There are certain films that stay within my soul. This is one. Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Have a great day!

Max Von Sydow was such an incredible actor who played Jesus Christ, The Devil and everything in between. R.I.P.

That last shot of the characters dancing with death was improvised. Bergman saw the clouds over the hill, dressed up a couple of tourists and crew members, and shot it.

This is quite possibly one of the Greatest films ever made. From the acting, the cinematography everything.

This movie is a perfect example of how important it is to preserve film history. Movies like this need to be passed on to future generations, because their message is always relevant.

A tid-bit for none-Swedes: the character Jof (the actor with the wife and daughter) is played by Nils Poppe who was mainly famous for being a comedian and light comedic actor in a sort of Chaplin-esque tradition of very physical comedy, so casting him in a quite serious role like this was an interesting choice and it was, at least for me, quite a strange and jarring feeling (and I'm sure that was the intention) to see him in a serious and quite dark movie like this, even though he admittedly plays a comedy actor of sorts in the movie, after seeing him in silly, funny light-hearted comedies.

I love that you're watching some of the classics with us - they get too little attention these days. Thank you! :)

Now all that's left is Federico Fellini and then you've experienced the Mount Rushmore of cinema between him, Kurosawa, Tarkovsky and Bergman!

A Memento Mori is some artistic expression that intends to remind us of death, not as something terrible but as necessary to life, so we appreciate life the more for its brevity. In Évora, Portugal, there’s a chapel made of actual human skulls, with the inscription: “Us here bones are waiting for yours”. It’s a Catholic thing. I first watched this movie when I was I don’t know, 5 or 7 years old, in an artsy TV program back when there where artsy TV programs. Didn’t understand anything of course, but the imagery is so powerful, Death carrying away the people by their hands, the images strung along with me for all my life, as if Death walks by my side, but not as something fearsome, but as something that is just there because it must be. Great reaction James, thank you.

Fuck I watched that movie in the beggining of the pandemic. Mindblown.

I watched this as a kid on TCM. I had no idea what I was getting ready to see.

This is why I love your channel. I always get opened up to new films I've never heard of or seen before. And I thank you for that. Seeing new films is refreshing and always eye opening to me learning about filmmaking.

absolute masterful film

You should have a month of watching foreign (not Hollywood/USA) artfilms! Or Criterion collection films! I would love to see you watch Jean-Luc Godard, Satyajit Ray, Sergei Parajanov, Jean Renoir, more Ingmar Bergman and Andrei Tarkovsky and others!

My favorite scene is when the knight "confesses" to Death in the church. His monologue about faith and how he screams after god into the darkness is so haunting.

Masterpiece of a film

Excellent movie. Great to see it getting some attention!

Oh wow! Truly an unexpected surprise!

Two other Bergman films I think you’d love: Smiles of a Summer Night and Wild Strawberries. EDIT: and terrific reaction of course.

The fact that cameras were so large and heavy back then makes the opening shot in Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil" (1958) all the more incredible and impressive. It's a crane shot that follows the actors through the streets for almost a full 3 1/2 minutes before the very 1st cut. Sure, it was shot on a studio backlot, but the time, effort and choreography it must have taken to get it just right must have been stressful.

This is crazy I warched this movie for the first time litterly 5 minutes ago. Great movie

Max Von Sydow was so young

Major kudos to you for having the courage to stick to your format and comment on films that are great even when the general public cant get past the C-grade movie fare you typically see reviewed (again and again and again) on You Tube. The Seventh Seal is art, film at its best.

really excited about you discovering Ingmar Bergman’s filmography! hope you’ll give Wild Strawberries or Fanny and Alexander a chance! :)

Love what you're doing with this channel. Keep it weird. ♥️

Great review. Andrei Rublev by Andrei Tarkovsky (the director of Stalker) is a must watch

I often heard about this movie. Movies back then we're a lot more creepier

Do you collect Criterion James? Seems 100% up your alley.

I have this on bluray...the experience in HD is so different. What a masterpiece.

I hope one day to see you watch Carl Th. Dryer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc. It is one of the most powerful films ever made. Criterion Collection has it with a new soundtrack by Richard Einhorn that elevates the film to one of the most amazing cinematic experiences you’ll ever witness….

I think you would love Fanny and Alexander (extended version). It in my eyes is Bergmans greatest film, with very compelling characters and story.

this movie really embodies the adage "every frame a painting"

James, you mentioned the director of Stalker: Andrei Tarkovsky. Please watch the 205 minute, first cut (best cut)of "Andrei Rublev". It's a masterpiece.

