The Seventh Seal: A Most Life-Affirming Movie About Death
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- Опубликовано: 19 май 2020
- Film Analysis: Why Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal is the appropriate movie to watch in the midst of a pandemic.
A short video essay on Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal; how it praises art. How The Seventh Seal is a most life-affirming movie about death. How Hannah and Her Sisters compares to The Seventh Seal. Analyzing how Woody Allen draws inspiration from Bergman's The Seventh Seal.
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Portuguese Subtitles.
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While the actors are preparing for their performance, the manager says to Jof (according to English subtitles) “A fool like you can play the human soul.” That really is his role throughout the whole film.
That’s beautiful.
Such a face of openness and joyful innocence not marred by irony or cynicism is a rare sight in cinema or otherwise
I am from Sweden and this movie is my favourite Swedish movie. Ingmar Bergman is a big hero here.
I really love the fact that this is your first video on this channel, yet the editing, the pacing and the script of the video are just so spot on. I just bought the Ingmar Bergman collection from criterion and I am slowly discovering his movies, but I can say that each of his movies I have seen so far have deeply changed me. Great pick!
Thank you, very much! I’m really glad you enjoyed it!
As a Catholic this movie has interested me for a while.
I like it's unique perspective in regards to my faith.
As an atheist I love it too. I think that's cool how people of different philosophies can still draw meaning and connection to this movie. Shows how truly great it is.
Same. The movie deals with subjects all of us thought at some point, and there are characters that represent the different views of it we all heard at least once. At the same time, it doesn't try to force an answer. It has something for everyone. It feels authentic, and considering Bergman himself struggled with the subject, it's not surprising why.
After decades of shunning Bergman because I thought his work to be too grim and intellectual, I finally broke down and watched The Seventh Seal recently. This video went along way toward explaining a film that raised many questions, but left the answers to the viewer. Thanks for making it.
I know what you mean. I also keep myself from watching many movies in fears that I might not be ready to fully understand them or that we won’t be able to make sense of the picture, at all. For instance , for years I’m keeping myself from watching Tarkovsky, but I decided I must do it already. Mostly because we have to go into a movie already knowing that it will always be impossible to have all of the answers to it. Because if we could have it, after watching, then it wouldn’t be a worthy movie. We have to experience the movie with our guts, the first time. The rationalizing must always come after. I’m also not looking to give any answers about the questions those movies make. Rather than simply trying to start and get the conversation about the movies going. And that is why I appreciate your comment so much. It really inspires me to keep on making videos. So that we can begin to talk about those movies. Cheers, man. Thank you for taking the time to write.
Just watched this film for the first time and this is the first commentary I've seen since, and the perspetives and points raised here are very much appreciated. I come away seeing that Jof is the most gainful character in this story because he's both a believer and he's someone who is kind and generous. Even if wholly deluded, he is the happiest of all the story's characters, and he does everything right by everyone he meets. Jof gave Block the best resolution to his search for meaning he could hope to find.
I'm very glad to hear that these thought resonated with you. Upon reading the comments and different views on this movie, that people shared after watching the video, I came to realize, through other people's insights, that the mother (jof's wife), and the family they built together, also provide the knight with some comfort and some meaning.
I caught a double feature couple years ago back in Ontario. Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries. Funny how tow very bleak flicks can end up being so life-affirming, like you put it. Great indeed!
Best Seventh Seal analysis i've seen, congrats man!
Hey really nice job with this video essay. I just watched this film for maybe the fourth or fifth time in my life and I think it has taken on extra weight both as I've gotten older and as we are now navigating this pandemic. One piece of dialogue that really supports a life-affirming perspective is when Antonius speaks about his reprieve from death as a chance for one last meaningful deed. Even in the face of calamity, each day above ground is an opportunity to cease our "futile wandering" and imbue new meaning into our lives. Such a great film.
Beautifully said. I do believe that is what Bergman aimed for.
Really dug this. Thanks for the hard work to produce this video.
Great to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks for the feedback
Beautifully said...I've seen this film 3 a couple of times and it gave me quite an array of emotions, but this review gives it a whole new meaning... Long live art!
You should make more videos on films, much more than you already have on your channel. Great work!
This is a really great review! Thank you for making it!
I'm really glad you liked it. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.
