the stake, the knight looks into her eyes and asks to see God or Satan for proof of their existence but it is only Death he sees. The comparison between Death and Chigurth is clear as the two seem to be more similar than you would expect. No one escapes either being and no reprieves are granted. Likewise, the character of the knight can be compared to Moss in the Coen’s movie, as he simply goes through his paces, trying to escape the clutches of Death, yet knowing he has no hope at the end. Much of the dialogue added to No Country for Old Men mirrors the dialogue of Death in The Seventh Seal and it appears the classic film was a large influence on the recent award winner.
In that area, the movie retains a pessimistic, yet realistic depiction of life. Death cannot be escaped. In the scene where Skat fakes his own death to remain alive following being caught with another man's wife, Death finds a way to dispatch him anyway. While the idea was used in lesser quality in recent horror movies, here it is done not as exploitation but as an eloquent lesson. I would argue that although the films of Bergman continue to question the existence of God, they still hold a glimmer of hope. While the knight will never defeat Death at its own game, he is able to distract Death from noticing the retreating family, allowing Mia and Jof to escape the fate that awaits the rest of the group.
When Death arrives at the knight's home to claim his victims, they give in to Death's icy grip and the final line of the group of travelers is simply "It is finished." Yet, from the violence of that storm, the small family unit remains safe, going on their way. The final thing Jof sees in the film is the group being led away by Death into their final resting place. As Jof watches the progression led by Death in the distance, it is obvious Bergman believes Death is the supernatural figure, and there is no point in answering the question of what purpose God plays in this story. The Seventh Seal is the story of a man nearing the end of his life, and the road that he must take to finally leave his life on his own terms. It is a beautiful and somewhat troubling picture, but one that tells a poignant story that resonates on deeper levels than anything you find up to that point in cinema.
When Bergman died, it could be said that Death finally called check mate. The man who created a world where Death haunted the lives of men and women without remorse would pass on to either the other side or to eternal darkness. Bergman once said he was afraid of death, but eventually believed that when you die, you die and "we go from a state of something to a state of absolute nothingness and I don't believe for a second there is anything above or beyond or anything like that. And this makes me enormously secure." With that quote in mind, it would seem that while the film can be seen as pessimistic and bleak, in Bergman's eyes it was not so.
If passing into nothingness made Bergman secure, this film would seem to end on a different note, a more positive one. In one of his final interviews, Bergman stated he had recently changed his opinion of death. He believed that while living on his little island home, he still felt his late wife Ingrid with him and if he could still feel her spirit there, then death was not the end of everything but instead just a transition and when he finally passed on, he would hope find his beloved wife awaiting him. In The Seventh Seal, the group passes on with Death by their side, not against their will, but on their own terms. The knight played Death's game - and lost - yet when it was time to go, they announced "It is finished" and went on their way, knowing it was their time and accepting their end.
The Video
The original Criterion release had a really cool little featurette where you could compare how the original film looked before and after Criterion restored the print. It showed the differences in brightness and contrast as well as the removal of dirt and scratches. They did a spectacular job cleaning the movie up for that release. This 1.33:1 transfer is very similar to the Blu-Ray release of The Third Man, in that the grain is not fully removed from the print, although it is non-intrusive. I know a lot of people who hate seeing grain in their High definition films, but it is part of what makes these older films so charming. The blacks and whites are extraordinary in this transfer. I believed the original standard definition transfer was amazing but this one even makes that look dull by comparison. If you have a high definition television and a Blu-Ray player, do not hesitate to get this version. It is absolutely beautiful.
* For the DVD edition, the picture has been slightly windowboxed to ensure the maximum image is visible on all monitors *
The Audio
The original Swedish soundtrack is what is offered here in its original monaural format. English subtitles are also available. The background sounds, so important for this film, all sound magnificent.
The Packaging
The Blu-Ray is housed in the standard Blu-Ray case. The navigation of the Blu-Ray is simple, as you can pull up the screen and move through different options without ever having to stop the movie. Also enclosed in the case is a book which includes some gorgeous pictures and the essay There Go the Clowns by Gary Giddins, which was not included in the original Criterion release.
