The Seventh Seal -- What Makes This Movie Great? (Episode 104)

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  • čas přidán 19. 05. 2021
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    Ingmar Bergman's classic The Seventh Seal stars Max Von Sydow as a Swedish knight who is returning home from the Crusades. Famously, this character plays chess with Death, for his life.
    However, this ensemble movie full of character types discusses nearly everything. This video analyzes and discusses The Seventh Seal for a few of the many subjects it brings up, including acting and art.
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  • Krátké a kreslené filmy

Komentáře • 244

  • @gregmatic2861
    @gregmatic2861 Před 2 lety +650

    The ting that struck me from this movie is that the Knight spent his adult life fighting for his faith but comes home looking for God yet is unable to find Him or any proof of Him. Then you have Jof who isn't looking for anything but has these visions yet never once does this serious knight ask Jof anything but the time they spend together is some of the knight's most peaceful. It's ironic. Jof is the only one who could answer his questions but nobody would believe him.

  • @bookerbooker6317
    @bookerbooker6317 Před 2 lety +484

    I thought the ending was about how the way to 'beat death' is to live your life joyfully and not spend all your time thinking about death

    • @giorgiaptsiauri8815
      @giorgiaptsiauri8815 Před rokem +6

      thats written in bibel.

    • @Dan-ch8kv
      @Dan-ch8kv Před rokem +2

      @@giorgiaptsiauri8815 where?

    • @giorgiaptsiauri8815
      @giorgiaptsiauri8815 Před rokem +1

      logikally if mathusalles lived nine hundred yaears.there was the imortality.

    • @TheCyberianWonder
      @TheCyberianWonder Před 11 měsíci +10

      Was struck by the part where Death answers Block's petitions about the secret answers the meaning of life with the confeesion, "I know nothing." There is no bargaining or reasoning with Death. Just love life, your horse, your wife, your family, and fellow travelers like Jof does.

    • @reallivebluescat
      @reallivebluescat Před 4 měsíci

      Bible ​@@Dan-ch8kv

  • @JLaSalle19
    @JLaSalle19 Před 3 lety +246

    This was the first Bergman movie i ever watched. Went into it completely blind. Incredible film.

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 3 lety +4

      excellent!

    • @The_Mimewar
      @The_Mimewar Před 2 lety +4

      Same! To be honest, I saw the date it was made, and black and white, AND not in English, I wasn’t looking forward to it. I was quickly drawn in

    • @idoflow_7996
      @idoflow_7996 Před rokem

      Me too and then I started to watch all of his movie I think I'm at 5 movies now. Shame was a very disturbing one at first it was love between a couple and I was looking forward to a love story that shows how real love looks like between two persons but then the movie took a real devastating shocking and surprising detour I was very disappointed and sad.

    • @JRBeast-nw3xg
      @JRBeast-nw3xg Před 9 měsíci

      Same

  • @ronbock8291
    @ronbock8291 Před 2 lety +163

    I knew going in, it was going to be an existentialist treatise. I didn’t expect it to be so hilarious. It truly is entertainingly humorous, as well as deeply philosophic.

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 2 lety +2

      yes!

    • @hankworden3850
      @hankworden3850 Před rokem +2

      Dying is funny.

    • @pariahlord3540
      @pariahlord3540 Před rokem +2

      What parts of this movie did you pseudo intellectuals find funny exactly?

    • @johnnybon4865
      @johnnybon4865 Před rokem +16

      @@pariahlord3540 bro chill, there were plenty of funny moments! did u not watch the movie?

    • @sambhavsingh7415
      @sambhavsingh7415 Před rokem +9

      ​@@pariahlord3540 says the pseud himself. Severely lacking a sense of humor too.

  • @Th3BigBoy
    @Th3BigBoy Před 2 lety +43

    I remember death telling the one actor in the forest that their isn't a loophole for actors "in your case"

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 2 lety +5

      hmmm, I don't remember that.

    • @Th3BigBoy
      @Th3BigBoy Před 2 lety +21

      @@LearningaboutMovies when he saws down the tree and the actor is trying to reason with him. The actor is going on about loopholes and "isn't there a clause for actors" and Death says "not in your case".

    • @rthomasrex
      @rthomasrex Před rokem +2

      wow, fantastic catch! you're right he does mention that.

  • @Groggarna
    @Groggarna Před 3 měsíci +4

    I am from Sweden and I still can’t fathom that this is a swedish film. Such an amazing piece. Nothing else like it in sweden

  • @TrueSonOfOdin
    @TrueSonOfOdin Před rokem +48

    It is ironic ... and tragic ... that Max von Sydow died at the very start of the COVID pandemic. He could have recommended this film as inspiration to deal with what confronted us.
    We are all playing for time against Death.

    • @pariahlord3540
      @pariahlord3540 Před rokem

      Comparing this film and the messages within, specifically relating the black plague to the joke that is covid, is probably the dumbest thing I've ever heard. If anything it's a miracle he died at the start of the covid pandemic so he wouldn't have to see the world devolve into lunacy over the nothing that was covid. If you ever thought for a second that coronavirus was anything but a joke, you were watching way too much "news"

    • @TrueSonOfOdin
      @TrueSonOfOdin Před rokem +6

      @@pariahlord3540 COVID was no joke in early 2020, if you can remember back that far.