Really great video, i have just started to dig Bergman filmography and i'm already fascinated
loved the video! just watched the movie and your reflections are on point. just subscribed, keep it up!
Congratulations friend, one of the best videos that I had saw, and also thanks to put subtitles in portuguese, I'm ok with english, but a lot of friends that doesn't know a single word, so the subtitles allows me to send this video to they, congratulations, great piece of art both the video and the movie.
Thank you, very much, for the feedback. I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed it.
The scene where he knocks over the chess pieces makes me think he did it on purpose to distract death so they can escape... Maybe not but quite interesting if so!
ive come back to this video so many times, i cant thank you enough for this man
I'm really glad to hear it. ;). Happy to know that something about the video resonates with you.
@@theabsentartist4912
i appreciate this video a lot, it makes me change me life philosophy for a while and be more happy overall.
great analysis! thanks
Just got done watching this and wanted to follow up on it with some other people's thoughts. Great video! Love your style. As someone who has been struggling with my art lately, this was very inspiring and reassuring.
Great to hear that!
Great content man, keep it up mate
Perfeito, ótimo trabalho ... profissionalismo de primeira. Parabéns, que venha os próximos é muito sucesso!!!
just finished watching this and my god what a masterpiece-- i want knowledge!!!
Good video, not many videos go into a deep analysis. I wish someone would do more of this
thanks! working on it!
Fantastic video essay 😁 I love the Helen Forrest song you played and it went well with the video. Keep doing the great work ❤️❤️
Maya thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it!
Enduring the total lack of certainty in life we must choose whether we believe in God, or don't.
Amazing analysis
great video dude, thanks for doing it,
Great analysis
such a great video man
Amazing video! Just watched the Seventh Seal and I loved the philosophical background of the film!
Thank you for the feedback. I'm really glad you enjoyed it.
You deserve many more views. I subscribed
God, this video is so freaking good man, it tells so much and i absolutely love it. The tracks used are amazing too, you should link the musics used in the description ;)
Fantastic analysis. Hope to see more videos from you, although it's been eight months since your last video :D
Thanks for the feedback. More content is coming, for sure!
Congrats, Aquariano! Perspicaz sua análise. Há outra saída, tb com "A"... Pensando bem, tb não deixa de ser uma Arte. Que todo o Olimpo abençoe seu precioso trabalho, Matheus. PS: Fantástico (auspicioso) iniciar com o SOL brilhando em Gêmeos/Hermes/Mercúrio. ;-)
great stuff!
I like that you play Chopin in the background
Well done !
Excelente. Parabéns!
great video about a masterpiece of a movie
Holy shit this is brilliant I can’t believe you only have 500 subs
thanks, man! I'm really glad you enjoyed it! ;)
Thank you it's beautiful :)
Amazing!
BRAVO!
This is a very thoughtful analysis of the film. To me the philisophical/existential matter that always strikes me about this film, and leaves me asking questions is the very absurdity of proposing a game of chess against death in the first place, knowing that it is the ONLY impossible match. God may or my not exist, and this consideration is what tortures Von Sydow's character throughout the film....however, death is undeniable, and in his challenge to the grim reaper, he is engaging in an exercise in futility.
Well done
Just finished watching the movie and then watched this. This is one of the best film analysis videos I’ve seen and I’ve watched loads. Well done
Great to hear it!
I love going into movies blind and I wasn’t expecting how funny this one was at times
Muito bom, Mamaco.
Nos próximos coloque você e seu rostinho lindo. Vai subir a audiência, não tenho dúvidas.
Quelle bonne idée. Merci beaucoup, mon ami.
Gostei imensamente do seu trabalho.A narrativa poderia ser um pouco mais lenta?quero acompanhar todos êles.Parabéns!
Just saw the movie. Very good, Much more than I wouldve tought.
Muchas gracias por los subtítulos, soy de Argentina y la verdad me gusto mucho tu análisis, te mando un saludo grande.
That voice at the ending looks like david lynch
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what is the name of the piano piece being played in the background? Minute 8. Please tell me.
Minute 8
It's really bothering me but does anyone have the name of the music at 6:20??
Franz Liszt - Liebestraume Nocturne no. 3
Sorry,’o know the piano piece is really famous but I don’t recall the name. Can anyone help?
