Stars: Max Von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Gunnel Lindblom, Bertil Anderberg, Anders Ek, Bengt Ekerot, Ake Fridell, Nils Poppe

Director: Ingmar Bergman

Summary: A tale of a man's search for meaning in life. A knight, after returning home from the Crusades, plays a game of chess with Death while the plague ravages medieval Europe.

Antonius Block (Max Von Sydow), a knight, returns from a 10-year crusade with his squire, Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand), to find his homeland ravaged by the plague. When the black-cloaked figure of Death (Bengt Ekerot) appears to claim them, Block, whose war experiences have left him cynical about the existence of God and the afterlife, challenges Death to a game of chess to stall for time and gain some insight into the meaning of life before passing on. The game is intermittently paused and resumed during the journey home while Block and Jons meet several traveling companions, including a mute girl (Gunnel Lindblom) whom they save from a bandit, and a family of poor traveling players--Jof, a gentle visionary (Nils Poppe); his wife, Mia (Bibi Andersson); and their infant daughter. Block witnesses much suffering and anguish along the way (an encounter with a woman accused of witchcraft who is about to be burned at the stake is especially jarring) but also finds evidence of human kindness and love, prompting him to realize that even a single gesture of goodwill might make the long struggle of his existence worthwhile. The title of Ingmar Bergman's highly acclaimed allegorical film stems from the Book of Revelation.

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Aspect Ratio:	4:3 Full Frame
Main Language:	Swedish
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Short film by Bergman: KARIN'S FACE (1984), On-set Footage with commentary from film historian Ian Christie, Original Theatrical Trailer, Optional Original English-dubbed Soundtrack
Subtitles:	English
Year:	1957
Release Date:	December 3, 2007
Runtime:	92 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	T V D 3787
Keywords:	Swedish, Subtitled, Off, General, Seal, Seventh, Drama, Schedule, Det, Inseglet, Sjunde
Genre:	Drama