a review of 第七封印

1st Annual Criterion Challenge The 1950s: The Seventh Seal (1957) This is my first Bergman film, and not only do I see what all the fuss is about, now I'm excited to see more of his work. Since 99% of the references to this movie focus on the chess game or just the figure of Death, I had incorrectly assumed that would be the bulk of the movie. I didn't expect this heightened travelogue of Medieval Europe with characters seemingly pulled from Chaucer, or for it to be both as funny and applicable to the modern world. I also had no idea that Monty Python & the Holy Grail is more or less a direct parody of several scenes from this film, including the witch burning and the flagellant monks. It's nice to know that I've finally filled in a crucial gap in my film education.