Day 18- Movie 17. The Seventh Seal (1957)

I feel stupid even trying to write about this movie. The Seventh Seal is one of the major classics of world cinema. It is an existential masterpiece, a hugely significant and influential film. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made. People have studied this film, written about it, and spent unbelievable amounts of time trying to more fully understand it. What can I possibly say about it? I admit that I don't fully grasp every aspect of it. The allegories are heavy in this film. Director Ingmar Bergman asks some of life's most important questions here- What is the meaning of life? What happens after death? Why does God remain silent, even when we cry out for Him? Why can we find no answers to these questions, no matter how hard we seek?

This is not a film meant to be entertaining and enjoyable. It's not particularly pleasant to watch. It's hard to get through it. However, I don't believe Bergman was trying to entertain- he was trying to make a statement- about faith, religion, life and death, God and man, meaning and nothingness, and all our human questions that seem to go unanswered in the dark. This is an important movie, an influential movie. Entertainment just comes secondary here.

If you haven't seen it, The Seventh Seal is about a knight returning home from the Crusades to find his country ravaged by the Black Plague. He meets Death, and plays him in a game of chess, trying to prolong his own end long enough to find answers to his most important questions. The story is very simple, but is used brilliantly to make us think about things like our own mortality, about what we believe to be true in life and death, and beyond.

I almost don't want to give this film a rating, because it won't be representative of the importance of this film. I thought the beginning and the end were truly masterpieces, although the middle of the film was a bit unfocused. There are some scenes in the middle that seem to stray away from the most fascinating aspects of the film, and a few scenes are so slow that I could barely get through them. I don't think this is a perfect film- but it doesn't have to be. Perfection doesn't necessarily mean the film will be influential. The Seventh Seal is a flawed movie, but a beautiful one nevertheless. I'd give this movie a very strong 8/10.

If you are a fan of movies, I highly recommend seeing this film. You may not particularly like it, but it almost doesn't matter- this is required viewing for any true movie lover. To begin to understand the movies that come out today, we have to go back to see the ones that influenced generations of filmmakers and audiences alike. I've spent nearly ten years trying to understand the world of movies, and I still have barely begun to scratch the surface. When I think about the 1,917 movies I've seen in that time period, I have very little pride in that "accomplishment." If you were to make a list of the great movies I haven't seen yet, it would be embarrassingly long. I know I'll never understand the world of movies as much as someone who went to film school, and I don't expect to. I know many people only look at movies as entertainment- and I think that is perfectly acceptable. They are entertaining, and I love that about them. I want more than that, though. In addition to being entertained, I want to go deeper- to understand film and its impact on humanity. Movies can change our lives because they really are reflections of ourselves- what we are, and what we could be.

To achieve what I want to achieve will take a lifetime. After almost ten years, the list of films I need to see is still significantly longer than the list of films I actually have. I can't get there quicker- it takes time. It would drive me crazy to watch nothing but the "classics." I love those, but I also love seeing explosions, gunfights, special effects, and fart jokes (sometimes). I think I'm on my way, though. Every time I see a film like The Seventh Seal, I feel like I've captured one more piece of the puzzle. I understand a little better than I did before. I am glad I watched this movie, even if it wasn't always easy to get through it. I am still miles and miles away from my goal, but I'm now one step closer. Thanks for reading.