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The Seventh Seal

The Seventh Seal

1957
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 36m
A man seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague. (imdb)
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The Seventh Seal

1957
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 36m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 76.19% from 6076 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(6076)
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Compact view
Rated 24 Feb 2007
100
98th
Everything you ever wanted to know about life and death in less than 100 minutes.
Rated 06 Mar 2007
100
99th
This is a truly wonderful and surreal film. Incredible direction and acting. It also presents things very equally, both criticizing and respecting various aspects of religion. The Seventh Seal is pretty much perfection, but it's the wonderful relationship between the characters that creates such a strong emotional impact with me.
Rated 31 Jul 2007
6
98th
Probably the most accessible foreign masterpiece I've ever seen - blunt and clear in its themes and symbolism but not forced or heavy-handed, incredibly dense and thematically rich, funny without compromising the seriousness of its subject matter, and technically perfect, with some of the most gorgeous black-and-white cinematography I've ever seen in my life. One of the most rewarding movies I've ever seen, entertaining and contemplative in spades.
Rated 27 Dec 2008
99
99th
Incredible. Bergman takes on death and religion with warmth and humor, while simultaneously providing plenty of fodder for discussion and thought. It's also nice to see this done in an hour and a half: no padding of the storyline, no need for extra length, just straightforward and to the point. A very tightly and expertly made film that does not disappoint.
Rated 13 Oct 2008
98
99th
I don't know what's more impressive: how much Bergman has to say, or the fact that he can say it in 90 minutes.
Rated 07 Aug 2007
100
97th
I went in expecting a cold, precise, intellectual treatise on mortality and death. So I was happily surprised by The Seventh Seal's abundant warmth, humor and humanity. Great stuff, and not at all alienating as its many parodies might have you believe.
Rated 29 Feb 2008
99
99th
This film by the legendary Ingmar Bergman is rich in its symbolism and its imagery. The entire cast shines, and the characterization is absolutely brilliant. I can definitely understand why some people don't find this nearly as amazing as a lot of others do, but the whole plot, the whole search for God, and the meaning of life subjects that are present in most of Bergman's films has such a strong impact on me, The Seventh Seal is one of the best on said subject. A Masterpiece!
Rated 13 May 2009
95
99th
poetry
Rated 25 Aug 2008
98
93rd
Captures the subject of various religions perfectly, and it's remarkable in every standpoint. The most amazing foreign film ever in my opinion, and it justs thematically nails what its trying to tell us. A very surreal, symbolic, phenomenal and personal masterpiece dealing with fear, death and love.
Rated 26 Jul 2009
5
93rd
A crisis of faith film, heavy with apocalyptic tones and filled with macabre imagery, yet it's so fun - funny even - and entertaining. For all its daunting death-obsessed existentialism, this is as much a life-affirming celebration. The picnic sequence is among the most beautiful idylls Bergman ever filmed.
Rated 21 Jan 2010
8
80th
Life, death and fantastic movie making are shown in the highest tier in what is another great Ingmar Bergman film. Nothing to complain about. This is one of a kind experience. The definition of a film you should at least once before you die.
Rated 17 Jul 2010
9
90th
(2nd viewing) There's so much to take in a span of 94 minutes, makes up for a lot of interesting conversations, more so than films such as "Mulholland Dr." or "2001: A Space Odyssey". One of the strongest and most beautiful expressions of life and death in the history of film which requires repeat viewings, though this film might always remain beyond our understanding, just like the inconceivable task to grasp God.
Rated 21 Jul 2007
100
98th
A beautiful meditation on religion, life, and death. I can't believe this was made in 1957; there are so few films these days that approach even a fraction of its quality.
Rated 21 Nov 2010
97
96th
A film that grows on me the more I think about it. Didn't emotionally resonate in me as much as some other Bergman movies, but now I feel I really appreciate what he was doing here. I used to see this as a portrayal of death. In that way it was excellent; it was haunting and very layered. But underneath that, it also breathes with pure life. Life in the midst of death, and vice versa.
Rated 24 Apr 2014
92
98th
Saw it in glorious 35mm and was speechless for an hour afterwards. This is a definite masterpiece that is full to the brim with thought-provoking content and humanity.
Rated 26 Mar 2008
10
98th
Jesus Christ what a film. This film is has so much depth I could watch it 100 times and not pick up on everything.