    • @pariahlord3540
      @pariahlord3540 Před rokem +6

      @@TrueSonOfOdin covid was always a joke. Everyone's response to it was serious, but covid itself was a joke. Stop being a child

    • @robbilp5465
      @robbilp5465 Před rokem +11

      @@pariahlord3540 6,8 Million People died with/ due to covid. It was no joke.

    • @daehed6079
      @daehed6079 Před rokem +1

      ​@@robbilp5465there are 8 billion people in the world... Ultimately your number is relatively nothing, and what else does old and frail people die from if not that last kick to push them over the edge, their deaths would in the absence of covid19 been attributed to influenza and alike

  • @AnthonyFlack
    @AnthonyFlack Před rokem +24

    I thought this film was going to be a difficult watch, but it's not at all; it's tight and punchy and constantly entertaining.

  • @Blaqjaqshellaq
    @Blaqjaqshellaq Před 2 lety +36

    Compare it to Kurosawa's IKIRU: both are about a man facing death who wants to find some meaning before he goes. (Both are characteristic of postwar existentialism.)
    The great stories about death are really about life!

  • @redpenink12
    @redpenink12 Před rokem +13

    I like the little flourishes in the film like the squirrel who nibbles the sawdust on the tree stump or the ray of light that appears after the hypocrite dies from the plague. Also it uses a minimalist approach to put us into the Middle Ages. That one shot of the flying crow really establishes the setting better than a big CGI set piece could.

  • @ronaldmilner8932
    @ronaldmilner8932 Před 3 lety +112

    The Seventh Seal is a masterpiece and has been on my top 10 foreign film list for more than 30 years!

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 3 lety +9

      excellent!

    • @anosikelight3084
      @anosikelight3084 Před 2 lety +1

      how can i see it? 🥺 is there a download link?

    • @medusaspupil
      @medusaspupil Před 2 lety +2

      @@anosikelight3084 HBO max

    • @tomtinley3262
      @tomtinley3262 Před rokem +5

      @@anosikelight3084 it’s actually on CZcams for free now

    • @anosikelight3084
      @anosikelight3084 Před rokem

      @@tomtinley3262 i don't think so. can you drop a link to the actual movie you claim is on youtube? cos i've been searching as soon as i saw this, just replying now cos i've given up my search

  • @hectoronatejr.9041
    @hectoronatejr.9041 Před rokem +12

    If I could give you a recommendation which shares similar themes (that is of death) to The Seventh Seal is a Mexican film called Macario (1960). It’s set during Día de Los Muertos, the main character Macario, is a poor woodcutter who barely has enough to feed his family let alone himself because of this he is left with much hunger. His only desire is to have a meal all to himself without sharing and vows not to eat until he gets it,he eventually gets his wish which as his wife steals a turkey and prepares for him. Just as he about to consume his long awaited meal he is approached (one by one) by three persons who represent Satan, God, and Death. Each asking for a piece of turkey but he eventually shares it with death and makes a pact with him what follows it something that he was not expecting. Hopefully you can give this a watch it’s considered to be one of Mexico’s greatest films and its a personal favorite.

  • @fatimachanoufi
    @fatimachanoufi Před rokem +16

    I have been struggling with an existential crisis for almost a year now , I am 24. It is the hardest thing I have ever and pretty sure, will ever experience in my life. As Jean- paul Sartre likes to call it , the absurdity of the world. I have had episodes where I am terrified by the simplest of things in life ( human behavior , speech, feelings, even my loved ones. So during my look for an answer to what I am going through( because I had no idea at first) , I stumbled upon this movie , and let me tell you , it made me cry for no absolute reason but it felt nice, because I knew I wasn't alone going through this . I thought I was going mad. To whoever is going through this or can relate to any of this , keep up , you're not alone friend.

    • @MarkLewis...
      @MarkLewis... Před rokem +1

      I mean this with complete respect... if you are questioning the meaning of life at only 24, then you need professional help. As someone in my 50's, a Nihilist, and who battles/suffers from MDD and severe social anxiety, please get the help you need. Nothing matters.... except you.

    • @fatimachanoufi
      @fatimachanoufi Před rokem +1

      @@MarkLewis... I appreciate your concern , I've never thought that it would ever be this serious but now I really am considering getting therapy because it is becoming very heavy and feel like i'm wasting my life...Thank you for your words and I hope you are taking care of yourself!

    • @MarkLewis...
      @MarkLewis... Před rokem +2

      @@fatimachanoufi I'll give you the warning no one else will... Therapy will be hard at first... Your therapist needs to get to know you. But in time, it gets better... and so do you.
      👍😎❤️

    • @lauterunvollkommenheit4344
      @lauterunvollkommenheit4344 Před 8 měsíci +1

      Forget about the pedophile Sartre. Of course he found the normal world absurd. Play with dogs, listen to Bach cantatas and Haydn symphonies, read The Master and Margarita. Be patient. "I don't need to know my goal, since my goal knows me".

    • @sandrosxila
      @sandrosxila Před 5 měsíci +3

      Don't seek the meaning of life, because it's meaningless. It is you who gives your life meaning. The knight is the happiest when he enjoys the present moment, eating strawberries and knowing death is near, he has no worries of the past or future anymore. A person lives here and now, so he can feel alive without overthinking. You might be doing a simple thing and be the happiest without burdening yourself with different thoughts.

