Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The Seventh Seal

Play trailer Poster for The Seventh Seal 1956 1h 36m Drama Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 73 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block (Max von Sydow) returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death (Bengt Ekerot) to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof (Nils Poppe) and his wife, Mia (Bibi Andersson), and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

The Seventh Seal

The Seventh Seal

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Narratively bold and visually striking, The Seventh Seal brought Ingmar Bergman to the world stage -- and remains every bit as compelling today.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Jonas Mekas Village Voice 04/20/2022
Obsessed with the ideas of love, life, death, good and evil, [Bergman] mediates as he goes, taking in symbols, in parables and images that are often of breathtaking beauty. Go to Full Review
Guardian 03/21/2018
You can hunt about in the history of the cinema and bring up a distant cousin or two for Bergman's great work. Yet, when all the delving is done, this film remains something quite distinct, a wonderful film which is not quite like any other. Go to Full Review
Elliott Stein Village Voice 07/23/2013
Bergman's visually striking medieval morality play [was] the work that gained him an international reputation. Go to Full Review
Claire Fulton Loud and Clear Reviews 11/07/2024
5/5
It’s a masterpiece of filmmaking from a master of the profession, and remains an impactful viewing experience even if you can’t tell a knight from a rook. Go to Full Review
David Harris Spectrum Culture 01/23/2024
Like many of his greatest works, Bergman uses The Seventh Seal as an existentialist vehicle, exploring a landscape where God may have turned his back on humanity, leading to disillusionment, conflict and destruction. Go to Full Review
Yasser Medina Cinefilia 12/13/2023
8/10
A formidable film in which Bergman, with symbols and metaphors, builds a philosophical treatise that points out the impossibility of man to defeat death. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Joe A. @JosephAndor 12h Ingmar Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal” tackles the only inevitable, death. There are a lot of pros to this film and mostly one con. The con for me is say is that it takes a bit to get used to the tone, for some this is jarring but for me this shows how rich Ingmars tones and themes are as they are a mood to one specific story. For the pros, the framing is so well done, I enjoy all the shots and the way the black and white coloring is used to cast and portray emotions is very well executed and shown. This is a really deep film with a deep complexity you don’t see in most. And the ending is a phenomenal way to finish a film with the climax being such a powerful scene as death enters the home, showing what I interpret as Ingmar showing us that death is inescapable and that we should accept it. And the ending scene. The character “Jor” tells another vision, something specific to his character set up right from the first act. Just an incredible movie that is unforgettable and will stick with you for a very long time. -Jospeh Andor. See more a z @trekkie1970 Jan 20 Movies this good cannot be made anymore, at least not by Hollywood. See more Diana S Sep 15 It trips me out that a movie that reimagines Jesus as a woman came out in 1957!! The Swedish have always been ahead of their time, man. This is a movie you could almost see today in the American indie market. Totally recommend! See more Ari V Sep 12 Not without some interesting and even funny moments, but seemed like some undercooked, fragmented, meandering philosophy for the most part. See more Max W Jun 24 Almost a surreal experience watching this. The dialogue is gripping and the filmography stunning. See more João Gabriel R @joaogrs Jun 21 história: 8 atuação: 8 fotografia:9,5 som: 7 final: 8,5 média: 8,2 See more Read all reviews
The Seventh Seal

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Monika 100% 83% Monika Watchlist Wild Strawberries 94% 94% Wild Strawberries Watchlist A Matter of Life and Death 97% 93% A Matter of Life and Death Watchlist Hour of the Wolf 92% 86% Hour of the Wolf Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block (Max von Sydow) returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death (Bengt Ekerot) to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof (Nils Poppe) and his wife, Mia (Bibi Andersson), and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.
Director
Ingmar Bergman
Producer
Allan Ekelund
Screenwriter
Ingmar Bergman
Distributor
Janus Films, Criterion Collection, Embassy Pictures
Production Co
Svensk Filmindustri
Genre
Drama, Fantasy
Original Language
Swedish
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 13, 1956, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 29, 2011
Runtime
1h 36m
Sound Mix
Mono
Most Popular at Home Now