The Seventh Seal

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The Seventh Seal

1956

1h 36m

Drama

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

71 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof and his wife, Mia, and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.

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Critics Consensus

Narratively bold and visually striking, The Seventh Seal brought Ingmar Bergman to the world stage -- and remains every bit as compelling today.

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Jonas Mekas

Village Voice

Apr 20, 2022

Obsessed with the ideas of love, life, death, good and evil, [Bergman] mediates as he goes, taking in symbols, in parables and images that are often of breathtaking beauty.

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Elliott Stein

Village Voice

Jul 23, 2013

Bergman's visually striking medieval morality play [was] the work that gained him an international reputation.

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Eric Henderson

Slant Magazine

Jun 15, 2009

2/4

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.

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Claire Fulton

Loud and Clear Reviews

Nov 7, 2024

5/5

It’s a masterpiece of filmmaking from a master of the profession, and remains an impactful viewing experience even if you can’t tell a knight from a rook.

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David Harris

Spectrum Culture

Jan 23, 2024

Like many of his greatest works, Bergman uses The Seventh Seal as an existentialist vehicle, exploring a landscape where God may have turned his back on humanity, leading to disillusionment, conflict and destruction.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Dec 13, 2023

8/10

A formidable film in which Bergman, with symbols and metaphors, builds a philosophical treatise that points out the impossibility of man to defeat death. [Full review in Spanish]

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Huntin P

@PaxVobiscum80 Oct 29, 2026

What cinema is for.

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Ashton H

@NoirNoirNoir Oct 26, 2026

The best movie ever made hands down.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 17, 2026

The Seventh Seal = a *4.5* star Movie!

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Johannes S

@johnny_cecotto_15 Aug 19, 2026

Camera work and sound design hold up surprisingly well for a movie 70 years old. The theme has been discussed thousands of times, I don't need to comment on that too.

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Bruce F

@MoralMaster Jul 23, 2026

One of a kind movie a lot going on between religion and death good and evil it's shot very well I would say there isn't another movie like it a stand alone movie solid even after all this time very fun and interesting watch

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Matthew A

@iWupp Jun 28, 2026

This may be one of the most thematically rich and symbolic films I've ever seen. So much so in fact that I absolutely need to watch a full analysis of this, but I'll give my initial thoughts. One thing stood out, it seems like Bergman loves to analyze actors and their impact on society. As well as society's impact on actors. No scene demonstrates this more than the scene in the tavern where they force the actor to perform for them. I find it interesting they were forcing him to act like a Lion, arguably the most fierce predator in the world. But when he begrudgingly "performs" for them through the pain and torment, he gets nothing but laughs. It's as if Bergman is noting how artists at times are often treated like sideshows. People want the very product they produce but have no care for the well being of the person producing it. Think of how many great artists people knew had an issue but didn't care as long as they kept producing their art. Review contributed on Letterboxd - @iWup

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Ingmar Bergman

Director

Max von Sydow

Antonius Block

Gunnar Björnstrand

Jöns, squire

Nils Poppe

Jof

Bibi Andersson

Mia, Jof's wife

Bengt Ekerot

Death

Monika

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Synopsis

When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof and his wife, Mia, and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.

Director: Ingmar Bergman
Producer: Allan Ekelund
Screenwriter: Ingmar Bergman
Distributor: Janus Films, Criterion Collection, Embassy Pictures
Production Co: Svensk Filmindustri
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Original Language: Swedish
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 13, 1956, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 29, 2011
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Mono

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