The Seventh Seal - The Golden Age Of Hollywood

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The Seventh Seal
(Sjunde inseglet, Det)

Release date 16th February 1957
Country : Sweden
Running time : 96 mins
Genre : Drama / Fantasy
Starring Max Von Sydow, Bengt Ekerot
Screenplay by Ingmar Bergman
Directed by Ingmar Bergman

The Crusades are over and a knight and squire have returned to a country ravaged by the Black Death. Approaching his destination Death appears to the knight telling him that his end has come. The knight plays a game of chess with Death for his life.

Rather solemn but nevetheless thought-provoking meditation on the nature of life and death from Sweden's greatest director. The images are striking and the chess game between the Knight and Death has been widely parodied. The final sequence (the Dance of Death) is stunning.

The scene in which Death is dancing away with his followers was shot when some of the actors had gone home for the day, so technicians and tourists had to be used.

The title is from the Bible : The Revelation of St. John the Divine, chapter 8.

DVD available from The Criterion Collection :

http://www.amazon.com/

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