The Seventh Seal or The Perfect Film

Talking about Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (1957) first necessitates I discuss the difference in “film” and “movie” as I apply the terms. When I say “film” I am expressing my own opinion that the movie/film represents an artistic endeavor. In contrast, a “movie” as I use the term represents an endeavor aimed primarily at entertainment. Some films are movies, and vice versa, but some films are not movies, and some movies are not films.

Much as I love Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day (1996), I do not personally consider it a film, but rather a movie. It is pure entertainment, unhampered by the pretention of “art,” the movie is just a blast. Yes, it does still adhere to certain artistic conceits within cinema, but it does not seek to present itself as more than what it is — summer fun.

Film can be just as fun to watch as a movie. But often you have to have the right disposition, either in the moment or generally, to find that fun. Back to The Seventh Seal.

Bergman’s film is considered a classic in many circles. The Swedish film follows a knight, back from some crusade, as he and a whole cast of others traverse the country. The knight’s time has come, and Death has arrived to collect him, but he begs for a reprieve, and makes a deal — a game of chess. Should he win, Death will be stayed, but should Death win, his soul and life will be forfeit immediately.

The Seventh Seal is filmed in black and white, and I watched it with the original Swedish dialogue and English subtitles.

Very few films I have ever seen achieve anything close to what Ingmar does in this film. Every scene is meticulously set out, no wasted space, no wasted dialogue, no wasted scenes. Each and every one accentuates some aspect of the story Bergman is telling. These individual scenes working together to focus our attention at different characters, different contemplations of Death, all intertwined.

Sometimes we can forget that film began as a simple exercise in visual media, moving a picture. We get caught up in story and narrative. We spend countless hours watching YouTube videos that focus on story, on lapses in internal logic, on the narrative being told, and not on the medium through which it is being told. The Seventh Seal is a film that reminds the audience constantly through mise en scene that this whole industry of moviemaking is about visuals and visualization. Story is important, but story can and should be shown to the audience as much as possible and not told. The Seventh Seal is a film that shows more than tells. It's a film that serves as a reminder that our eyes remain the primary organ by which we experience film.

Even when we step beyond the visual storytelling, Bergman’s film continues to shine. each actor sings seamlessly into their characters. The script is fantastic, giving each character a particular cadence, and filling the spoken word with wit and pathos in equal measure. There’s a tongue in cheek quality here that is seldom captures as delightfully as in The Seventh Seal. We are dealing with Death but doing so through the lens of Life. Could anything be more tongue in cheek than that?

I have given the game away in my title. As an example of film, I have never seen better than The Seventh Seal. But as a movie, well, that is more complicated. One must deal with the foreign language (unless one is Swedish), and subtitles. Then one must deal with the pacing, which is excellent, but still far slower than most modern movies. Lastly, one must deal with the black and white stock, which is not what one is used to these days. However, if one is willing to embrace these things, then The Seventh Seal offers an extraordinary viewing experience.