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A knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death and the existence of God as he plays against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.The Seventh Seal | 1957 | PG | Dir. Ingmar Bergman | Sweden | 92 mins | IMDb 8.1 | Subtitled | B&W
The 1957 classic of Swedish Art House Cinema is Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. Rich with iconic imagery of Max Von Sydow as the knight returning from the crusades who challenges death to a game of chess. The Seventh Seal, (Det Sjunde Inseglet) although rooted in themes of mortality also celebrates the simple pleasures of life, personified by the luminous Bibi Andersson as Mary.
The crisp black and white cinematography is captivating throughout. Characters of all moods are present in the picture. The period details may not be appropriate, but the gloomy aura is finely captured. And comfortably steering the film past the finish line are the sturdy performances, led by Max von Sydow who plays a knight locked in a game with Death itself, latter personified by Bengt Ekerot. And the scenes between the two are easy standouts.
Trivia
Ingmar Bergman credited the film with helping him overcome his crippling fear of death. Because the film dealt so overtly with the subject, he found it a highly cathartic experience.
Our Classic Cinema Season 2 will be offered initially as a package for all four films before individual tickets are made available in early January. Packages can on be purchased through The Night of The Hunter. With introductions from Dave and Mandy before each film.
Details of the remaining films will be added to the website later as the packages are first being offered to our members.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
ODEON Harrogate (East Parade, Harrogate, UK), United Kingdom
Tickets