Fantastic film, a timeless classic.

that witch burning scene, of the common terror that nothing might await us after our lives are through, that existential crisis, is so powerful

You're not going to get as many "Likes" and views as you usually would... but I'm SO HAPPY that you're going through these MONUMENTAL films that are so important in cinematic history. It's one of the reasons why your channel is soooo good. Thank you, sir! Some other classic and brilliant films to check out: Charlie Chaplin in "CITY LIGHTS," "MODERN TIMES," "THE GOLD RUSH," & "THE GREAT DICTATOR." Other films: "YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU," "THE CRANES ARE FLYING," "THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE" (The Original version)...

Bro...Bro...Fanny and Alexander, trust me on this. To me, it was Bergmans last masterpiece. Watch it, just watch it.

Everything about this film, bar some sound production shortcomings, was and still is phenomenal. The biggest standout, though, has to be the dialogue. I desperately wanted to hear and understand every word every character spoke. Unbelievable work.

I've never feared death,i've always seen it as going home after a wild holiday,i have a nice dark brown two storey cabin in this field surrounded by huge trees and flowers,there's even a vegatable plot at the side,deer rabbits hanging around and my alaskan malamutes,i was lucky to back and see it back in the day 😇

Total classic, and it's easy to see why. Little more can be said. Great to revisit these every now and then.

Iconic film, one of the greats. Tarkovsky loved Bergman, you should watch Andrei Rublev the greatest film ever made. Bergman's Fanny and Alexander is another wonderful film.

It's been about 15 years since I saw this, but I was surprised by the humor in the Seventh Seal. I wasn't expecting it to be as funny as it is.

I remember this as a lot more cheerful than I expected it to be.

This movie and “The red shoes “ were the 2 movies that really got me inspired by filmmaking!!!❤❤❤❤

Thank you for reacting to this great classic movie! Of course, it has been influential, and even often parodied... From interviews and articles, I gather that The Seventh Seal was made during one summer break when Bergman and his 'repertory company' of actors and skeleton film crew (yes, a pun) had a few weeks to do something. Apparently, they had a lot of laughter and fun on location and on set, while the ultimate tone of the movie they created was very sombre. Max von Sydow (playing an older knight while in his 20s) and other members of the cast show up scattered through the cast lists of other Bergman movies over the decades. There are more great b&w Bergman movies, including even a great comedy, Smiles of a Summer Night. And once in colour, my favourites by him include Cries and Whispers, and the 5-hour TV mini-series version of Fanny and Alexander (the 3-hour cinema version is missing too much). And his shot-for-TV production of Mozart's The Magic Flute is magical, too. Eventually, hope you may venture into movies by Federico Fellini, too, like La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, and Amarcord, amongst others. Plus, maybe more by Kurosawa, such as Ikiru and Rashomon. A fun more recent Japanese movie (a "noodle Eastern") is Tampopo - yes, issued on disc by The Criterion Collection. And hope you can add even a pre-"New Wave" French movie like "Children of Paradise" or a great one by Jean Renoir, or a Jacques Tati comedy... There are so many wonderful movies from around the world!

That framing of Death at 22:11 is so cool. We got the silhouette with just the face showing, and we can't see his feet so it looks like he's coming up from the shadows

I shall remember this moment: the silence, the twilight, the bowl of strawberries, the bowl of milk. Your faces in the evening light.

All Bergman films are great, to a greater or lesser degree. Try the trilogy of "Through a Glass Darkly", "Winter Light" & "The Silence". Somewhat under appreciated movies I love of his are "Shame" 1968, "The Passion of Anna" 1969 & "Cries & Whispers" 1972.

Absolutely fantastic film. Highly recommend checking out Autumn Sonata from Bergman next. Definitely not surrealist but the themes are absolutely devastating and is packed with phenomenal performances from Liv Ullman and Ingrid Bergman. Appreciate you 🖤

Max Von Sydow, who portrays Antonious Block in this film, was also the Priest in The Exorcist (1973)! One of the few European actors to evolve to Hollywood mainstream.

I’m so used to seeing Max von Sydow as an old man; he’s beautiful!