  • @AdurianJ
    @AdurianJ Před 10 měsíci +4

    The movie was filmed at Filmstaden (film town)in Solna a town suburb of Stockholm.
    It's funny seeing the witch burning scene knowing there are funktionalist high rises just out of frame because it's so close to the town.
    Today the Filmstaden area has been re-developed into condominiums.

  • @irobius74
    @irobius74 Před 2 lety +8

    This was such a great film to run across late at night while fighting off a cold. So good I had to rewatch again the next morning.

  • @junglebells8885
    @junglebells8885 Před rokem +7

    "İn vino veritas, İn aqua sanitas." It means In wine there is truth, in the water there is health. I think that's why the sea is that important in this movie.

  • @ingvarhallstrom2306
    @ingvarhallstrom2306 Před rokem +5

    The symbolism is so heavy you have a scene with death personified. You could do it for shits and giggles, but imagine the Chutzpah of going for the real? In any other hand, it would've come off as banal or heavy handed, not even Woody Allen dared doing anything heavier than a spoof. But going in for real, that takes balls.

  • @Imalrightma
    @Imalrightma Před 2 lety +5

    A magnificent existential film with a terrific amount of fart jokes. The Seventh Seal was my first Bergman film and i gave it a whole hearted 5 stars. I love how surreal and fantastical it is and the use of the camera and shot framing is nothing short of stunning like nothing i had ever seen before. Genius.

  • @nathanrich4441
    @nathanrich4441 Před rokem +9

    Fantastic film. This is my second Bergman film (Persona was the first I saw), and both are fantastic. I love how both films leave so much up for interpretation. I don't think they're supposed to make you feel one certain way. This film especially says different things to different people, which is incredible and shows his true talent. Great analysis!

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před rokem

      thank you, Nathan.

    • @clumsydad7158
      @clumsydad7158 Před rokem +1

      some ambiguity is the hallmark of much great work, and an art in itself, as are the questions in life about what is right and true ... many perspectives

  • @phantom213
    @phantom213 Před 4 měsíci +2

    I truly consider it one of the greatest movies ever made.

  • @masterklaw4527
    @masterklaw4527 Před 5 měsíci +3

    I had my first kiss while watching this film. That was today!

    • @lil_truth
      @lil_truth Před 5 měsíci +1

      Awww I hope your sister enjoyed it 😊

    • @masterklaw4527
      @masterklaw4527 Před 5 měsíci

      @@lil_truth my sibling tried to assault me.

    • @skippyskippy7687
      @skippyskippy7687 Před 4 měsíci

      Did she succeed?​@@masterklaw4527

    • @skoogadoo
      @skoogadoo Před 3 měsíci

      @@masterklaw4527😟

  • @colfury100
    @colfury100 Před 8 měsíci

    Just watched the film and came looking to learn more, glad I found this video very insightful presentation no fluff just content very good thank you!

  • @shanenolan085
    @shanenolan085 Před rokem +3

    Just finished it yesterday and thought it was interesting like you stated. After I watched, I did minor research on it but I loved the story and cinematography. The film is summed up like he said when he went to confession and Death was there... one good act and also searching for answers before he transcends.
    Also, when before death checkmate him, he says something about his next move (foreshadowing), then checkmate him and once they all see each other again... takes them away.

    • @clumsydad7158
      @clumsydad7158 Před rokem +1

      I was thinking that as he's told by Death he'll take away everyone he's with next time, that the Knight maybe would stay solitary after that. But I guess that artificially would avoid the inevitability the film emphasized; no escaping death, nor where nor when.

  • @cruddddddddddddddd
    @cruddddddddddddddd Před 2 lety +19

    I love this film. Perhaps my favorite film? If I had to choose just one. A lot of things hit for me: the cinematography, the themes, writing, acting... just a brilliant film. Good stuff

  • @joshdesko6760
    @joshdesko6760 Před 3 lety +1

    It’s been a number of years since I’ve seen this movie, but I remember admiring it a lot. Another Max von Sydow film that I’ve had on my list to watch for years is The Emigrants and the New Land. I’m hoping the Criterion Channel has it available one of these days.

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 3 lety

      probably will, hopefully.

    • @palten88
      @palten88 Před 2 lety

      Those are Great movies, but im might be a bit biased also as a swede who learned about the struggles during the 1800

  • @dr.saliniv.s8902
    @dr.saliniv.s8902 Před 2 lety +2

    Exactly fantastic movie I watched for ever ... I watch this movie atleast twice a year

  • @pdcasablanca
    @pdcasablanca Před 3 lety +5

    Great video! Hope you are planning to discuss some more Bergman movies. I am a huge fan! I'm actually from his hometown of Uppsala, Sweden.

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 3 lety +1

      wow, feel free to give us your hometown insights! Videos on many Bergman movies are scheduled over this summer (in the north). Winter Light, Persona, etc.

    • @pdcasablanca
      @pdcasablanca Před 3 lety +1

      @@LearningaboutMovies Looking forward to that! Well, before the pandemic, I used to pass his street every day on my way to Uppsala University. The street is of course named after Bergman, it's called "Ingman Bergmansgatan".

