Notes for The Seventh Seal

Film: The Seventh Seal

Year Of Release: 1957

Director: Ingmar Bergman

Notes from viewing number 3 (10.10.2021)

Rating: 10/10

- The Seventh Seal is a film about death. Block plays chess with death thinking he can win, but when it comes to death, you can't reject it, only accept it. A battle with chess is one that you can't win.

- It is no coincidence that Jof is a psychic. He is an artist, and he sees life through a different lens than the other people. He sees the death, but also the beauty. Art is a way to help people see the beauty in life after all.

- There isn't one bad character in The Seventh Seal. Each is deeply nuanced and written with extreme amounts of depth. Each has a different view on life and death. It's truly amazing writing.

- One of the main themes of The Seventh Seal is faith. The film is based on Bergman's own crisis of faith. The scene where Death and Block talk in the church goes in depth into Bergman's crisis.

- Bergman's crisis of faith is also portrayed in how the film portays extreme faith. Most notably is the harrowing scene of people whipping themselves. There's also the girl who is going to be burned because she has seen the devil.

- One thing I have come to appreciate more for every viewing is the humor. First time I watched it, I felt the humor was rather misplaced, but I have just come to love it more and more. It's pretty good to have some good comedy in such a dark film.

- The scene where Block asks the supposed witch to speak to the devil hits like a gut-punch. He looks into her eyes to see the devil, but there's nothing, only fear. And the fact that he's asking for the devil just shows how desperate he is.

- The scene where everyone encounters death is haunting. Each reaction is incredibly complex, and Block praying to a God he doesn't fully believe in is harrowing. But it's the mute woman's reaction that sends chills down my spine every time.

- The ending is in the end an optimistic one. The family of artists see death but continue moving forward. Death is terrifying, and art is a medicine for that. One day we can pass that onto our sons and daughters, and through this, we will never truly die.

- The Seventh Seal is very much a film about Bergman. He was born into a religious family, but slowly started losing his faith. And without his faith, he started fearing death, because if there is no heaven or hell, then what is it that comes after death. In an interview, Bergman said that making The Seventh Seal was medicine for him. So yes, The Seventh Seal is about death and faith, but it's ultimately a film about art.