The Seventh Seal

The Seventh Seal
The Seventh Seal
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ingmar Bergman
Screenplay by	Ingmar Bergman
Based on	Trämålning; by Ingmar Bergman
Produced by	Allan Ekelund
Starring	Gunnar Björnstrand; Bengt Ekerot; Nils Poppe; Max von Sydow; Bibi Andersson; Inga Landgré; Åke Fridell;
Cinematography	Gunnar Fischer
Edited by	Lennart Wallén
Music by	Erik Nordgren
Distributed by	AB Svensk Filmindustri
Release date	16 February 1957;
Running time	96 minutes
Country	Sweden
Languages	Swedish; Latin;
Budget	$150,000

The Seventh Seal (Swedish: Det sjunde inseglet) is a 1957 Swedish historical fantasy film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in Sweden^[3]^[4] during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight (Max von Sydow) and a game of chess he plays with the personification of Death (Bengt Ekerot), who has come to take his life. Bergman developed the film from his own play Wood Painting. The title refers to a passage from the Book of Revelation, used both at the very start of the film and again towards the end, beginning with the words "And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour."^[5] Here, the motif of silence refers to the "silence of God," which is a major theme of the film.^[6]^[7]

The Seventh Seal is considered a classic of world cinema, as well as one of the greatest films of all time. It established Bergman as a world-renowned director, containing scenes which have become iconic through homages, critical analysis, and parodies.

^ "THE SEVENTH SEAL". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
^ Bragg 1998, p. 49.
^ Raw, Laurence (2009). The Ridley Scott Encyclopedia. The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. p. 284. ISBN 9780810869523.
^ Litch, Mary M. (2010). Philosophy Through Film. Routledge. p. 193. ISBN 9780203863329.
^ Rev. 8:1
^ Bragg 1998, p. 45.
^ Giddins, Gary (15 June 2009). "The Seventh Seal: There Go the Clowns". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 7 April 2015.

[1] "THE SEVENTH SEAL". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 29 June 2013.

[FOOTNOTEBragg199849-2] Bragg 1998, p. 49.

[3] Raw, Laurence (2009). The Ridley Scott Encyclopedia. The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. p. 284. ISBN 9780810869523.

[4] Litch, Mary M. (2010). Philosophy Through Film. Routledge. p. 193. ISBN 9780203863329.

[5] Rev. 8:1

[FOOTNOTEBragg199845-6] Bragg 1998, p. 45.

[7] Giddins, Gary (15 June 2009). "The Seventh Seal: There Go the Clowns". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 7 April 2015.

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