Rated 28 Apr 2009
4
93rd
Often described as a philosophical movie about life and death, and sure, it is, but I actually prefer other Bergman films if I want to be challenged in that way. No, for me this is just as much an entertaining and light-hearted movie, a celebration of life.
Rated 02 Aug 2009
100
99th
It's so amazing how Bergman takes a dark, philosophical film about death's unanswerable questions, and makes it so well-told and watchable. Needless to say, the visuals alone are something to behold, but it's the weight added by their meaning that makes them truly unforgettable. Everybody should see this at least once in their life.
Rated 13 Aug 2009
99
98th
A stunning piece of classic cinema. After all this time, you can still feel Bergman shifting how filmmaking itself works. The metaphorical outranks the literal, ideas take the place of traditional narrative mile markers, and mood matters above all. Of course, Bergman wasn't the first one to approach film in this manner, but what often feels like experimentation in the hands of his predecessors becomes a fully formed, purposeful style with Bergman.
Rated 23 Aug 2009
100
98th
There's so much to this movie that you cannot take it in one sitting. This is one of the best films out there on the subject of death and what's to come after due to the blunt honesty.
Rated 12 Feb 2012
90
97th
Challenging Death to a game of chess is one of the most badass ideas ever.
Rated 08 Apr 2015
65
37th
Let me spell out the good things. Bold concept, rich in substance, asks the right questions, good acting and sharp dialogues make for memorable characters. Now the bad ones. The theatrical structure and outdated visuals don't translate well all of this great stuff for the modern sensibility. AND it has no story. Bergman said the idea for the film came to him after seeing a medieval painting. And that's it - it's not a fiction film, but a painting created with movie tools. Love it accordingly.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
88
97th
In the same year, Bergman released WILD STRAWBERRIES and THE SEVENTH SEAL, two superb and remarkable movies on themes of mortality and faith. Has any other director managed to produce two movies of such quality in one year?
Rated 29 May 2016
92
93rd
An intimate, chilling, and life-affirming Christmas classic.
Rated 22 Mar 2007
94
92nd
Surrealism is often something I feel is forced in films, but The Seventh Seal nails it. Truly remarkable from an artistic and visual standpoint, this marvel captures you unlike most movies ever could. It's completely excellent.
Rated 25 Jul 2007
99
99th
Audacious touches to belief, religion, love and death with some grim jokes. Altough there is a very wide cultural gap, words still strikes and more than that, the movie shows more than what it speaks.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
91
97th
A brilliant piece of visual storytelling.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
92
98th
Rich and thought-provoking. A masterpiece.
Rated 24 Sep 2007
6
99th
If I had to pick one film to perfectly summarize the human condition, this would be it. Holds up incredibly well today.
Rated 27 Sep 2007
65
29th
An awful lot of dreary symbolical egghead junk. There are some pretty intriguing moments though. Bergman would be better (and a lot easier to take) if he didn't have--in literally every single film--a scene where somebody or other drones on about the meaninglessness of life. In exactly those terms. Take a nap, Ingmar! Try not to let that midnight sun get to you.
Rated 20 Feb 2008
100
98th
The best movie about death. The best movie about a lot of things. Really just one of the best movies.
Rated 08 Sep 2008
91
97th
A great movie by Ingmar Bergman, maybe not his most inventive movie as those of the late 60s and 70s, but an awesome achievement anyway. A great mixture of surrealism and medieval times. It appears to be a academic essay about life after death, at times, but that does not hinder the audience to build up a relationship with the characters.
Rated 17 Nov 2008
74
90th
Each separate element: stellar. Combined: holistic. [Re-watching this 11 years later . . seems kind of goofy at first, but I was taken by it by the end. no idea how to rate such things anymore. as if that matters]
Rated 21 Jun 2009
86
92nd
a finely balanced movie showing some of the medival goings-on and beliefs in a more human way--with conflict, resistance, and confusion. the deliberation of the main character is a great topic and the end result of his searching is as touching as it is starkly relatable. it's a great movie that has few faults one being that the pacing was not as smooth as i would have liked. the other being the monologue at the end was borderline stupid.
Rated 07 Jul 2009
79
59th
You'd like me to say "Brilliant," wouldn't you? You'd like to give me a gold star for such insight. Well I'm not gonna. You'd have to give me that star for calling it "Decent."
Rated 11 Jan 2010
85
87th
The way this film tackles the ideas of religion and afterlife won't be for everyone, but to tackle such deep ideas and have enough ambiguity to give us no definitive answers while still giving the viewer a completely fulfilling cinema experience is nothing short of masterful. It would probably take any other director roughly 3 hours to convey the same ideas with the same impact that Bergman gave us in 94 minutes.