The Extras
My biggest complaint about the original Criterion release of this film was the only extra was the commentary track by Film Critic and Bergman expert Peter Cowie. It seemed to be a complete lack of respect for such a masterful film. This release makes up for that in spades.
Audio Commentary with Bergman expert Peter Cowie - This is the same commentary track carried over from the previous release. It is a pretty decent commentary track but he is a little dry and his voice kind of drones on. However, he gives a lot of information about the actual shots in the film as well as some insight into Bergman's life while shooting the movie. One really interesting tidbit was when he said Bergman admitted he was surprised at the film's success because he only set out to make a small movie with his friends.
Bergman Island (2006) (83:26) - Bergman Island is a documentary by journalist Marie Nyreröd. It is set up as a long batch of interviews with Bergman as the director talks frankly about his life and its influence on his films. This is a fascinating feature as Bergman holds nothing back during the conversations. Among the more interesting revelations include
The opening scene of Scenes from a Marriage, where the husband tells his extremely happy wife that he is having an affair, is based on an event in Bergman’s own life.
When Cries and Whispers was released, Bergman told everyone the three women were based on his mother. That was a lie, just so he wouldn’t have to explain it.
He abandoned most of his children sired from his ex-wives. He explores this cruel deed in his final television movie Saraband.
Before he began shooting Persona, Bergman lived with actress Bibi Andersson, one of the stars of the movie. By the time the film was completed, he had left Andersson and began living with new love Liv Ullmann, the other star of the film.
Bergman comes across as very honest and very funny in this feature. It is a fascinating look at a fascinating man. This is also available by itself (Criterion Spine #477). I would also like to mention the quality of the video on this Blu-Ray version of the documentary is extraordinarily beautiful, as there are many shots on and around his home on the island of Fårö.
Introduction by Ingmar Bergman (02:58) - This introduction was conducted with Marie Nyreröd, during her making of Bergman Island while the two were watching the director’s classic films.
Archival Audio Interview with Max von Sydow (19:53) - This is one of the few English language features on the Criterion and is an interesting interview with von Sydow as he talks about his career and the films he was involved in.
A 1989 Tribute to Bergman by filmmaker Woody Allen (07:13) - Allen talks about a few of Bergman’s films and how they influenced him as well as an entire generation of filmmakers. He calls The Seventh Seal his favorite Bergman film in this TCM featurette.
Bergman 101 (35:22) - Using still photos and small clips from various Bergman films, Peter Cowie takes us through the career of the director, with various antidotes and stories. Once again, Cowie is full of great information despite it being a chore to listen to the entire feature thanks to his stiff, uninteresting voice.
Afterword (10:33) - Once again, we hear from Cowie who credits The Seventh Seal for his entire career. The entire purpose of this feature is for Cowie to add information that he either left out or did not know about during the commentary track he recorded years ago. One of the more interesting pieces of trivia is that he was unaware until recently that only three scenes from the entire movie was shot on location and the rest were shot on the studio back lot.
The Film: 10.0/10.0 The Video: 10.0/10.0 The Audio: 10.0/10.0 The Packaging: 10.0/10.0 The Extras: 10.0/10.0
The 411: There are classic films and there are masterpieces. The Seventh Seal is a masterpiece. This Criterion re-release is a triumph for a movie that deserves the best treatment. The original was slight on special features but that err has been rectified as the Bergman Island feature alone makes it worth the upgrade. For those teetering on just getting the documentary instead of purchasing the entire film, understand the documentary only has Bergman 101, while this one has the Woody Allen feature and the extra interviews with both Bergman and Max von Sydow. The Blu-Ray contains spectacular picture and sound quality, and while that is even more evident in the documentary, the contrasts between the blacks and whites in this already beautiful picture are amazingly rendered in this high definition version. There is not much to be said about the movie itself. The Seventh Seal is one of the greatest movies ever made and deserves a place on every film lover’s shelf.