  • @hnorrstrom
    @hnorrstrom Před rokem +8

    I don't remember the movie it self but after seeing these random clips, I felt like Monty Python's Holy Grail movie took some inspiration from it. With the knight riding around searching and everything, meeting all these strange characters and all.
    But might just by my imagination.

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před rokem +6

      yes, I would think so, though someone else should confirm that. Certainly, the second Bill and Ted movie is directly based on this film.

    • @user-xp9ej8ei6e
      @user-xp9ej8ei6e Před rokem +1

      Sir Terry Pratchett have developed the black robed image of Death a bit in Disc-world books.

    • @jonharrison9222
      @jonharrison9222 Před 11 měsíci

      They parodied the film in the opening credits of Holy Grail.

  • @houstonnewton9199
    @houstonnewton9199 Před 3 měsíci

    I watched The Seventh Seal probably almost a year ago by this point. I have a habit of stumbling onto great films without knowing it. I think this one appeared on my HBO max recommendations and have been forever grateful I watched it. I think about this movie a LOT. It's denseness, the ambiguous representation of Death (both there to do a job, but willing to offer mercy/participate in some frivolity). The line of "I will be silent, but in protest" is something I need tattooed on me. Right next to "'So you know nothing?' 'I have nothing to tell.'" I always find myself smiling so much during this film. Especially as Block distracts death long enough to allow Mary & Joseph (to use your words) to escape. I could yap for hours about this film & I'll continue to watch it again and again.

  • @prashunpcchakraborty70
    @prashunpcchakraborty70 Před 3 lety +24

    This was my first Bergman film and while I liked it, it was slightly underwhelming for me (given all the hype). I would recommend first time Bergman watchers to go for Persona instead (lives up to the hype and then some). However as the years have passed on I feel my mind goes more to Seventh Seal than it does to Persona, I keep analyzing and over analyzing Seventh Seal and with time my appreciation and respect for it has grown. Josh, what's your take on the Knight taking special interest in the safety of the family, he lost his match but then cockily said to death "nothing gets past you right?" When he was able to achieve the escape of the family. Dunno why he eventually led Death to the castle he could have spared his wife.

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 3 lety +3

      thank you. I've been thinking about what the entry Bergman movie is, and quite honestly I don't think there is one. "Autumn Sonata" or Wild Strawberries for the middle-aged, maybe Persona for the younger, though Persona is kind of an aberration in the filmography.
      the Knight leads everybody to death through ... his attempted deceit? trying to prolong his own life? you are right to notice that he leads Death to his own home, which takes out everybody (presumably). There's a subtle comment there on bringing the war back home, WW2 at that time for example.

    • @prashunpcchakraborty70
      @prashunpcchakraborty70 Před 3 lety

      @@LearningaboutMovies interesting take on the end, makes me think that if the knight was kind of an egoist, he lost the chess game but did get one over him in the end when he helped the family escape.

    • @irobius74
      @irobius74 Před 2 lety +8

      I assumed that Antonius Bloc was unknowingly carrying the plague with him and that’s how everyone around him dies in the end.

    • @prashunpcchakraborty70
      @prashunpcchakraborty70 Před 2 lety +1

      @@irobius74 interesting take

    • @janedoe5229
      @janedoe5229 Před 10 měsíci +1

      I thought that when he got to the castle, they all died of the Black Death, from the rats in the castle. But the acting troupe stayed in the forest, away from the town, so they were able to avoid the rats.

  • @GoldwaterB
    @GoldwaterB Před 3 lety +8

    5:40 Correction: "Distracted [not 'distraction'] from distraction by distraction." It makes sense that way.

  • @andrewaustin9536
    @andrewaustin9536 Před 2 lety +5

    Thanks for the review. You made excellent points. I like the movie very much, myself, and I think it's a masterpiece.

  • @mr.sand7899
    @mr.sand7899 Před 3 dny

    The Seventh Seal is a cheerful movie about death. It says we're all going to die one day but it's ok because it happens to everyone.

  • @johnburlinson6697
    @johnburlinson6697 Před 2 lety +10

    I first saw this film about ten years after it was made. I viewed it in a university auditorium, and some idiot had programmed a short film called De Düva (1968) just before 7th Seal. De Düva is a comic short making fun of Bergman and includes a number of references to the Seventh Seal. One scene, in particular, showed the sea bird (the titular Dove) that features so prominently at the beginning of Bergman's film taking a crap on the head of one of the characters. So, when Seventh Seal started there was a huge laugh from the audience at the sight of the bird. The hilarity continued throughout whenever a reference to De Düva occurred. One of the stupidest programming decisions ever.

  • @sandramorey2529
    @sandramorey2529 Před 6 měsíci

    I've seen this movie multiple times and I see no reason to study it deeply. It stands by itself among films. It is a historical telling of the middle ages and it had all the elements. I loved it when I was 17 and I love it now.

  • @tomasjonsson7141
    @tomasjonsson7141 Před rokem +2

    Its a classic for a reason =)

  • @Annausagi2
    @Annausagi2 Před rokem +4

    Like you mentioned in the video; Bergman apparently did struggle with his fears about death, faith and the afterlife (very understandable and relatable, tbf... x,D) and I can't remember where I read this, but he said that these fears were one reason why he made this film. Apparently, it felt very cathartic. :,)

  • @Th3BigBoy
    @Th3BigBoy Před 2 lety +2

    I just watched it. It's a brilliant film. Highly recommend.