Rated 28 Jan 2010
96
96th
Easy to make fun of, but its stark simplicity is still very powerful.
Rated 20 Jul 2010
9
71st
My first Bergman, and it's a great entrance to his work. Seventh Seal is slow, meditative, and thoughtful. It's also surprisingly funny and gorgeously filmed. The iconic chess match with Death is the best part of the movie, but the rest is so good it's not by much. I wouldn't watch these movies all the time, but in between today's big budget blockbusters, it's a nice change of pace, and a really good one too.
Rated 08 Feb 2013
55
31st
A lot of good can be said about this film and has already been said by basically everybody. But I did feel that what positive can be taken from how it handled philosophical issues, it has a counter-weight of odd changes in tone and an overall lack of explanation as to what is going on in terms of plot that only kind of comes together after each scene ends. Maybe I'm discrediting my opinion in film here, but this is far from the masterpiece I was led to expect.
Rated 14 Apr 2013
92
98th
"I want knowledge! Not faith, not assumptions, but knowledge. I want God to stretch out His hand, uncover His face and speak to me."
Rated 10 May 2013
80
44th
Aside from Sydow, his right hand man and Death, the cast completely brought this movie down. They were so goofy and sissy I didn't care what the movie was about anymore. This movie didn't know what it wanted to be. If it stuck to being either a gloomy existential movie about death and mortality or whatever the other parts were where it turns into a hippie-ish kiddy giggle fest, instead of trying to be both, maybe the movie would've worked.
Rated 05 May 2015
83
88th
The fact that the symbolism of the Danse Macabre has gone largely unnoticed in this film about the Black Plague, considering its already high rating, is a testament to how The Seventh Seal is about so much more than that. Unfortunately, the subtext wasn't used as an anchor to further explore the concepts it beholds, nor does it satisfyingly interact with the somewhat plain unimpressive plot, the consequence of which is the symbolism, existential bleakness and black comedy insufficiently engaging
Rated 07 Sep 2021
80
77th
I enjoyed pretending this was a prequel to Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
Rated 23 Jan 2007
74
42nd
some crazy shite
Rated 18 Sep 2007
70
14th
I was expecting more deep thoughts about life and less scenes with the actors superficial drama.
Rated 11 Nov 2007
100
96th
The movie begins with Max von Sydow challenging Death to a chess game and goes from there. This is amazing. At times funny, it is filled with rich human interaction as well as symbolism. Mesmerizing is exactly the perfect way to describe this film. Sven Nikvist's cinematography is absolutely stunning and makes me miss the days when black & white was the de facto choice for film.
Rated 27 Apr 2008
6
95th
Hits you. Hard.
Rated 15 May 2008
95
97th
Delightful and meaningful nourishment; coffee.
Rated 02 Oct 2008
96
82nd
To question ourselves is not easy; either is to wonder about existence. Inger Bergman has crafted a marvelous film, both in style and content, that still today is more lively than another existential work. Bergman's predilection to Sartrian philosophy is seen by the death of the young girl, in which man's freedom is to say NO, in which her being by whom nothingness comes into being. As a existentialist, it is far better to discover oneself in disgust and horror, to not discover oneself at all.
Rated 28 Nov 2008
100
99th
UNA DE MIS FAVORITAS
Rated 12 Jan 2009
99
92nd
If Dostoevsky was a director his name would have been Ingmar Bergman.
Rated 26 Mar 2009
25
6th
Maybe I was just expecting too much from this film. This is the only Bergman film I've seen but have always known him as a well regarded director. This to me though is clumsy, it's not particularly well shot, the acting all seems very forced and artificial and the script is, in places purely cringeworthy.
Rated 02 Jun 2009
75
71st
Is not a kind of film easy to watch, everything is very subjective. But it is quite interesting, with philosophical dialogues and extremely intelligent, questioning God, Religion and the whole meaning of life.
Rated 28 Aug 2009
95
93rd
This Bergman classic is a new favorite of mine. I especially enjoyed the knight's confession scene. Highly recommended.
Rated 01 Oct 2009
87
99th
Iconographic movie...some today who is not interest deeply will say that this movie represent shallow image...instead it open many great ideas, questions and it is inspiration for future not movies but the many views of art.
Rated 08 Oct 2009
92
83rd
One of the most wonderful movies I ever watched. Sad, marvelous, fatalist.
