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The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde inseglet) (1957)

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Average Rating: 9.1/10
Reviews Counted: 48
Fresh: 45 | Rotten: 3

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 1

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Movie Info

Endlessly imitated and parodied, Ingmar Bergman's landmark art movie The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet) retains its ability to hold an audience spellbound. Bergman regular Max von Sydow stars as a 14th century knight named Antonius Block, wearily heading home after ten years' worth of combat. Disillusioned by unending war, plague, and misery Block has concluded that God does not exist. As he trudges across the wilderness, Block is visited by Death (Bengt Ekerot), garbed in the traditional

Unrated, 1 hr. 36 min.

Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Directed By: Ingmar Bergman

In Theaters: Feb 16, 1957 Wide

On DVD: Nov 17, 2009

Janus Films

Cast

Max von Sydow
The Knight Antonius Blo...
Gunnar Bjornstrand
Jons
Bengt Ekerot
Death
Nils Poppe
Jof
Bibi Andersson
Mia
??ke Fridell
Blacksmith Plog
Inga Gill
Lisa
Inga Landgr_
Block's Wife
Bertil Anderberg
Raval
Benkt-Ake Benktsson
The landlord
Tor Borong
Farmer at inn
Gudrun Brost
Woman at inn
Anders Ek
The Monk
Maud Hansson
The Witch Tyan
Ulf Johansson
Knight leader
Lars Lind
Young Monk
Gunnel Lindblom
The Girl
Gunnar Olsson
Church Painter
Erik Strandmark
Jonas Skat

Critic Reviews for The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde inseglet)

All Critics (50) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (3) | DVD (14)

Its view of a seemingly godless landscape in the grip of plague is still bold and frightening.

December 7, 2007 Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press

| Comment

John Monaghan

Detroit Free Press

Top Critic

It survives today only as an unusually pure example of a typical 50s art-film strategy: the attempt to make the most modern and most popular of art forms acceptable to the intelligentsia by forcing it into an arcane, antique mold.

July 30, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comments (11)

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Essentially intellectual, yet emotionally stimulating, too, it is as tough -- and rewarding -- a screen challenge as the moviegoer has had to face this year.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Top Critic

This is an uncompromising film, regarding good and evil with the same simplicity and faith as its hero.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

90 minutes of iconic imagery, some deep questions and a surprising amount of humor. This is Art with a capital A, but that doesn't mean it's not entertaining at the same time, which only makes its artistry even greater.

January 17, 2012 Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs

| Comment

Scott Nash

Three Movie Buffs

Ingmar Bergman's provocative existential drama was the first to garner him great international attention.

June 16, 2011 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

| Comment

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

Symbolism-filled classic a tough sell for kids.

December 15, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Charles Cassady

Common Sense Media

The Seventh Seal is a film not about the end of time, but the silence between man and God.

September 13, 2010 Full Review Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune

| Comment

Christopher Lloyd

Sarasota Herald-Tribune Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Bergman's film about the actual figure of Death is one of his funniest and, ultimately, most hopeful works.

July 25, 2009 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis

| Comment

Christopher Long

Movie Metropolis

As a youth, perhaps no other film opened my eyes to the wonderful possibilities of cinema as much as The Seventh Seal.

June 21, 2009 Full Review Source: Creative Loafing

| Comment

Matt Brunson

Creative Loafing

I never realized what an astoundingly beautiful film it was.

June 18, 2009 Full Review Source: Parallax View

| Comment

Sean Axmaker

Parallax View

Bergman's most popular and studied film may not be his greatest artistic achievement, but Criterion's Blu-ray confirms its cinematic grandeur.

June 15, 2009 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine

| Comment

Eric Henderson

Slant Magazine

Swedish cinema titan Ingmar Bergman's mopey/earthy 1957 breakthrough The Seventh Seal may have done more than any other film to popularize and demonize the notion of world cinema as the boutique of the cultural intelligentsia.

June 15, 2009 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine

| Comments (4)

Eric Henderson

Slant Magazine

Perhaps no one film speaks more fully to the human condition than The Seventh Seal. [Blu-ray]

June 10, 2009 Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews

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Peter Canavese

Groucho Reviews Source: Groucho Reviews

still spiritually resonates today

September 25, 2007 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com

| Comment

Jason Morgan

Filmcritic.com

The Seventh Seal is an existentialist masterpiece packed with stunning symbolism and mordant humour. It's also far more accessible that you might think. Go see it. Or else.

July 20, 2007 Full Review Source: Little White Lies

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David Jenkins

Little White Lies

A cinematic masterpiece no film fan should miss.

July 20, 2007 Full Review Source: thelondonpaper

| Comment

Stuart McGurk

thelondonpaper

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde inseglet)

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Ingmar Bergman , 1918 - 2007

December 24, 2007

Bob Stinson

Super Reviewer

Merely calling The Seventh Seal a classic film just doesn't do it any justice. The film is a masterpiece - one that is thought-provoking and hauntingly beautiful. The simple tale of a man who plays chess with death in search of answers regarding religion, humanity and the uncertainty of what lies beyond has been

October 21, 2008

Tim Salmons

Super Reviewer

The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde inseglet) Quotes

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1. The Knight Antonius Block: No man can live faced with death, knowing everything's nothingness.
– Submitted by Zbigniew Z (3 months ago)
1. Jons: If everything is imperfect in this world, love is perfect in its imperfection.
– Submitted by Chad E (4 months ago)
1. Jons: Love is the blackest of all plagues, but you don't even die of it and usually it passes.
– Submitted by Chad E (4 months ago)
1. The Knight Antonius Block: I met Death today. We are playing chess.
– Submitted by Ty L (8 months ago)