Directed by:
Ingmar BergmanCinematography:
Gunnar FischerComposer:
Erik NordgrenCast:
Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Nils Poppe, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Inga Gill, Maud Hansson, Inga Landgré, Gunnel Lindblom, Bertil Anderberg (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Antonius Block (Max Von Sydow), a knight, returns from a 10-year crusade with his squire, Jöns (Gunnar Björnstrand), to find his homeland ravaged by the plague. When the black-cloaked figure of Death (Bengt Ekerot) appears to claim them, Block, whose war experiences have left him cynical about the existence of God and the afterlife, challenges Death to a game of chess to stall for time and gain some insight into the meaning of life before passing on. The game is intermittently paused and resumed during the journey home while Block and Jöns meet several traveling companions, including a mute girl (Gunnel Lindblom) whom they save from a bandit, and a family of poor traveling players--Jof, a gentle visionary (Nils Poppe); his wife, Mia (Bibi Andersson); and their infant daughter. Block witnesses much suffering and anguish along the way (an encounter with a woman accused of witchcraft who is about to be burned at the stake is especially jarring) but also finds evidence of human kindness and love, prompting him to realize that even a single gesture of goodwill might make the long struggle of his existence worthwhile. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Cast
Gunnar Björnstrand
Sweden
Best movies:
Fanny and Alexander (1982)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Bengt Ekerot
Sweden
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
The Magician (1958)
Who Saw Him Die (1968)
Nils Poppe
Sweden
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
The Devil's Eye (1960)
Max von Sydow
Sweden
Best movies:
Shutter Island (2010)
Awakenings (1990)
The Last Place on Earth (1985) (series)
Bibi Andersson
Sweden
Best movies:
Scenes from a Marriage (1973)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Inga Gill
Sweden
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Cries and Whispers (1972)
Brink of Life (1958)
Maud Hansson
Sweden
Best movies:
Emil i Lönneberga (1971)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Inga Landgré
Sweden
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Brink of Life (1958)
Hugo and Josefin (1967)
Gunnel Lindblom
Sweden
Best movies:
Millennium (2010) (series)
Scenes from a Marriage (1973)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Bertil Anderberg
Sweden
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Hour of the Wolf (1968)
It Rains on Our Love (1946)
Anders Ek
Sweden
Best movies:
Girl with Hyacinths (1950)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Cries and Whispers (1972)
Åke Fridell
Sweden
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
The Emigrants (1971)
Gunnar Olsson
Union between Sweden and Norway
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Summer Interlude (1951)
Erik Strandmark
Sweden
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Sawdust and Tinsel (1953)
In the Mist (1953)
Sten Ardenstam
Finland
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
1939 (1989)
Who Pulled The Plug? (1981)
Harry Asklund
Sweden
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Benkt-Åke Benktsson
Sweden
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
It Rains on Our Love (1946)
Dreams (1955)
Catherine Berg
Sweden
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
The Lady in Black (1958)
Tor Borong
Sweden
Best movies:
The Seventh Seal (1957)
The Virgin Spring (1960)
Winter Light (1963)
Gudrun Brost
Sweden
Best movies:
Girl with Hyacinths (1950)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
The Virgin Spring (1960)