Rated 22 Oct 2009
90
93rd
So funny that this film has a reputation of being the morbid gloomy chess with Death movie when so much of it is about how the formation of a wacky mismatched friend group is the best remedy for despair
Rated 18 Apr 2010
92
97th
Bergman's most popular must be also his most personal. Through Antonius Block, the knight played by Max von Sydow, the filmmaker deals with faith and indifference in a mixture of moods, from black comedy to horror. The result is an universal picture and a tremendously well written masterpiece.
Rated 26 Aug 2010
87
50th
It's an uneven but good film elevated to classic status by Bergman's knack for entertaining banter and memorable visuals.
Rated 03 Nov 2010
90
96th
Full of cleverly written dialogue and likable characters (especially Jöns, the squire). Perhaps the philosophy topics supporting the movie have been over-discussed for centuries, and the movie doesn't present much new material. But this is a film, not a discourse on philosophy; the cinematography is beautiful, the subjects are presented thoughtfully. It works well.
Rated 07 Nov 2010
96
99th
Asks all the right questions. Sydow is great, but Jons, the squire, is the best character in the movie. Incredible black and white cinematography.
Rated 08 May 2011
92
87th
Great classic masterpiece by one of the most important directors of all time. Bergmann understands to build up a suspense scenario of live and death. The awesome cast emphasize the strenght of this movie. A must see for all movie fans!
Rated 28 Jun 2011
99
99th
Confident, direct, and startlingly effective filmmaking from Bergman. In a world overrun with death, how can one live? What does one believe in, and how? Bergman dramatizes this conflict most directly with the chess match, but offers other approaches ranging from the lusty indulgence of desire to the absolute denial and punishment of the body. The final scenes offer a fleeting hope of happiness without the assurance of ever escaping the reality of death.
Rated 03 Jul 2011
90
88th
Slow, meditative and thought-provoking film about the power of religion and fear of the unknown. While this isn't the type of movie one would watch when looking for entertainment, it unfolds like a passionate poem put to moving pictures. Grab a cup of coffee on a stormy day and watch it. There are moments of humor to break the serious tone, but the medieval backdrop and horrors of the plague keep the viewer firmly engrossed in a terrible reality. We all question God and the afterlife sometime.
Rated 18 Jul 2011
92
98th
There is just so much going on in "The Seventh Seal"; so much to interpret & think about, that it's actually quite hard to know what to focus on when describing just how brilliant it is. I think it is fair to say that Bergman made movies with more emotional resonance than this, & perhaps even with more directorial skill? But even so this movie is laced with scenes of absolute brilliance. Expertly written, totally unique, it weaves weirdness, humour, drama, fantasy, & the macabre perfectly.
Rated 17 Nov 2011
95
99th
"It's pointless. It's completely pointless. I'm telling you it's pointless. Can't you hear that I'm comforting you?"
Rated 09 Aug 2012
99
98th
Pro-tip: it's okay to laugh at things that happen in The Seventh Seal. They're intentionally funny. This is almost a comedy. Bergman is good at comedy. Apocalyptic religions are a perfectly valid target for ridicule and satire. Just because something is packed to the gills with symbolism doesn't mean it has to be analyzed and not enjoyed. (I lost about ten minutes of the movie taking it seriously. Once I took off my amateur critic hat, I had a good time)
Rated 03 Jul 2013
66
50th
Great in its direct examination of the great existential questions. However, the comedy of it didn't work at all for me. It made the film too uneven, where poignant scenes were undermined by the weird goofiness. It's also totally possible that my familiarity with Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey made me see too much of that parody here.
Rated 28 Jul 2013
88
94th
I wonder how Death would fare against Kasparov?
Rated 22 Sep 2013
70
47th
I didn't think this was as interesting as its description might suggest.
Rated 15 Oct 2016
82
24th
I sort of get why it is a classic but I just did not enjoy it.
Rated 09 May 2017
93
91st
The Seventh Seal is a remarkable achievement that has withstood the test of time due to its astounding cinematography, universally timeless themes, and groundbreaking philosophical message.
Rated 18 Jul 2018
70
42nd
I dislike medieval aesthetics and the film is too dark & mopey for me... I think the drab heavy chanting soundtrack really irked me. It had some beautiful shots and dialogue, but the theatrical nature (and basic/theatrically-shot cinematography) made it dull for me. I love some of Bergman's other works... but this was not my jam.
