Death is the major theme of this 'The Seventh Seal (1957)', with the great plague backdrop acting as an apocalyptic omen for almost everyone involved. The piece is dripping with portent, a low-key but tangible melancholy that's almost oppressive. It's bleak, for sure. It's certainly not fun. Of course, it isn't supposed to be. Instead, it aims to tackle its taboo head-on. It doesn't provide easy answers, with the spectre of the grim reaper seeming to exist entirely separately from any from of God. The search for God is also a major theme. Each character has a unique relationship with their faith, which evolves over the course of the plot. No view is ever expressed as 'right'; it's simply what the character believes. The overall result of the picture is downbeat, despite some moments of hope. Though it feels loose and segmented, it undeniably has an effect. It leaves you with a melancholy that's difficult to explain. In the moment, however, it's never hugely engaging. It's not bad, but it doesn't really connect with you on a conscious level. Obviously, it must resonate in some way in order to leave you feeling the way it does. It's just that the cold, meditative discussions that make up its narrative aren't often all that compelling. Neither are the odd set-pieces which actually feel somewhat 'random'. It has its moments and isn't constantly grim. When the portentous stuff gets more overt, it's really effective. A scene of mass self-harm is genuinely rather upsetting, for example. Thankfully, the piece doesn't always deal in overt sadness. The previously mentioned moments of hope help to elevate its dour effect, making for a relatively rounded experience. In the end, its message is about acceptance rather than doom. No matter which way you cut it, though, it's still quite bleak. At least it has the guts to tackle something that most people actively try to avoid. As I said, it's not fun. 6/10
Review of The Seventh Seal