Great seeing you do some Bergman. Give Wild Strawberry a try.

i don't know if it was due to my suggesting it but i'm so glad you chose this film. its not really fair to call these films "art" films. in the u.s. almost ALL foreign language films were shown at arthouses. but in their countries of origin they were mainstream films. you wanna see a real "arthouse" film watch David Lynch's 1977 film "erasorhead." its about the silliest, grossest, most bizarre film i've ever seen. also the french "new wave" films like Jean-Luc Godard's 1960's "Breathless" is considered true arthouse. also a lot of short-subject films from the 20s and 30s are considered very arthouse. sometimes they're just called "experimental fims." i have 2 dvd compilations of these films from all over the world and many are truly boldly experimental in nature. salvador dali's "L'Age d'Or" ("1930) is probably the most famous art-short film in history. dali also designed a weird dream sequence in hitchcock's "spellbound" (1945 ) starring ingrid bergman and gregory peck.

Max von Sydow taking the long walk into the cursed earth.

The setting may be far from any modern experience, and yet it still depicts the most consistently relatable theme in all of human history with severity, compassion and quietly present existential terror. I love, love, love this film. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us.

You absolutely need to watch The Color of Pomegranates. The pure cinematography of that film blew me away

Great reaction

I grew up in the late 70s and 80s with Max Von Sydow being in...everything. He was always one of my favorite actors. But I didn't see any of his work with Bergman until I was well into adulthood. It gave me a whole new appreciation for him. I've also come to be a huge fan of Gunnar Björnstrand, who is in a TON of Bergman movies. I hope you watch more. I avoided Bergman for a long time, because he seemed so daunting and unapproachable. But after actually watching some of his movies, he turns out to be far, far more human and humane. And he's so much funnier than I anticipated.

I think you would really like and appreciate Fellini. I'd definitely recommend 8 1/2.

Great to see your reaction to this classic/landmark film. My mum, who’s still around, saw this at the cinema when it was released and she was an art school student.

The scene where Antonius tells Death of life being a meaningless horror if God doesn't exist and that it's not much better if he there and doesn't answer our cries is a dialogue I've had just with my own inner voice many times. I'm not sure all that many people would assign "relatable" to this film but it is for me. The stakes are heaven high, the more we feel the need to feel and know God in the movie the more remote he is. But ultimately it's a film that advocates giving up the need to regard knowing as extremely necessary. Whether God exists or not, worrying about it in the interim won't do you much good. You're not really alone as alone as you feel, the people around you share this desperation with you.

I'm so happy to see you, a young american directory, being curious enough to explore something else : the greatest classics of last century... when the cinema was not yet an industry for teenagers !👏👏👏 I hope you'll react to the italian cinema (Fellini's La Notte or La Dolce Vitta, Antonioni L'Eclisse,...), and to that era of the french cinema called "le réalisme poétique" (the poetic realism) : Marcel Carné+Jacques Prévert's Le Quai des Brumes, Les Enfants du Paradis, and Jacques Demy's musicals that inspired Lalaland. Old american cinema too : Mankiewicz's Laura, Orson Welles's The Lady from Shanghai, and the german Fritz Lang's "M"... So many masterpieces I can't wait to see you react to !

Yes, finally. Excellent film.

Another Bergman, awesome! I found your channel through the Stalker video. Any chance you'll make a playlist for the films you've seen in the last 2 years?

Really pleased to see and hear your reaction to Bergman's The Seventh Seal, it was deeper and more involved than I was hoping for. You really do great film reactions and clearly explain your thought in the outro, long may you continue doing so.

Makes a lot of sense to describe it as a spiral. Normally I have a lot to say about Seventh Seal. Not sure why today is different.

I feel the important thing about Seventh Seal is that despite the direct look at a bleak subject, there's so much humour and even optimism in the movie. Would love to see some Godard on the channel, Pierrot le Fou is a personal favourite but his classics are plentiful.

The other film Bergman put out that year, Wild Strawberries, is a MUST SEE

I remember this one from a film class. Looking forward to your take

You should check out "Elling", a truly heartwarming Norwegian classic. I would love to see if the script translates without knowledge of the refrences and tone when reading the subtitles. It's a gem.

This was such a lovely take and description on such a dark topic movie. Bergman movies are indecisive in the sense that they leave so much in to the eye of the beholder. Most youtubers talking about this and other Bergman movies seems to fall in to the one way of seeing his movies kind of way. You get that there are a multitude ways of interpreting this, even if yours and mine are mostly falling in the same direction. To the same category

I don’t know if you’ve seen it but check out The Virgin Spring! A lot of similar themes Bergman really pops off with 🤝

Bergman binge let's GOOOO

A masterpiece ! What you need now is the lightness, the freshness and the acid colors of Jacques Demy's THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT 💞💙🧡💚, the 1967 french movie that inspired La La Land.

