Ingmar Bergman’s 1957 movie, The
Seventh Seal, is a striking film that boldly brings some of life’s most basic
question to center stage. Throughout the film, opposing details are at
work to demonstrate the conflicting possibilities of reality. The juxtaposition
of light and dark, black and white, sinister and comedic, holy and evil, joy
and agony, and, most notably life and death, are major elements in the films
development. The main character, Antonius Block, a knight who has return from
10 years of crusading, is tortured by his uncertainty about the divine powers and
is plagued with the looming possibilities of an empty eternity. When death
comes for him, he postpones his ultimate destiny by challenging death to a
chess match. Meanwhile Antonius looks for answers to the torturing questions of
life. His search for a black and white answer is reflected throughout the film
with numerous images that illustrate this conflict.
In the opening images of the movie,
contrast is introduced to the audience overtly. The opening shot captures only
a shot of white clouds in the sky. With a fade, the audience is introduced to
the strong image of a single black bird hovering up above. The black silhouette
of the bird against the white clouds immediately introduces the struggle between
white and black that will continue throughout the film.
Antonius’s conflict is also
introduced early with revealing images that combining light and dark. The first
close up we see of the conflicted protagonist on the beach, is marked by a
contrast created with lighting. He kneels on the beech looking up to the
heavens. While once side of his face is brightly lit, the other is plagued by a
dark shadow. This further illustrates the struggle between the belief in God
and the suspicion of his absence, which Antonius Block later accidently
articulates to Death.
The
opposition of black and white is even noted verbally when death and Block begin
their game of Chess. Death chances to use the black pieces and notes “Black is
becoming for me.” The black at white chess pieces in a sense become a
representation of life and death. As long as Antonius Block’s white pieces
prevail, so does life. Should the black pieces defeated the white pieces, death
will have his way.
Because the film is in black and
white, the lights and darks of the film become central to the theme of the
story. Black and white are in constant opposition to each other; one
representing life and light and the other representing death and darkness. The
examples of the opposition are nearly endless. Ingmar Bergman recognized the power of
opposites and utilized the light and dark symbols to articulate Antonius
Block’s struggle with the truth and destiny.
In the movie “The Seventh Seal” it is clear to see that Ingmar Bergman had a strong understanding of life and death. As said above, in the post, he uses lighting to depict life and death. From the movie whenever death is near the scene is very dark and the characters death is around all have shadows on their faces. While when death is not around the scene is full of light. However, this movie is more than just showing the life and death, it shows how death is always around no matter how hard you try to escape it.
ReplyDeleteFrom the very opening scenes of the movie with the lone bird flying overhead and the rough ocean slamming into the banks. This depicts that the world is in chaos with the rough ocean and the bird is flying as if it is searching for food from the next dead thing it sees. The best scene in the movie is when the knight is eating strawberries with Joseph and his wife Mary. In this scene everyone is passing around milk and strawberries almost depicting the last supper. However, while this is going on the pole just outside the wagon is the skull mask that almost seems to be staring Antonious Block. This scene further shows that death is always around even in the present of Joseph and Mary, who are saint like people. This scene is also very important because in the last supper it was the day before Jesus was to be killed. The scene with Antonious is very symbolic of the actual last supper.
There was also a scene of foreshadowing when the squire meets with the painter. The painter is painting the dance of death in his picture it is clear to see death leading as a line of people dance behind him. This is important because at the very end of the movie death has taken the Knight, the squire, the blacksmith, and his wife. As the camera moves from Joseph he says, look I can see them performing the dance of death. In the next shot it shows death leading as they follow behind him dancing like the painting.
Eric Shacklette
I agree with what has been said about the light and dark contrast in this film. It is also very clear that the comparison is being made with life and death; with light representing life and dark representing death.
ReplyDeleteThis comparison is first noted in the film when Antonius meets in chess match opponent, Death. Death's correlation with the dark is quickly noticed, as the human representation of death's being is dressed in an all black cloak, and has a lifeless monotonous tone of voice.
As death casually accepts Antonius's challenge to the chess match, which can be seen as "The chess match of death" metaphorically, they have a small conversation about who is to be which color. The writer includes this part in his piece, also giving justification to the correlation of light and dark with life and death. The "Man of Death" is given the black pieces by Antonius. Death says that black is "becoming" to him, seemingly suggesting that one isn't alive (to him) until they're dead.
Another thing the writer notes is the contrast on Block's face, when one side of his face is illuminated in the light and the other is dark and gloomy. This does give way to his belief in God and his suspicion of his own absence. Another part that does the same thing is when Death asks Antonius if he is ready to die. Block replies by saying his body is, but he is not. There is a light side to what he says, and a dark side; a living side, and a deadly side.