  • @polymathpark
    @polymathpark Před rokem +5

    Death cheats the knight, and the knight cheats death as well

    • @clumsydad7158
      @clumsydad7158 Před rokem

      no rules in love and war and death i guess

  • @patrickblack6080
    @patrickblack6080 Před 10 měsíci +1

    I think you touched on something with the starting and ending at the sea with the final scene of course including most of the group walking with death (presumably to the afterlife) the beginning and end of the film taking place both by the sea or "same spot" essentially could also be a loose allusion to Genesis 3:19 "Then you will return to the ground from which you came. For you were made from the ground, and to the ground you will return." Essentially your end will be the same way your beginning.

  • @carljcreighton
    @carljcreighton Před 3 lety +3

    that T.S. Eliot quote reads like it was written today

  • @Me-gs1mp
    @Me-gs1mp Před 8 měsíci +1

    You need to check out Scott Walker's song The Seventh Seal. Wonderful.

  • @user-xp9ej8ei6e
    @user-xp9ej8ei6e Před rokem

    Bergman and the sea:
    After a vaccation in 1960 he got a house and filmed Persona and a few others at Fårö with i short ferry trip fron north part of Swedens biggest island Gotland (famous for a wellpreserved hanseatic town).
    "...white shores". brittish writer + new zealand director.

  • @napoleonbonaparte45
    @napoleonbonaparte45 Před 3 lety +4

    i love this film!

  • @Xylus.
    @Xylus. Před 2 měsíci

    This is the 4th Bergman film I've ever seen, and now my favorite. The last one I watched before was Persona, and I didn't really get it I guess. Seventh Seal feels like an incredibly well articulated philosophical essay by comparison. This film had my mind constantly turning, where Persona was inscrutable for me, but not in a fun way.

  • @MizuKori40
    @MizuKori40 Před 3 měsíci

    I don't know if you're aware, sir, but you're a gold mine of information for a student looking to dig the purpose of Bergman's movie, you'll be first in my bibliography, cheers!

  • @surnoorsembhi
    @surnoorsembhi Před 2 lety +1

    Great review! Feedback: needs to be fragmented in parts so its easy to follow in an organized manner.

  • @MBAinternetmktg
    @MBAinternetmktg Před 3 lety +4

    Yes, great movie!

  • @Bleep_Bloop_Destroy
    @Bleep_Bloop_Destroy Před 27 dny

    Great video, you mentioned going and doing more research before rewatching the movie, anywhere you would suggest we go?

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 26 dny

      whew, a lot. the BFI put out a book in the 1990s on this, and I think it has a bibliography in it. Worth trying to get it through the library: 978-0851703916
      Lots of philosophy to work through: Gabriel Marcel, Kierkegaard, Miguel Unamuno, etc. I am suggesting that the early 20th century and into the middle of it fed into "Seventh Seal."

  • @ADI-xp4qe
    @ADI-xp4qe Před 2 lety +1

    Total introduction to terror management theory

  • @kali3665
    @kali3665 Před 3 lety +19

    Nope - you can't beat Death playing chess. You have to play Twister. 🤣🤣🤣

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 3 lety +3

      I thought they beat him at Battleship?

    • @kali3665
      @kali3665 Před 3 lety +1

      @@LearningaboutMovies I just remember Twister. Been a while since I've seen Bill & Ted.

    • @shelbyg8837
      @shelbyg8837 Před 2 lety +1

      EXCELLENT! (air guitar solo intensifies)

  • @JRBeast-nw3xg
    @JRBeast-nw3xg Před 9 měsíci

    I loved the religious nature of the story. Did a very amazing job at what it was conveying

  • @AN_AN_100_
    @AN_AN_100_ Před 3 měsíci

    few days ago I watched Kurosava's Ikiru,I thing those movies are quit similar,since both of the main actors are searching for the meaning of life.i think the main character here realised everything in the moment when he was drinking milk and eating strawberry,he saw the simplicity of life and happiness,after 10 years of searching he realised that it was all within small detailes.I also liked the seminarist character which later dies in the movie,because he represents that in life you should not depend on others faith you should search for your own.

  • @starlight_garden
    @starlight_garden Před měsícem

    2:38 The Seventh Sail is based on a play that Bergman wrote (Wood Painting). For a play, it doesn't strike me as odd to have "types" of characters, but it is a little odd for a film. In my mind.

  • @HBxagingxbrain
    @HBxagingxbrain Před rokem +1

    Great thank you. Stuff I missed 11:59

  • @ommodak2712
    @ommodak2712 Před 3 lety +4

    Yes it's masterpiece

  • @6oldfinch379
    @6oldfinch379 Před 8 měsíci

    I love this movie

  • @filmscene21
    @filmscene21 Před 3 lety +1

    Another great explanation of a 'classic' film, but I stopped watching when the spoilers kicked in, as I've not seen it yet.😏 Good thing I spotted the 'spoilers' caption - a spoken heads-up for spoilers would be good next time.👍

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 3 lety +1

      thanks, yes I have been inconsistent with how the spoiler alert comes across. Should mention it and flash it on the screen in words!