The Sixth Seal just clapped its flippers and bounced a ball on its nose

You should also definitely give The Man Who Laughs a watch if you haven't already seen it.

Hey James! I've been watching your channel for quite a while, and I wanted to say I think its great how you react to such a wide variety of films on here, old and new, popular and obscure. Especially films like this one, which are quite slow paced and wouldn't usually be considered reaction-worthy. I truly believe that every genre, era, and nationality of film has something to offer and teach. If you're ever interested in diving wayyy back into silent movie territory, I'd reccommend Metropolis or The Passion of Joan of Arc, two silent movies that really hold up to modern standards. Keep up the great work!

The knight, Block, intentionally saves the lives of the actor, Jof, and his family. Jof sees Block playing chess with Death and flees with the family. Block keeps Death occupied and knocks over the pieces. Death is distracted and the family escape. Death asks if he has accomplished a meaningful deed, and he says yes.

Apropos your mention of Tarkovskij’s Stalker and 2001 in the intro, check out Tarkovskij’s SOLARIS - slooow sf from the Soviet times. NOT the US remake.w. Clooney.

I remember not liking Stalker when I first watched it. A little too slow. But then it got referenced in one of the books I read in grad school. The author talked about some of the themes, and it really clicked then. I've watched it once or twice since then, and it's absolutely fantastic. I absolutely love Bergman. I'm a theologian-type, and so his meditations on theology, existentialism, etc. are right in my wheelhouse. For other art films, I don't know if you've done these, but I'd love to see your reactions to Kurosawa's "Ran", Scorsese's "Silence", or something really wild like Kaufman's "Synecdoche, NY."

Please dive more into Tarkovsky and Bergman! My two favorite directors (along with Buñuel) and I think you will love their other stuff :) I recommend Bergman's Hour of the Wolf, it's like a peek into what it would be like if Bergman made a horror film! Through a Glass Darkly, Summer with Monika, Summer Interlude, and Winter Light are also some excellent Bergman movies, and for Tarkovsky, The Mirror of course and Nostalghia and Solaris - I haven't seen Andrei Rublev yet or the Sacrifice but I'm sure they are also great! Also loved the Flying Lotus reference 😄

Loved it, heroic and cathartic Poetry in vision and word. A plague is as relevant as our pandemic. The plague wiped out populations and the people did not have a clue. Wrath of G-d and judgement. Look at the works of Van Eyke. who painted visions of judgement. There is a little known movie dealing with the same time period, The Navigator 1988 A Midievil Odyssey.

Wouldn't be surprised "No Country for Old Men" (2007) had some influence by this masterpiece.

Death asks the knight: "Are you prepared?" The knight answers: "My flesh is afraid, but I am not." Being a swede I would translate it this way: Are you ready? My body is ready, I myself is not. The words for ready and afraid are very similar in swedish. And if one speaks fast, which the knight does when he answers this question, it can be impossible to hear the difference. But it makes more sense to translate with the word ready instead of afraid since Death asks the Knight if he is ready. This film is one of the best I have ever seen.

Great film check out Scott Walker's song of the same name. It is basically the film in song form. Scott's rich baritone is magnificent.

Some great insights and analysis I think.

Beautiful!

MASTERPIECE thanks

I've been hoping you would watch this film since I started watching you a couple years ago. Love your take on it

I hope you review some silent films some of them are remarkable pieces of art

Such a great film

Thanks for watching some Bergman, James ! Next mandatory stops are "Wild Strawberries" (my personal favorite) and "Cries and Whispers".

Hell yeah :)

This is one of the best. Glad to see you reacting to it. Pure artistic filmmaking. If you want to go further in this direction you might try Andrei Rublev from Tarkovsky.

Denzel Washington & Joel Coen's "Tragedy of Macbeth" (2021) has cinematography heavily influenced by this

Wow, great reaction, wasn't expecting you to jump on this one so fast after Persona. I haven't seen this in so long, it was great to revisit! The script is fantastic, totally agree.

Was so great seeing the impact this masterpiece had on you - and hearing your excellent observations. Try Ingmar Bergman's Fanny & Alexander - or Autumn Sonata or Wild Strawberries or...so many great Bergman movies.

i watched this movie about 4 times to try and grasp the meanings and I like it for some reason unknown to me.

YES!!!!

This is a very good Bergman film.