About this product

Product Information

A tale of a man's search for meaning in life. A knight, after returning home from the Crusades, plays a game of chess with Death while the plague ravages medieval Europe.

Product Identifiers

EAN5023965332721

eBay Product ID (ePID)3946235

Product Key Features

ActorBengt Ekerot, Anders Ek, Ake Fridell, Max von Sydow, Bertil Anderberg, Nils Poppe, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Gunnel Lindblom, Bibi Andersson

Film/TV TitleThe Seventh Seal

DirectorIngmar Bergman

LanguageSwedish

Subtitle LanguageEnglish

Run Time92 Mins

FormatDVD

Release Year2001

FeaturesBlack & White, Star and Director Filmographies\Film Notes\The Bergman Collection Trailer, With Subtitles

GenreDrama, General

Additional Product Features

Number of Discs1

CertificatePG

Country/Region of ManufactureSweden

ComposerErik Nordgren

ReviewsUSA Today - Bergman's early masterpiece about a 14th century chess game with Death, Entertainment Weekly - Its metaphysical themes still retain their power

Additional InformationAntonius Block (Max Von Sydow), a knight, returns from a 10-year crusade with his squire, Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand), to find his homeland ravaged by the plague. When the black-cloaked figure of Death (Bengt Ekerot) appears to claim them, Block, whose war experiences have left him cynical about the existence of God and the afterlife, challenges Death to a game of chess to stall for time and gain some insight into the meaning of life before passing on. The game is intermittently paused and resumed during the journey home while Block and Jons meet several traveling companions, including a mute girl (Gunnel Lindblom) whom they save from a bandit, and a family of poor traveling players--Jof, a gentle visionary (Nils Poppe); his wife, Mia (Bibi Andersson); and their infant daughter. Block witnesses much suffering and anguish along the way (an encounter with a woman accused of witchcraft who is about to be burned at the stake is especially jarring) but also finds evidence of human kindness and love, prompting him to realize that even a single gesture of goodwill might make the long struggle of his existence worthwhile. The title of Ingmar Bergman's highly acclaimed allegorical film stems from the Book of Revelation.

Sound sourceDolby Digital

Format DescriptionDVD 5

Movie/TV TitleThe Seventh Seal