Name: The Seventh Seal (aka Det Sjunde Inseglet)
Rated: NR
Runtime: 96 minutes
Genre: Philosophical/Historical Fiction(?)/Drama
Intro and Anecdote
I'll go ahead and admit that I picked this one up because of watching Escape to the Movies with Bob, and if I didn't hear something good about it from him before I looked into it; I probably would have passed over this movie without a second thought, thinking it to be another crappy old movie that was amazing in it's own time. Suffice to say, I am glad I picked this movie up after all because it's probably one of the most deep and thoughtful movies I've ever seen, and best of all: it's incredibly original!
The movie was known as "Det Sjunde Inseglet" originally when it was first released (1957) in Sweden, and since then it's gone on to become something of a little-known masterpiece. Granted that it's in Swedish with subtitles, some I know would be turned off by the idea of having to read while watching a movie (personally, I was excited because it gave me an excuse to practice what little Swedish I know courtesy of my boyfriend) and Swedish is a fairly unique language; only sounding vaguely like German to the untrained ear. However, if you can first get through the idea of having to read an old black and white film that's (thankfully) a talkie, then it's well worth seeing; if only to have the experience of this deep and thoughtful questioning of things we are still questioning today.
Story
The story is a simple one, but nonetheless finds it's own way to be exciting and incredibly thought-provoking. The story takes place shortly after the Crusades, during the time that The Plague was hitting Europe. A knight washed up on a sandy beach named Antonius Block and his squire, Jons (apologies, I don't know how to do the special Swedish accents on letters), finds himself face to face with Death, himself, who informs the crusader that it is now his time. Antonius, not quite feeling ready to die, asks for a little more time, and offers to play a game of chess for his life, suspending his death until the game is over. Death agrees and the two begin to play, taking breaks every so often for Death to go do what he needs to do and letting Antonius search his soul for the answers he longs to know before he dies. Along the way, Antonius and Jons make friends including an actor, his wife, and child, a blacksmith, and a stablegirl who only speaks once in the entire movie.
The beauty of this movie is that although there is the overlying fate of Antonius overlaying the story, it never seems to take over the plot; more focusing on the interactions between the characters and more fleshing out what's happening with the Plague more than a constant confrontation with Death. It almost seems symbolic; the Plague is like Death; always there, even if he's not immediately right next to you, and you never know when or even if he will show up soon.
However, the other big hunk of story lies in Antonius' existential crisis of "Does God exist?", as he reflects on the Crusades and even life itself, calling for answers into the dark, and hoping someone is there to listen and, perhaps, answer back. Jons is a hedonist with a great deal of sarcasm and the ability to become incredibly blunt, no matter what the occasion, and even fueling the doubt that lingers in Antonius' mind.
Between those three things, the story weaves a very real bit of fiction, and Antonius feels so terribly human that I couldn't help but find myself not only pitying him, but empathizing with his search for what absolute Truth really is. Even though, from a "point A to point B" mindset, the movie doesn't go much of anywhere, really, it still feels like almost a retelling of a story that's been passed down for ages.
Albeit, I will mention that the ending is not only confusing, but a little off-putting. It is a kind of bittersweet, "What the hell just happened?", but as odd as it is, it still feels like it works, even if it doesn't make perfect sense.
Characters and Acting
I believe that the characters and acting are what make the film work so well as it truly does. Without the heartfelt emotions and the terribly human ideals and struggles each of them works through, it would just seem like another agnostic drama trying to get people for being "edgy" (keep in mind, it was made in the 1950's). But each and every character gets their own sort of personality, and spends a fair amount of time working with other characters to develop their full potential to something that feels real.
Antonius is the agnostic veteran who, in his final hours, is searching for the meaning of life. Jons is the no-nonsense, down-to-earth, realist who keeps egging Antonius on to test his faith, but is really just as scared himself. The actor's family live off the land and are often mocked and mistreated for what they are, but they find a way to be happy with one another and just having the comfort of knowing things could be worse, and aren't. Even the blacksmith who struggles with an unfaithful wife and the dreaded problem of "is love worth it?" feels so terribly real that it struck a chord with me.
