Writer/Dir: Ingmar Bergman (Wild Strawberries, The Virgin Spring, Fanny and Alexander)
Cast: Max von Sydow, Nils Poppe, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Bibi Andersson
Sweden, 1957
Seen: April 22/07 thanks to the Toronto Public Library
Reason to see: It’s on my 101 list of films I can't believe I haven't seen
Previous to seeing The Seventh Seal my only encounter with an Ingmar Bergman film was a partial viewing of Wild Strawberries in a film class. It was clear to see from that he is a master of atmosphere. The Seventh Seal drew me in right from the get go. It's wildly symbolic, eerie but set as a drama. It's ripe with oddness yet I was not disturbed that I didn't always follow along and I wouldn't dare say I understood the whole thing but I enjoyed it. Some of the things that special to me include seeing Max von Sydow at such a young age, for someone who grew thinking of him as Brewmeister Smith from Strange Brew it was quite a treat to see him in a serious role. Also, there is no sound in the world like spoken Swedish I could listen to it for hours on end.Warnings: Women don't fare too well in this film, as it is set during The Crusades. Although nothing made me want to turn the film off, my jaw did drop on more than on occasion. Overall, it's more than worthwhile viewing.
Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I'll buy it
I highly recommend it
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