The Seventh Seal
Directed by Ingmar Bergman • 1957 • Sweden
Starring Max von Sydow, Inga Landgré, Gunnar Björnstrand
Returning exhausted from the Crusades to find medieval Sweden gripped by the Plague, a knight (Max von Sydow) suddenly comes face-to-face with the hooded figure of Death, and challenges him to a game of chess. As the fateful game progresses, and the knight and his squire encounter a gallery of outcasts from a society in despair, Bergman mounts a profound inquiry into the nature of faith and the torment of mortality. One of the most influential films of its time, THE SEVENTH SEAL is a stunning allegory of man’s search for meaning and a work of stark visual poetry.
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The Seventh Seal
Directed by Ingmar Bergman • 1957 • Sweden
Starring Max von Sydow, Inga Landgré, Gunnar BjörnstrandReturning exhausted from the Crusades to find medieval Sweden gripped by the Plague, a knight (Max von Sydow) suddenly comes face-to-face with the hooded figure of Death, and challenges him to a g...
Extras
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Ingmar Bergman on THE SEVENTH SEAL
This introduction to THE SEVENTH SEAL was created in 2003 as part of a series of introductions that Marie Nyreröd recorded with Ingmar Bergman to many of his films. Shot in Bergman’s screening room on Fårö Island, these pieces were designed to precede the films when shown on Swedish television.
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THE SEVENTH SEAL Commentary
This commentary by film scholar Peter Cowie was recorded in 1987.
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Bergman Island
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Peter Cowie Afterword to THE SEVENTH SEAL
This afterword, made in 2008, features film scholar Peter Cowie discussing THE SEVENTH SEAL in a follow-up to his 1987 Criterion commentary track.
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Woody Allen on Ingmar Bergman
It’s no secret that the work of Ingmar Bergman has had a profound influence on Woody Allen’s career. In this short 1998 piece for Turner Classic Movies, Allen talks about his passion for the director.
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Bergman 101
In this 2009 video piece, film scholar Peter Cowie walks us through Ingmar Bergman’s career by way of film stills, behind-the-scenes photos, and clips from many of the director’s films and television productions.
