A knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.A knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.A knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.
- Awards
- 9 wins & 2 nominations
Siv Aleros
- Flagellant
- (uncredited)
Sten Ardenstam
- Knight
- (uncredited)
Harry Asklund
- The Landlord
- (uncredited)
Benkt-Åke Benktsson
- Merchant at the Inn
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIngmar Bergman credited the film with helping him overcome his crippling fear of death. Because the film dealt so overtly with the subject, he found it a highly cathartic experience.
- GoofsThe chess players focus on capturing the Queen. The Queen was not a super-powerful piece until centuries later when a recent chess-variant initially called "chess of the mad queen" became more popular than the classic game.
- Quotes
Antonius Block: We must make an idol of our fear, and call it god.
- ConnectionsEdited into Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America (2007)
Featured review
Checkmate
Death, Death, Death. No matter the moves you make, Death will, in time, have you in checkmate. The Seventh Seal is a rightfully highly regarded film. It is a unique film, and unlike any I have ever seen. I have just finished my second viewing of the film. I have watched several Bergman films since I first saw this, but this is the one that has always stuck out to me the most. I would describe it as a dark and powerful film. There is nothing lacking in this film, in my opinion. The soundtrack is perfectly subtle, acting is agreeable, cinematography fitting and well done, etc. My favorite aspect of this film is simply the premise. A game of chess that is a matter of life and death. If nothing else, that concept is enough to make an interesting film at the very least. Death is the most persistent theme throughout the film, and is often juxtaposed to stark scenes of life, often quickly and without warning. This film was one of the first I watched in my everlasting pursuit of classic cinema, and I would readily recommend it as a starting point for anyone interested in classic or foreign films. Bergman will not disappoint in this one or elsewhere in his filmography. This is probably his most famous and accessible films. This is a staple of classic cinema, watch it and find out why.
helpful•101
- joemiller499
- Oct 15, 2016
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Sedmi pečat
- Filming locations
- Hovs Hallar - Naturreservat, Skåne län, Sweden(Opening beach scene and ending scene)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $150,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $311,212
- Runtime1 hour 36 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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