Franz Liszt - Liebestraume Nocturne no. 3 ;)
This is art
Thank you, very much!
If that's the meaning of the film why did Jof, his wife and the director got booed when they performed in front of the villagers? I don't get how that part fits in the whole idea of the picture...
The way I see it, you can draw direct parallels with our present day society. How is the artist perceived in general, by large crowds? Are the majority of people attending the cinemas looking for Lars von Trier latest release? Does Michael Haneke get big box offices? Is the general public interested in watching Ken Loach, Woody Allen, Kiarostami, or do they prefer The Avengers? It takes a sensibility, an education, a cultural formation to access those artists's works - many of whom are perceived as depraved, nasty, and imoral to the general public, specially in times of obscurantism - be it the Middle Ages or our present late capitalist society with its alienation process. sensibilityaccessprivilege, which I have been fortunate to get. Make no mistake, the fact that the masses and the large majority of people cannot access such works, and because of that, lack the means to understand it, and because of that, sometimes, come to hate it, is no accident. In fact, it is a though out way of maintaining the status quo. But, anyway, I really appreciate the point you brought up, because I hadn't consider it before, and I had to give It some thought in order to understand and make sense of it too. Appreciate it, man.
@@theabsentartist4912 the artist is usually too abstract for the general population, and thus appears incoherent. This is actually okay because many people do not need/wish to be bombarded with constant existential dread, or other difficult concepts. Imagine if that was status quo, we’d all be in our rooms pacing about anxiously, trying to parse out complex abstractions in agony, such is the burden of the artist. But if the artists are in alignment with the highest principals, this will be filtered down in entertainment to more tangible levels that all can comprehend without dissonance, and the society is healthy.
You are correct though, the stuff that matters happens at the top and is determined by the values held by such people. Everything filters down, so if the values at the top are centered on greed or manipulation or any self-edifying principal, when it gets to the bottom, the society gets sick. Which is what we are now.
i love that woody line where he goes 'i started out jewish but converted to narcissism'.
Independent film maker here. Just a quick note, but I wold have the intro music start immodestly with the video footage because for a few second it make you question whether ones sound on turned off on the viewers device. Just a tip!
Love your channel.
- The Acoustic Rabbit Hole
I think Brothers Karamazov deals with a similar faith/knowledge issue with the character of Ivan - but then Ivan goes cray cray in the presence of the Devil.
i still don't understand this movie. can someone explain the plot and the story simply to me?
It is ironic ... and tragic ... that Max von Sydow died at the very start of the COVID pandemic. He could have recommended this very film as inspiration to deal with what confronted us.
We are all playing for time against Death.
Is the young girl Bibi. Andersen?
👏👏👏
jof and his wife and child represent joseph mary and jesus, and the positive hope that goes with them.
The commentary in this video, beginning at 8:40, states that it is only in the presence of Jof that the Knight finds peace. The writer there is stretching to support an idea about the importance of ‘the artist’ exemplified by Jof. In fact, earlier, when Mia told the Knight that Jof was her husband, Antonius responded with something almost dismissive like, “Oh, him”.
How unfortunate, that in such a bias, the commentary misses the obvious, that it is Mia’s gentle, caring and generous presence in which Antonius is peaceful, and it is after his conversation with Mia, and after her generosity with strawberries and milk, that he decides to ‘throw’ the Chess game, distracting Death, so that Mia, Jof and the baby can escape.
I think it is probably because of knight and artist as being active roles. Mia is more of a given, more simple and passive but no less important. She provides the ground for Jof to reach his visions and for the knight to realize it. And certainly we cannot forget the child, Mikael is at the center of all of this. It is only in the child that Jof reaches his vision of the perfect union between heaven and earth, i.e. vision of Jesus and Mary.
The big, big difference between Woody Allen and Bergman is that the former tells and the latter shows. Allen is a rambling wannabe philosopher presenting essays in movie form, whereas Bergman is an artist.
"Words, words, words" - Hamlet to Polonius.
I see what you mean, and I believe you do have a point there, just like Hamlet points out the meaningless efforts of our vocabulary in trying to capture the essence of life and all its things, but ultimately failing, for the essence of things cannot be encapsulated by words. Still, Woody Allen does evoke a ton of emotions and conveys plenty of meaning thru his movies and even thru his dialogues. Regardless of how vain that effort to convey meaning through words might be, it is still worth the shot, as I understand.