  • @user-mv6he6gl8m
    @user-mv6he6gl8m Před 2 lety +3

    And still it's an entertaining and sometimes funny movie. That is quite a feat in itself:)

  • @jgrj52
    @jgrj52 Před rokem +1

    I love this movie. It's in my top 5 but I do understand why some people don't or won't like it. It's slow It's in black and white It's surreal but personally I love it

  • @Leverquin
    @Leverquin Před 2 lety +1

    It is

  • @Adam-nk6ty
    @Adam-nk6ty Před rokem +2

    Reminded me a lot of dostoyevsky. Esp with the actor - found parallels to alyosha from brothers karamazov and dostoyevsky himself in that to only overcome the absurdity is to have faith (ivan in comparison to alyosha, block compared to the actor) - and dostoyevsky who I believe stated in a letter that he would prefer to live in faith despite it being untrue than to live in the truth that we are without God - thus I agree with your comment at the end of illusion prevailing

    • @clumsydad7158
      @clumsydad7158 Před rokem

      actually i was thinking brothers karamazov when I just watched Wild Strawberries, as the three bickering young people in the back seat of the car seemed like the faith believer, the sensualist, and the intellectual (if those are the 3, i always forget them slightly).

  • @sandrosxila
    @sandrosxila Před 5 měsíci

    Jof and his family went through the storm and survived. When others went to the building, there was a fireplace and warmth. It might mean that if you want to be alive, you must go out of your comfort zone, be cunning and discerning like a fox to see death coming, and bold like a lion to go through the storm.

  • @user-yd8ej8fj4f
    @user-yd8ej8fj4f Před 6 měsíci

    Thaths my grandfather max . He was a very humbel man.❤

  • @scottishfilmhistorian
    @scottishfilmhistorian Před 3 měsíci

    Just finished watching this film - and I was surprised - I obviously knew about Death and the game of chess but I was clueless about pretty much everything else. I'm unsure if I am correct but were Jof, Mia and Mikael there to portray a kind of innocence while most of the other characters were guilty and thus deserving of their fate? I'm unsure but this was the feeling I got. However, I definitely felt that the mute girl, the "witch" and the Knight's wife were undeserving of this fate. However, this could be a sign that death is inherently unfair and comes for us all, regardless of our guilt or innocence.
    All in all, I loved this film but it definitely showed me that I don't know as much about film theory as I thought I did. Will have to watch it again.

  • @MajSolo
    @MajSolo Před 12 dny

    All I see in this movie is simple, simple people swept away by their time and by time itself. This movie is not manipulative just raw and .... it leaves the rest to the audience.

  • @Space-nb7dr
    @Space-nb7dr Před 3 lety +1

    HEYYY, Finally The Video i wait 😘

  • @psinno
    @psinno Před 3 lety +2

    Should there be a Joseph in the family unit at the end?

  • @rekoken2911
    @rekoken2911 Před rokem +2

    I felt like the other sections of the movie were off. Idk, maybe it was just the poor filming quality or the actor's performance but I really only enjoyed the bits with Antonius Block

    • @clumsydad7158
      @clumsydad7158 Před rokem +1

      I went back and watched after not seeing in over 20 years, and of course like usual my memory was off and I forgot most of the movie. I did like it better than I recalled, but I too feel it's a bit uneven. However, I think the elements do hold together for a complex and provocative film.

  • @ilonabaier6042
    @ilonabaier6042 Před rokem +3

    It would be interestng to analyse Bergman's films using Carl Jung's archetypal analysis. Apropos the sea and water: these are femine, shaddowy and symbolise the unconscious. The going on land could be becoming more conscious. Positive developments of the people could be finding the "Self" and putting it above the "Ich". Art and artists would be the balance betweeen the opposing forces and the unconscious and conscious. This is all very bullet-pointed but perhaps it might be a springboard for insights.

    • @clumsydad7158
      @clumsydad7158 Před rokem +1

      possibly, yes, and someone said all the characters may represent a Tarot card ... more mythic level stuff, etc.

  • @Art106
    @Art106 Před 2 lety +4

    I struggled with this film. I am by no means trying to be a contrarian here, but I don't think I "got" this film. I was very impressed by much of the cinematography, Von Sydow's performance, but honestly not much else. There was not a clear plot, and the characters were underdeveloped to say the least.
    I am not quite sure what the point of the actors and their child was. What was their meaning? They met up with the knight, and their story arc didn't go anywhere outside of them "escaping" death. I also was confused by the blacksmith and his wife; what was their overall purpose to the story? I guess my ultimate question is, what was the point of the film, outside of the knight and death's chess game? The scene with the thief and his dramatic death did nothing but make me chuckle (which I'm sure I wasn't supposed to be).
    I love films that do not hold your hand; I love having to think about what I am watching. I can also appreciate The Seventh Seal as a piece of art, a product of its time, but I don't for the life of me get the hype behind this film. It actually kind of makes me feel like I'm missing out, or dumb, or both.

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 2 lety +4

      don't feel dumb. there are plenty of classic/top-200 films that I don't like at all, and there are videos on this channel about that.
      This film isn't easy, and I don't envy anyone trying it who doesn't know anything about Sweden, the middle ages, Christianity, and 20th century existentialism. even then, it was a struggle for me the first time.
      My first piece of advice would be to give it a few years and try again. Aging does wonders for opening up certain films, and this might be one of them.

