finally saw bergman’s “the seventh seal” – visually stunning and profound. no wonder it’s considered one of the best films ever made. the film is ground-breaking. it’s one of bergman’s earliest films i believe and it shows us many things we’ve learned to love about his work. first the cinematography is divine. there is no other word for it. it’s a lesson in composition and light. second, the knight’s quest for truth is something we can all relate to. his need to believe in god is contrasted with the squire’s rationality and cynicism. bergman’s symbolism is at play, as usual. so much can be read into the film – based on our own inclinations perhaps. it struck me how the crusades (like most wars) seemed meaningless to those who were once motivated to leave everything behind for god and country. in fact, war breaks something inside of one – perhaps irreversibly. the scene where a young girl, a child really, is burned at the stake for bringing about the plague is heartbreaking and senseless. people can believe anything to make sense of their reality, even if it means murdering a child. of course, there r many comments on religion throughout the film.
someone compared it to kurosawa’s ikiru. i have seen ikiru and it blew me away. in fact, i liked it more than rashomon, which i understand is a classic in many ways (cinematography and the use of dappled light, the idea of telling the same story from diff perspectives, the unusual editing, etc) but it doesn’t have the compassion that ikiru has. in the same way, i found the seventh seal to be compassionate, not just cerebral. the portrayal of a simple, happy family is v warm indeed. so great comparison.
have not seen woody allen’s love and death but apparently it has a lot of references from the seventh seal. allen is a huge fan of the film. the criterion collection includes his comments.