Product Details

• Actors: Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Ingmar Bergman, Erland Josephson, Bengt Ekerot
• Directors: Ingmar Bergman, Marie Nyreröd
• Writers: Ingmar Bergman
• Producers: Allan Ekelund
• Format: Black & White, Full Screen, Special Edition, Subtitled
• Language: Swedish
• Subtitles: English
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Criterion
• DVD Release Date: June 16, 2009
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001WLMOG4
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,039 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #1 in	Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Original Language > Swedish
  #1 in	Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Director > Bergman, Ingmar
  #3 in	Movies & TV > Classics > International

• For more information about "The Seventh Seal (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Few films have had as large a cultural impact as Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (Det sjunde inseglet). Disillusioned and exhausted after a decade of battling in the Crusades, a knight (Max von Sydow) encounters Death on a desolate beach and challenges him to a fateful game of chess. Much studied, imitated, even parodied, but never outdone, Bergman’s stunning allegory of man’s search for meaning was one of the benchmark foreign imports of America’s 1950s art house heyday, pushing cinema’s boundaries and ushering in a new era of moviegoing.

SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  
• Introduction by Ingmar Bergman, recorded in 2003
  
• Audio commentary by Bergman expert Peter Cowie
  
• A new afterword to the commentary by Cowie
  
• Bergman Island (2006), an 83-minute documentary on Bergman by Marie Nyreröd, featuring in-depth and revealing interviews with the director
  
• Archival audio interview with Max von Sydow
  
• A 1998 tribute to Bergman by filmmaker Woody Allen
  
• Theatrical trailer
  
• Bergman 101, a selected video filmography tracing Bergman’s career, narrated by Cowie
  
• Optional English-dubbed soundtrack
  
• New and improved English subtitle translation
  
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Gary Giddins

Stills from The Seventh Seal (Click for larger image)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing film, stunning transfer, June 19, 2009

By	Stephen Lerch (Elkton, MD United States) - See all my reviews

For the record, I own the original DVD release of The Seventh Seal along with this new HD transfer Blu Ray release and have done a little spot checking comparisons between the two.

For those that are unaware of what this film is, it has become an icon in the art house circle of film. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival; a testament to its impact in this arena. I don't pay mind to "Artsy" films and usually don't enjoy them, however I took a chance on the original Criterion DVD release and loved it; thus the need and desire to upgrade to Blu Ray.

The story is one of a knight (Antonius Block) and his squire (Jöns) returning from the Crusades only to find that his homeland is being conquered by the plague. He travels the land towards his goal of being reunited with, what he has stated, is a wife whom he married young and has not seen for the 10 years he spent in the Crusades. In the opening scene Anotonius is greeted by Death. In a sequence that has been parodied in several films (Bill & Ted battling Death at Twister comes to mind), Antonius challenges death to a game of chess. If Anotonius wins, he goes on with his life; if he loses, his life comes to an end. The game is not finished in a first sitting and there are several scenes in which the game takes a role.

As he travels, a rag tag band of people accompany him; a smith, the smith's wife, a woman whom Jöns saves from death and rape and two actors and their child with whom Antonius shares strawberries and milk in a scene where he begins to feel at peace.

Antonius struggles with his lot in life; questioning the existence of God, begging Death to lend him some of evidence of God's existence (to which Death offers none) and eventually accepting his fate and using his reprieve to save the lives of the actors and their child thus giving meaning to a life which he felt meaningless.

To get to the Blu Ray specific details, the video is transferred from a freshly prepared and restored film master. At least one sequence I recall seeing damage in the original DVD, which is shown in Criterion's original "how was it remastered" extra, is no longer damaged in this transfer. In fact, there was no easily apparent damage to be found anywhere and a more pristine print is likely unattainable. Criterion did a marvelous job on the video transfer and have given the video an upgrade it desperately deserved. It is presented on the Blu Ray disc in it's original aspect ratio of 1.37:1 so anyone expecting a cropped, stretched or otherwise molested image will be disappointed. Everyone expecting a movie presented in its original aspect ratio will certainly be pleased.

Not being a huge expert on things like film grain and what formats present more grain than others when transferred to HD, I have to make it known that there IS grain present in this film. I don't know, however, whether this grain is due to the original format of the masters or if Criterion added said grain during their transfer.

On the audio side, you have the original Swedish mono audio remastered and restored in 24 bit LPCM uncompressed format. There isn't a pop, click or crackle to be found, just clear audio free of defects and hiss. Also available, and I'm unaware of the format of it or if it has any damage/hiss/pop/crackle, is an optional English language dubbed sound track which I did not listen to.

Subtitles are improved from the original DVD release as the subtitles are a more literal translation. I admit to not really noticing a huge difference in this arena, but if Criterion claims to have improved them, I will take their word for it.

For extras you have quite a few new ones (and all the old ones, minus one, detailed below):

-Introduction to the movie by Ingmar Burgman (originally intended for presentation prior to playing the film on Swedish TV)
-Audio commentary by Peter Cowie (same as the original DVD release)
-Afterword on the commentary by Cowie (new)
-Bergman Island (set of mini-documentaries merged to form 1- 83 minute documentary w/ interviews of Bergman; first time on any home video format)
-Archival audio only interview with Antonius Block actor, Max von Sydow
-1989 tribute to Bergman by Woody Allen
-Original trailer
-Bergman 101 (Peter Cowie gives a selected filmography of Bergman's work)

For packed in extras, you will receive a printed booklet with an essay by film critic Gary Giddins. It's a very high quality printing.