Rated 24 Jan 2020
89
81st
Intense and intimidating Bergman classic is an exhausting journey first time through, with a lot to unpack both thematically and visually - what is clear is von Sydow's powerful and compelling performance, matched by Ekerot's sinister (and surprisingly playful) support work as Death. Loses a certain energy whenever von Sydow is off-screen, though Bergman's eye for the beauty in the bleak and ugly shine through. Definitely a film to return to.
Rated 08 Nov 2021
64
51st
The Seventh Seal, while hailed as a masterpiece, didn't resonate with me at all. Perhaps it was the B&W aesthetic that made characters nearly indistinguishable. Or perhaps the tonal inconsistency between the frivolous comedic characters & the mopey dramatic ones, exasperated by the intonations of the Swedish language. There are brief moments where the dialogue seems intensely interesting before quickly fading into banality. It didn't help that most scenes conjured parallels to Monty Python bits.
Rated 14 Dec 2006
90
78th
It is physically impossible to ignore Seventh Seal. You are attracted by the scenes like a rabbit to his lady.
Rated 08 Feb 2007
88
80th
A visually beautiful film about religion and death. I like the way it presents many different perspectives on death. The parts with the Death character are also very interesting.
Rated 17 Feb 2007
75
84th
A brave, inspired work, recommended if you're in the mood for life/death sort of existential philosophy. It may be a bit too symbolism-heavy (and low on everything else) to be dubbed GREAT in my book.
Rated 21 Feb 2007
75
89th
Classic way ahead of its time.
Rated 27 Feb 2007
19
98th
fuck kierkegaard fuck bergman
Rated 17 Apr 2007
97
97th
# 36
Rated 29 Apr 2007
99
99th
An amazing life/death allegory filled with beautiful images, exciting characters, and a philosophy that will provoke some deep soul-searching.
Rated 05 Jul 2007
100
96th
I saw this once a few years ago, but what I had forgotten before this recent viewing was how visually magnificent it is. I had totally forgotten about the scene where the travelling monks arrive and interrupt the actors' performance. It's now perhaps my favourite scene in the film. It's hyper-real and terrifying. Just great. The other thing that I missed the first time was the humour. For some reason it went over my head the first time. Not this time. This is one of Bergman's best films.
Rated 07 Jul 2007
84
92nd
Gloomy, but in a good way.
Rated 03 Aug 2007
86
75th
A classic that deserves all its plaudits. Genuinely unsettling images of medieval horror and others of serene transcendence combine to make one of the strangest and most powerful viewing experiences ever.
Rated 05 Aug 2007
90
88th
yönetmenin öldüðü gün izledim
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
95th
Mês especial do centenário de Ingmar Bergman filme #18 A primeira vez que assisti a esse filme o considerei imediatamente uma obra-prima, mas se o analisarmos dentro da filmografia de Bergman, ele ficaria atrás de uma meia dúzia de outros filmes do diretor, mas ainda assim é passível de dizê-lo obra-prima para você ver o tamanho do seu poder. Coleção Versátil Ingmar Bergman Volume 1
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
99th
One of the best movies ever made.
Rated 16 Sep 2007
75
79th
Good and interesting, though I didn't love it as much as I expected to.
Rated 17 Nov 2007
75
81st
my other favorite bergman film.
Rated 04 Jan 2008
80
69th
I feel compelled to give this one a good score, although I don't think it's very entertaining or enjoyable.
Rated 08 Feb 2008
50
29th
I have to see this again. I was too young when I saw it.
Rated 01 Mar 2008
98
96th
# 42
Rated 11 Mar 2008
85
87th
One of the most relevant Bergman films, ingeniously questioning the meaning and inevitability of death. LiKED: cinematography, thematic relevance. DiSLIKED: sometimes the acting.
Rated 19 Mar 2008
88
69th
It's hard to love this film, but very easy to appreciate it.
Rated 13 May 2008
95
95th
I really loved the concept of this movie, and most of it is pulled off spectacularly. My only complaint is that the introduction of the young couple and their child bored me. Other than that minor bleep in tempo, love it.
Rated 16 May 2008
60
52nd
Much better film than my feelings about seeing it. I mostly like to be entertained, and this is not entertaining. It is thought-provoking, but you really need to be in the mood for serious stuff.
Rated 21 Jun 2008
95
93rd
Wouldn't dare review this!
Rated 24 Jun 2008
92
98th
Great
Rated 05 Jul 2008
95
94th
Astounding existential mood piece. Max Von Sydar at his finest, Bergman at his greatest!

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