The Seventh Seal (1957) Det sjunde inseglet (original title)

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writers:

Ingmar Bergman (play)
Ingmar Bergman (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 October 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

A man seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.

Plot Keywords:

Death | Knight | Chess | Plague | Grim Reaper

Awards:

7 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Gunnar Björnstrand	...	Jöns, squire
Bengt Ekerot	...	Death
Nils Poppe	...	Jof / Joseph
Max von Sydow	...	Antonius Block
Bibi Andersson	...	Mia / Mary - Jof's wife
Inga Gill	...	Lisa, blacksmith's wife
Maud Hansson	...	Witch
Inga Landgré	...	Karin, Block's Wife
Gunnel Lindblom	...	Girl
Bertil Anderberg	...	Raval
Anders Ek	...	The Monk
Åke Fridell	...	Blacksmith Plog
Gunnar Olsson	...	Albertus Pictor, Church Painter
Erik Strandmark	...	Jonas Skat
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Siv Aleros	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Sten Ardenstam	...	Knight (uncredited)
Harry Asklund	...	The landlord (uncredited)
Benkt-Åke Benktsson	...	Merchant at the inn (uncredited)
Catherine Berg	...	Young woman kneeling for the flagellants (uncredited)
Lena Bergman	...	Young woman kneeling for the flagellants (uncredited)
Tor Borong	...	Farmer at the inn (uncredited)
Gudrun Brost	...	Woman at inn (uncredited)
Bengt Gillberg	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Lars Granberg	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Gunlög Hagberg	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Gun Hammargren	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Tor Isedal	...	Man (uncredited)
Ulf Johansson	...	Knight Commander (uncredited)
Tommy Karlsson	...	Mikael, Jof and Maria's son (uncredited)
Uno Larsson	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Lennart Lilja	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Lars Lind	...	The young monk (uncredited)
Monica Lindman	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Gordon Löwenadler	...	Knight (uncredited)
Mona Malm	...	Young pregnant woman (uncredited)
Josef Norman	...	Old man at the inn (uncredited)
Gösta Prüzelius	...	Man (uncredited)
Helge Sjökvist	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Georg Skarstedt	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Ragnar Sörman	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Fritjof Tall	...	Man (uncredited)
Lennart Tollén	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Nils Whiten	...	Old man addressed by the monk (uncredited)
Caya Wickström	...	Flagellant (uncredited)
Karl Widh	...	Man with crutches (uncredited)

Directed by
Ingmar Bergman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ingmar Bergman		play "Trämålning"
Ingmar Bergman		screenplay

Produced by
Allan Ekelund	....	producer

Original Music by
Erik Nordgren

Cinematography by
Gunnar Fischer

Film Editing by
Lennart Wallén

Production Design by
P.A. Lundgren

Costume Design by
Manne Lindholm

Makeup Department
Nils Nittel	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lennart Olsson	....	assistant director (as Lennart Ohlsson)

Art Department
Carl-Henry Cagarp	....	props

Sound Department
Evald Andersson	....	sound effects
Lennart Wallin	....	sound
Aaby Wedin	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Åke Nilsson	....	assistant camera (as Åke G. Nilsson)

Music Department
Sixten Ehrling	....	conductor
Erik Nordgren	....	music arranger

Other crew
Katinka Faragó	....	script girl (as Katarina Faragó)
Else Fisher	....	choreographer (as Else Fischer)

Production Companies

• Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Distributors

• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1957) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Janus Films (1958) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1976) (USA) (TV)
• Tartan Video (1993) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1994) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1997) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Manga Films (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Gutek Film (2007) (Poland) (all media)
• Tartan (2007) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Arthaus Filmverleih (????) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinetel (????) (Hungary) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (????) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Cult Filmes (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Emerald (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Det sjunde inseglet" - Sweden (original title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish | Latin

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:16 | Spain:13 | UK:X (original rating) | Iceland:12 | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | South Korea:15 | Italy:T (re-rated) | Italy:VM14 (original rating) | South Africa:PG | USA:TV-PG (cable rating) | South Korea:12 (2012) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Gustavsberg, Värmdö, Stockholms län, Sweden

Company:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF)

Trivia:

Of the 50+ films he has done, this is one of Ingmar Bergman's own rare favorites.

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the game of chess played against Death, the table appears incorrectly rotated. According to the rules of chess, the upper right square of a chessboard shall always be black (and not white as seen in the movie). Death and Antonius should know better than to make this mistake.

Quotes:

Girl:It is finished.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Woton's Wake (1962)

Soundtrack:

HÄSTEN SITTER I TRÄDET

The Quintessential Bergman Picture

One thing that can be certain after watching the Seventh Seal, outside of being thankful for living in this century, is that Bergman knows his film-making- and imagery. He uses subliminal and not so subliminal techniques to convey a dying, frightened world, where making a living is almost impossible and the debate of god's control over life is discussed like un-rhyming yet fascinating poetry.

The result is beautiful cinema, capturing the always foreboding fear and allure of the almighty and for the waiting death, appropriately staged in post-crusades, mid dark age Europe. Max Von Sydow gives an excellent showing as the opponent of Death (in a clever and meticulous chess game), yet the character of Death, played by Bengt Ekerot with chilling conviction, steals the show, if only for the alluring quality of the character.

Even if the story veers it veers in good and interesting territory, focusing on people who convey Bergman's point and or style. I can't reveal what the bottom line point is (many newcomers to Bergman's work won't either, especially if you're not in the mood for soul searching), but one thing is for certain, an allegory on life and death is shown perfectly in the second to last shot of the reaper and his minions following in a dance across the field. This is one of the most pure of cinema's masterpieces and certainly Bergman's best cine. A++