A++++++++++
This movie was givin in turkish schools
No one ever mentions the Rhine Meadows death camps.
First of all, they weren't death camps. The thing you are talking about is war prisoners camps. Secondly, why do you feel they should be mentioned?
Well written and put together video dude! You’ve earned a sub! :) I’ve also got some content you might enjoy if you’re ever in the mood to check it out. Again great job !
Thanks a lot for the feedback. Really appreciate it. I’m checking your videos and you have some great content. I also subscribed. Great stuff, man
The Absent Artist thank you so much for checking my stuff out and subscribing! I’ve gone through almost all of your videos and love how much effort you put into your content! Keep it up!
FUCKING BANGING VIDEO MATE!!!!!!!!!!!one correction tho, Mickey saggs tried to be hindu not buddhist after catholic. Very different religions but both believe in reincarnation
comment
why would you put woody allen and the marx brothers in,, what is called ,,one of the greatest movies in existence.. thats just STU pd
i dont think so.. i think death is trying to help him reconcile his thoughts about GOD.. death is not evil..
its his job.. he learns the secret of the chess game and still turns a blind eye to the trick.. at least momentarily and allows the other family to escape
In Islam a persons life on earth is a fleeting moment, a blink of an eye… ‘And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement…’ in essence everything has been created to exalt Allah.. ‘And there is not a thing that it exalts Allah by his praise, but you do not understand their exalting’… thats why birds sing at dawn, wolves howl at the moon and trees bend in the wind… the real ‘life’ is in the hereafter where those who did not believe in Allah and the judgement day will be led to hell for eternity while the true believers, whether they are Muslim, Jewish, Christian or any other religion, will live in gardens below which rivers of pure water, milk, honey and non intoxicating wine flow.. that is the final attainment .. 🤔
That's an unfortunate way to look at life, and a limiting - no to say dangerous - way to live it.
NS ideology with belief instead of race and dressed up in flowery language, in other words
When this guy says a meaningless universe he's PROJECTING his own religious insecurities.
If you don't think having a chance to exist in this life and give it any meaning you want is worth it then why are you wasting your time? The saddest part about having religious/supernatural beliefs is that people can't accept this reality and they're always HOPING for a "better" version of life. It's almost as if this life is just practice. 😬🙄
That is precisely the fear that the Knight is dwelling with. No other way to put it.
I may be wrong but This seems to be a very condescending view of religious people.
You are no smarter than they are.
@@kingofcards9516 It is not about being smarter or not. It is about being courageous. An atheist is certainly more courageous than theist, as he accepts life while other obfuscate in ideals and ideas, nothing wrong in it, it is atheist is more courageous.
@@parijat41994 what a narcissistic and condescending, and false, thing to say.
You people give actual atheists a bad name, how can a person genuinely believe they are superior to others because they don't believe in religion.
You need to educate yourself.
@@kingofcards9516 I didn't say superior or inferior. You are projecting your own insecurities here. I said; courageous.
Also there is no such thing as actual atheists , there are only atheist.
everyone who affirms life has had it easy.
Unfortunately, the narrator does not give a very convincing argument for the meaning of the movie. It is a great movie. It is not about secular humanistic tribal worth as an end. Far far from it. It is a man's (not man's) honest search for God. He has let his past govern his future, to such a point he puts his own spiritual eyes out. He has no trouble seeing death, who he has espoused for a number of years, but cannot see God, whom he has rejected. Now he mourns his fading life and seeks God's presence. Yet he cannot find him because he relies on gnostic revelation to reveal a man behind the curtain. Also, did he ever ask forgiveness in the movie? That is core to communing with God.
The saddest part about having religious/supernatural beliefs is that people can't accept this reality and they're always HOPING for a "better" version of life. It's almost as if this life is just practice. 😬🙄
That's what we all want, a guarantee, that God exists, but there isn't one, and no guarantees God doesn't exists, no guarantees in life either, no guarantees that my choices are the right choices, hence the need for that unspeakable, dirty word=Faith.
You are cooking your own soup here way too much.
In what ways?
RELIGIOUS DOGMA.
DECIESED AS ART. !!!
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