The only extra that doesn't seem to have made the transfer to HD, as it was really specific to the original DVD release, was the Restoration Demonstration. Everything else from the original is included, along with quite a few, very worthy, additions.


If you own the original DVD release and want to own the definitive edition of the movie, you shouldn't hesitate to pick up this Blu Ray disc.

If you own the original and don't really care for the film or don't feel the need to upgrade, then nothing on this release will change your mind.

If you don't own the previous release and want to see what all the "fuss" is about and want it in as perfect a presentation as is possible, buy this on Blu Ray.

As a note, the new DVD release is "matted" in order to ensure every TV/display shows off as much of the release as possible. Only the Blu Ray disc retains the original 1.37:1 ratio.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good film, reference-quality Blu-Ray, June 27, 2009

By	Matthew T. Weflen "Matthew Weflen" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The film:

Bergman is one of those things. He won't appeal to everyone. It's arty, yes. It's high concept. But really, when you get down to it, many of his movies are not hard to watch at all. This one might be the most accessible. Max Von Sydow plays a crusading knight returning home wearily after a long campaign. With his servant, he encounters a country besieged by plague and despair. Against this backdrop, he encounters Death, whom he challenges to a chess match. Does he want to live forever? No. He wants answers to his soul-chilling skepticism about God and life.

The performances are all very good, especially Von Sydow and Gunnar Björnstrand as his squire. Dialogue is clipped and spare, but evocative. Sydow has some particularly good scenes in the chapel, confessing his doubts.

Overall, it's easy to see why this film is hailed as a classic. It's deep, but also brief enough and paced well enough to be enjoyable. The ending is a bit cryptic, but not in an off-putting way. It should definitely be viewed by anyone with an open mind for "world cinema."

The Blu-Ray:

This is a great transfer. This is what I'm sure we all hoped "Dr. Strangelove" would be. There is a fine, regular grain structure which allows us to see terrific detail, especially in foliage, facial features, and cloth textures. Black levels are solid and consistent, so objects in the shadows are always well delineated.

You MUST make sure your gamma and brightness are set well! This is a film in which a lot of stuff can be lost in the shadows - it is very high contrast. In the opening shot, if your display is crushing blacks, the mountains will look like one black blob, when in fact there is a huge amount of detail and shading on rocks. SO: if you do not have a disc like Digital Video Essentials, at the very least pop in a Lucasfilm disc to use the "THX Calibrator." It has a contrast/brightness pattern that should get you set right.

Extras include a LONG documentary/interview piece with Bergman in his later life, presented in 1080i. Commentary is provided by a film scholar.

***********

If you are a fan of Bergman or this film, this is a no-brainer. There is detail here you'd never see on a DVD, and the black levels (so important on a b/w film like this) are much deeper and more consistent than any SD presentation could allow. Extras are a nice complement, and for the price, you really can't beat this, especially compared to what Criterion releases cost just a few short years ago.

If you're more of a neophyte to this kind of cinema, you should rent first. See if you like this sort of thing. Don't be daunted by the reputation of this and other Criterion releases. Give it a good honest try. You might be pleasantly surprised.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful., August 10, 2009

By	Brian Lange (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Yes, the BD version definitely delivers.

As for the film itself, most of you probably have seen this film or some of his other work... so I won't comment much on the film, but rather the technical aspects of this film. I mean, a knight plays chess with Death, what's not to like about that?

Stunning image quality and sound. It's actually been a while since I've seen an older version, though I think it wasn't even the old Criterion edition. What I can attest to is that, like "Repulsion", the transfer is simply incredible. There is absolutely no way short of a projection of the film itself that will deliver like this one. The subtitles appear to have been modified a little, being translated probably better for today's modern age. The extras are not extensive, but a nice addition to the BD version of the film. Also included is a nice booklet with the film. It could be considered a "collectors" booklet, as it is nicely put together and informative... but to me it's just something that Criterion added as a bonus. Very nice, though.

Bergman's exposures and lighting come through so beautifully in every frame. There are some scenes that come across as "flat" but that has nothing to do with the Criterion transfer and was more than likely on the master print itself. I think this could have been adjusted slightly to get rid of the prominent grays, but it could have been Bergman's intention as well... that I'm not sure about, but it was certainly in the original film. What's gone from the original is a hissy, poppy audio track and there's not a single hint of dust or scratches anywhere. Amazing what Criterion has been doing with these old prints!

Keep in mind the aspect ratio is 4:3, (the ratio of what was previously the standard for TVs), not 16:9. It was common for films of that era to be presented in it's full frame form... if you have a projector setup or large enough widescreen television, don't worry it hardly distracts at all.

Also, you'll be glad to know that Criterion was smart enough to eliminate those ugly blue cases that most BDs are packed in. They have more specially made cases that are clear and just a couple millimeters deeper (the spine, presumably to make more room for the booklets). Much more attractive on your DVD case than a row of neon-blue cases.