However, my personal favorite lies within Death himself. Now, there have been many incarnations of Death in storytelling history: blood-thristy sadist who likes people to suffer for his amusement before they meet their end, the mournfully reluctant being who has become hardened by so many years, but still feels guilt every time he takes someone before he feels they are due, and even the brilliant con man who lures humans into traps skillfully, and testing them to prove to them that in the end: everyone is mortal. However, The Seventh Seal takes a different swing at the character Death. He is a stoic man, weary of the world and honest to his word, but unforgiving as he does just what needs to be done. He is the silent Grim Reaper who points towards the doorway to the afterlife and simply nods. Not only is he cool and confident no matter what, but he maintains an almost unearthly feel about him like he knows what business is and while he's not afraid to cut a deal, he always knows that in the end; you can't escape Death and he'll lead you, arm around your shoulder into the afterlife. This death is a gentleman, but he knows his purpose and even if you try to run, he'll be waiting, coolly, with arms crossed for you just around the corner to remind you that he's always going to be there, lingering over head, even if you don't want him to be.
The scenes between Death and Antonius are probably the best, in my opinion, because they serve to show just how deep uncertainty can run. Antonius begs for answers, but always maintains himself to the point of making sure he still is "in control", while Death calmly answers his questions without actually answering them; leaving him with more doubt than when he started. This just deepens how terribly human Antonius is and how aloof Death seems, even though it almost feels like Death doesn't really know himself, which almost makes it that much more frightening for Antonius.
Cinematography
For being produced in the 1950s, this was a beautiful film. It didn't use many special effects or really much of anything other than the characters, but this is a big plus to me. Now, I'll go ahead and admit my huge biases in this area; I hate black and white movies, and I was raised on movies like Back to the Future along with Disney and Pixar animations. Safe to say my expectations of movies tend to be a bit higher than what was available for 1957 (no computers, let alone CG). With The Seventh Seal putting so much focus on characters and dialogue, I didn't really get a chance to nitpick the fact that in this day and age they could make a tree being cut down look more realistic, or how the movie conveniently cuts away before violence happens; things I would normally complain about. This is part of what makes this movie so damned good to me; the fact that it knows that special effects and pretty pictures don't add up to what a good story and well-played characters can do!
Furthermore, this movie was a welcome reprieve from "action cam" that so many movies I've watched as of late have been shot with. There is no bouncy camera, or spasm-induced handheld shots; each one is taken with a proper tripod and occasionally zoom for effects, using quick cuts from different perspectives instead to make "action shots". Granted, it's a drama, so it doesn't have to be particularly exciting with fights and explosives and stuff like that, but it's nice to be able to not feel like I'm being shaken around by every other scene of a movie.
Wrap Up
For the most part, it seems like The Seventh Seal is a perfect example of what I wish more films would be; something that you watch and it leaves a lasting impression in your mind, and might even be daring enough to make you question what you already believe. The characters not only feel real, but also like they are true to who they are. I'm ready to call this the best black and white film I've ever seen, and would even beat out many of the extra-special-effects movies I've seen lately.
This movie goes to show that characters and plot can make a movie not just good, but great, even with the lack of all the fancy-shmancy technology we have today. If you haven't seen this movie; queue it up on your Netflix and give it a shot. So long as you're not expecting 3D environments that will blow your mind with beauty, you're sure to be in for a pleasant, possibly a little unsettling, surprise, and will probably be left with questions of your own at the end.
Oh, did I mention this movie won an award at the Cannes Festival in France? If you don't know what that means, look it up and you'll see just how amazing this movie really is.
~Sui
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As always, I love to hear comments, suggestions, constructive critiques etc. Just keep in mind that I will probably reply to you, and I'd be happy to clarify, debate, et cetera, just so long as we keep it civil.