    • @cocainejesus65
      @cocainejesus65 Před rokem +3

      to me, as someone else might have mentioned ,
      The Jof family and The Knight were two different type of people -
      The knight who had spent years in the name of God , bearing all kinds of suffering in His name , yet couldnt find the meaning and any proof of His being other than his faith while the Jof, barely talked of God but He still had visions of Holy Mary and could see things that were veiled from the eyes of others. just a carefree family. Who put The Knight at ease for a while despite being complete opposites.
      And Antonius wanted respite so he could commit a meaningful act and in the end, he indeed, did trick Death and let the Jof family escape , when Death says that noone can escape me , but Antonious smiles because he knocks off the chess board , keeps Death busy while Jof and his family finally flee.
      and idk this might sound dumb to you but this film was full of questions we forget to ask ourselves even though they're very significant. not necessarily answered ofc. And i dont think they'll ever be but they were sort of put out into the world to think about.

    • @ingvarhallstrom2306
      @ingvarhallstrom2306 Před rokem +2

      It's a yin and yang kind of thing. The Jof story arc is an inversion of the Knights fate. In the end, the Knight and all the other doomed people had forfeited their lives so that the others who truly deserved it could live.

  • @joakimlundgren7043
    @joakimlundgren7043 Před 2 lety +1

    What was the surreal horror movie Hour of the Wolf (Vargtimmen) about? Arty guy Johan Borg is haunted by previous mistress VeronicaVogler & a baron is also involved in the story.

  • @dondotta8304
    @dondotta8304 Před 2 lety +3

    please watch "Pelle the conqueror" danish oscar winning movie from the 80's.
    Its hardcore and rugged... Masterpiece
    Also Max Von Sydow was in the leading role together with Pelle.

  • @JoeBesserfan
    @JoeBesserfan Před 3 lety +6

    This is required viewing.

  • @steakismeat177
    @steakismeat177 Před 2 lety +1

    It is a bit slowly paced, but great overall

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 2 lety

      thank you.

    • @steakismeat177
      @steakismeat177 Před 2 lety

      @@LearningaboutMovies and I don’t really need subtitles. Some parts are hard to understand, but not impossible.

  • @vaccaphd
    @vaccaphd Před 3 měsíci

    Thousand books of philosophy in this movie.

  • @swedishbloke
    @swedishbloke Před 4 měsíci

    As a swede I’m disappointed in myself that I haven’t seen any of Bergmans films, and especially since I’m Gutnish I’m really ashamed that I haven’t seen it since the majority of his films, especially the seventh seal, was recorded on Gotland

  • @julianherrero9056
    @julianherrero9056 Před 5 měsíci

    At the time of the Black Death (1347-1351) there were no longer Crusades to recover the holy places, nor flagellant processions, nor were witches burned. Popular theater was limited to large religious performances and popular farces. These are some anachronisms of this film, but Bergman's idea is not to adjust to a very specific historical reality.

  • @ertfgghhhh
    @ertfgghhhh Před 3 lety +1

    Hey boo!

  • @muyholaamigo9928
    @muyholaamigo9928 Před 2 lety +2

    Its the most imprisve film I ever seen

  • @DanHintz
    @DanHintz Před měsícem

    answer: bergman and sydow.

  • @F1GOOF
    @F1GOOF Před 11 měsíci

    I can’t manage to wrap my head around the last scene, how does jof see the death dance but his wife can’t

    • @janedoe5229
      @janedoe5229 Před 10 měsíci +2

      Jof saw the Virgin and Child. Jof saw Death with the Knight, when the Knight pushed over the chessboard and saved his life. Jof could see the dance of the death. He could see the spiritual things.

    • @grahambarton1942
      @grahambarton1942 Před 8 měsíci +1

      Exactly, Jof is a visionary and sees things others do not, which is established near the beginning of the film when he sees Mary and Jesus.

  • @GH-oi2jf
    @GH-oi2jf Před 7 měsíci

    The knight and the squire - alter egos. The knight is tormented by angst, trying to find meaning to life amid the horrors of the crusades and the black death. The squire is not tormented. He takes life on its own terms and instinctively knows the difference between right and wrong.

  • @monacojerry
    @monacojerry Před 4 měsíci

    Let me remind you that the actors are on their way to Elsinore. Perhaps they will perform for Claudius and Hamlet. Not the happiest end for them.

  • @Danish_Panja
    @Danish_Panja Před rokem +3

    A journey to find god and beat death at the end our main character knows that if he wants to find god he must die first 😂

    • @jericoba
      @jericoba Před 4 měsíci

      Which in itself is strange because people find God without dying.

  • @yuobuten
    @yuobuten Před rokem +2

    Every character relate to a major arcana tarot card

  • @Dancing-Spirits
    @Dancing-Spirits Před 2 lety +1

    I would consider it one of the greatest if it wasn't one of the last igmar movies I've seen. Doesn't even appear in my top 5

  • @thomaspp1980
    @thomaspp1980 Před 3 měsíci

    11:11

  • @clk25120
    @clk25120 Před 2 lety +7

    I watch this movie with a Buddhism perspective. It's spot on, in many of its narrative and theme.

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 2 lety

      very interesting.

