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Tuesday, March 3, 2009

The Seventh Seal

A unanimous favorite of critics and one of the everlasting legends of cinema history, indeed there is barely anything which has not been told or discussed about this classic piece of the youngest form of art.
When Ingmar Bergman started filming The Seventh Seal in 1956 surely he had no idea of the influence it would have on future generations of filmmakers. A constant explorer of the human condition, the director gives us the story of Antonius Block, a knight who returns from the Crusades, only to find his homeland is crippled by the plague. He is confronted by Death, who has come to take him, but Block manages to delay his final moment, by challenging the Dark Angel to a game of chess. During this game, together with the knight we explore the state of his country, the people in it, the fear of the plague and wars, and the effect that fear has, we question God and the Meaning of Life. Although set in the 14th century the themes of the movie are just as relevant today as they were back then, wars are still being fought, and diseases such as AIDS and cancer are modern plagues. Yet, as the inevitability of the game’s final outcome becomes clear to the hero of the story and the audience, we are still left with a bit of hope, that there might be a greater purpose and happiness does not allow itself be drowned by the scourges of life.

1 comment:

  1. Cam tarziu iti rasfoiesc blogul, dar ma bucur peste ce dau. Bergman e genial!! Iar asta cred ca e unul din cele mai reusite filme. Mi-a placut mult si: Wild Strawberries, Persona.

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