The Seventh Seal (1957)
Det sjunde inseglet (original title)Reference View | Change View
- Not Rated
- 1h 36min
- Drama, Fantasy
- 13 Oct 1958 (USA)
- Movie
A knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- 9 wins & 2 nominations.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Gunnar Björnstrand | ... |
Squire Jöns
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| Bengt Ekerot | ... |
Death
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| Nils Poppe | ... |
Jof / Joseph
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| Max von Sydow | ... |
Antonius Block
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| Bibi Andersson | ... |
Mia / Mary - Jof's Wife
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| Inga Gill | ... |
Lisa - Blacksmith's Wife
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| Maud Hansson | ... |
Witch
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| Inga Landgré | ... |
Karin - Block's Wife
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| Gunnel Lindblom | ... |
Girl
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| Bertil Anderberg | ... |
Raval
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| Anders Ek | ... |
The Monk
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| Åke Fridell | ... |
Blacksmith Plog
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| Gunnar Olsson | ... |
Albertus Pictor, Church Painter
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| Erik Strandmark | ... |
Jonas Skat
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Siv Aleros | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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Sten Ardenstam | ... |
Knight (uncredited)
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Harry Asklund | ... |
The Landlord (uncredited)
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| Benkt-Åke Benktsson | ... |
Merchant at the Inn (uncredited)
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Catherine Berg | ... |
Young Woman Kneeling for the Flagellants (uncredited)
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Lena Bergman | ... |
Young Woman Kneeling for the Flagellants (uncredited)
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Tor Borong | ... |
Farmer at the Inn (uncredited)
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| Gudrun Brost | ... |
Woman at Inn (uncredited)
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Bengt Gillberg | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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Lars Granberg | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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Gunlög Hagberg | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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Gun Hammargren | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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| Tor Isedal | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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| Ulf Johansson | ... |
Knight Commander (uncredited)
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Tommy Karlsson | ... |
Mikael - Jof and Maria's Son (uncredited)
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Uno Larsson | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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Lennart Lilja | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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| Lars Lind | ... |
The young monk (uncredited)
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Monica Lindman | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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Gordon Löwenadler | ... |
Knight (uncredited)
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| Mona Malm | ... |
Young Pregnant Woman (uncredited)
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Josef Norman | ... |
Old Man at the Inn (uncredited)
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| Gösta Prüzelius | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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Helge Sjökvist | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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| Georg Skarstedt | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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| Marc Smith | ... |
Plog the Blacksmith (uncredited) (voice)
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Ragnar Sörman | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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Fritjof Tall | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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Lennart Tollén | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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Nils Whiten | ... |
Old man addressed by the Monk (uncredited)
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Caya Wickström | ... |
Flagellant (uncredited)
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Karl Widh | ... |
Man with Crutches (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Ingmar Bergman | ||
Written by
| Ingmar Bergman | ... | (play "Trämålning") |
| Ingmar Bergman | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
| Allan Ekelund | ... | producer |
Music by
| Erik Nordgren | ||
Cinematography by
| Gunnar Fischer | ||
Editing by
| Lennart Wallén | ||
Production Design by
| P.A. Lundgren | ... | (decor) |
Costume Design by
| Manne Lindholm | ||
Makeup Department
| Nils Nittel | ... | makeup artist |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Lennart Olsson | ... | assistant director (as Lennart Ohlsson) |
Sound Department
| Evald Andersson | ... | sound effects |
| Lennart Wallin | ... | boom operator |
| Aaby Wedin | ... | sound |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Louis Huch | ... | still photographer |
| Åke Nilsson | ... | assistant camera (as Åke G. Nilsson) |
Music Department
| Sixten Ehrling | ... | conductor |
| Erik Nordgren | ... | music arranger (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Katinka Faragó | ... | script supervisor (as Katarina Faragó) |
Additional Crew
| Carl-Henry Cagarp | ... | production coordinator |
| Else Fisher | ... | choreographer (as Else Fischer) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1957) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Contemporary Films (1958) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Janus Films (1958) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Globe Films International (1960) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Goldberg Films (1960) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Chamartín (1961) (Spain) (theatrical)
- New Cinema Enterprises (1961) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Towa. (1963) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Saga Films (1966) (Argentina) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1976) (United States) (tv)
- Artkino Pictures (1978) (Argentina) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Tartan Video (1993) (United Kingdom) (video) (laserdisc)
- Embassy Home Entertainment (1987) (United States) (VHS)
- The Criterion Collection (1999) (United States) (DVD)
- Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1994) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1997) (Sweden) (VHS)
- Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Vértice 360 (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2004) (United States) (DVD)
- Image Entertainment (2006) (United States) (DVD)
- Continental Home Vídeo (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
- Emerald (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
- Gutek Film (2007) (Poland)
- Tartan (2007) (United Kingdom) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2009) (United States) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2009) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Carlotta Films (2018) (France) (theatrical) (re-release) (restored version)
- Constantin Film (1962) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Filmes Castello Lopes (1978) (Portugal) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Swedish Embassy, New Delhi (1960) (India) (theatrical)
- Weird Wave (2019) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Arthaus (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
- Arthaus (2014) (Germany) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Cinemacguffin (2015) (Japan) (DVD)
- Cinetel (Hungary) (DVD)
- Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
- Cult Filmes (Brazil) (VHS)
- Fil à Film (1990) (France) (VHS) (French subtitles)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Leopardo Filmes (2014) (Portugal)
- Nelson Entertainment (1989) (United States) (video) (Video 8)
- Stiftelsen Svenska Filminstitutet (1997) (Sweden) (VHS)
- The Criterion Channel (2019) (United States) (tv) (digital)
- The Criterion Collection (United States) (VHS) (laserdisc)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (digital restoration) (2006)
- Nordisk Film Post Production (digital restoration: in cooperation with) (2006)
- Marsmotel AB (digital restoration: in cooperation with) (2006)
- Cinepost Studios (digital restoration: in cooperation with) (2006)
- Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (digital restoration) (2018)
- Cannes Film Festival (festival)
- Firma Carl M. Lundh AB (makeup)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
A Knight and his squire are home from the crusades. Black Death is sweeping their country. As they approach home, Death appears to the knight and tells him it is his time. The knight challenges Death to a chess game for his life. The Knight and Death play as the cultural turmoil envelopes the people around them as they try, in different ways, to deal with the upheaval the plague has caused.
Written by John Vogel |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | A film of visual scope, of imaginative concept, of powerful content, written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, twice honored by the Interational Jury at the Cannes Film Festival 1956,1957 See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $150,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Ingmar Bergman credited the film with helping him overcome his crippling fear of death. Because the film dealt so overtly with the subject, he found it a highly cathartic experience. See more » |
| Goofs | The chess players focus on capturing the Queen. The Queen was not a super-powerful piece until centuries later when a recent chess-variant initially called "chess of the mad queen" became more popular than the classic game. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America (2007). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Hållas mellan rona See more » |
| Quotes |
Antonius Block:
We must make an idol of our fear, and call it god. See more » |