The Seventh Seal, directed by the Swedish master Ingmar Bergman, is a classic European film. The film was one
of Ingmar Bergman’s most accessible and popular movies, and was the beginning of his long career as Sweden’s most influential and artistic auteur. Ingmar Bergman, along with Jean-Luc Godard, Federico Fellini, and Akira Kurasowa, represented the classic European film directors of the 1960s.

These types of artistically minded European films are not as popular today and often only studied in film classes. However, The Seventh Seal has lost none of the magic that it had when it first came out. It has aged well. The crisp, clear, black and white cinematography is so sharp that it becomes almost translucent.

The film follows the story of a knight, played by Max Von Sydow, as he is traveling across the land after the Crusades. There are adventures, religious and political motifs, and stunning imagery and symbolism throughout the film. However, The Seventh Seal is about death, and the character of death shows up throughout the film. In fact, death plays a game of chess with the knight throughout the film. This was and continues to be the most memorable part of the film.