    • @chrisneves1274
      @chrisneves1274 Před 2 lety

      Is this movie basically saying there is no God but death is real so enjoy the small things in life?

    • @davgg9621
      @davgg9621 Před 2 lety +2

      @@chrisneves1274 I don't think that the film is saying that there is no god.
      But yes, death is inevitable so enjoy life while you can.
      For example Jof got religious visions during the film, but the only time he acts upon them is when he sees death playing with the knight.
      So now you could argue, "who is sending him those visions". But I don't know.
      Other thing is that neither the knight who believes in god nor the squire who doesnt believe in god can accept death at the end.
      Maybe the movie is just about what the painter said in the Church, "folks have to be remembered that they'll die"

  • @kenparks3164
    @kenparks3164 Před rokem

    what?

  • @MarkLewis...
    @MarkLewis... Před rokem

    It's a good movie, not a great movie. It's well structured for its simple plot, but the movie does contain obvious "fillers" to stretch the movie out. The chapel scene between Antonius and Death is very well written and acted, probably (arguably) the best scene of the movie, but... If you compare this movie to "Metropolis", (a truly "great" movie) there's no contest. The Seventh Seal's take on the old intriguing premise is good, but it's short story material, (like "Bubnoff and the Devil") not movie material of it's time. Well worth the watch and a billion times better than 99% of today's movies, but it will most likely leave the viewer wishing it dove (dived) even deeper than it did, and really brought its full A game potential, instead of a solid B.
    But movies are a subjective experience, so... to each their own.

    • @jericoba
      @jericoba Před 4 měsíci

      Subjective indeed, especially your comment on "a billion times better than 99% of today's movies". Eh, not a chance. There are many many great movies made. Perhaps you wanted to emphasize your argument of how good this movie is, but to me it just sounds silly. The Seventh Seal is great, but not that great.

  • @syko567890
    @syko567890 Před 3 lety +5

    The movie would have been better if it were just about the knight and Death. The poster is false advertising.

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 3 lety +1

      poster?

    • @syko567890
      @syko567890 Před 3 lety +3

      @@LearningaboutMovies The marketing poster for the film only has Max Von Sydow and Death on it. This creates false expectations for the movie. Once people realize it's an ensemble movie (with characters that aren't as interesting) the movie becomes a boring drag.

    • @Frennarp
      @Frennarp Před 2 lety +2

      @@syko567890 That might be true for some newer international release dvd cover art or something, but the original Swedish poster had more of the cast on it.

  • @cinemaclockwork215
    @cinemaclockwork215 Před 2 lety +3

    I don't understand this movie

  • @al2642
    @al2642 Před 2 měsíci +1

    Is there people who don't like it?!

  • @otiziu9949
    @otiziu9949 Před 11 měsíci

    I didn't like the Seventh Seal. I really tried to like it. I think it's a film acclaimed more for the fame of the director than the film itself. The premise is very good, but nothing more. The existentialist theme is very simple, even though the context is medieval. Not to mention the historical anachronism of mixing crusades and the Black Death in the same context. Anyway, I'm giving this movie a third chance. sorry for my bad english

  • @brendanschriber3242
    @brendanschriber3242 Před 2 lety +2

    First Bergman film. Had to watch it for class. Unless you can read into every little detail, it’ll all go over your head. Personally, I hardly understood it. I don’t know how people think this is the best movie ever… besides the analogy of playing chess with death, it seemed bland.

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 2 lety

      there's a video here that talks about this.

    • @itsfresh0420
      @itsfresh0420 Před 2 lety +1

      If these are your opinions perhaps going into the film industry isn’t the best choice for you

  • @abetwabe
    @abetwabe Před měsícem +1

    Movie was SO boring. The only think I liked was when they show the dead guy at the beginning. I did like the character range displayed, but yeah, it was SUPER boring to me.

  • @Alex-Ale55
    @Alex-Ale55 Před 2 lety +1

    The only problem I have with this movie is that some characters and actors are a little ridiculous in some scenes.

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před 2 lety

      Which ones, do you think?

    • @Alex-Ale55
      @Alex-Ale55 Před 2 lety +2

      @@LearningaboutMovies The death of the actor scene… you know when the Death cut down the tree …. That actor as a character feels a Little cartoony and the actor is a Little ridiculous…. The blacksmith guy is also a Little cartoony…. But still the movie is a double minus 10/10 for me…. Great movie but im a Little sad that is not a perfect 10/10 for me

    • @Johnnysmithy24
      @Johnnysmithy24 Před 2 lety

      @@Alex-Ale55 To be fair, a lot of old movies used to have characters like that. There is some goofiness in old movies, I just embrace it as part of the charm

    • @ingvarhallstrom2306
      @ingvarhallstrom2306 Před rokem

      Comedia dell' arte

  • @themovieman915
    @themovieman915 Před rokem

    Pretentious overload

    • @LearningaboutMovies
      @LearningaboutMovies  Před rokem +4

      not if you understand the historical and philosophical issues at stake. Bad take.

  • @eggymayo3271
    @eggymayo3271 Před 8 měsíci

    Great video thanks. You say they arent used to death or danger the same as medieval times. But i politely disagree, This film is peak cold war soviet threat, and many people (although not swedes) had memories or a direct link to ww2, possibly even ww1 as well.