Modernism In The Seventh Seal

The Seventh Seal has become highly appreciated for its depiction of the oldest quest mortal man has been pursuing since the realization of God’s existence, seeking answers about the meaning of life and death, and asking why does God let millions suffer and die needlessly? Ingmar Bergman‘s The Seventh Seal steps into the fantasy and historical drama genre by setting the film during the devastating pandemic known commonly as the Black Death (Black Plague) that overwhelmed Europe between 1346 - 1353. This unstoppable 14th century plague killed an estimated 75 to 200 million people, sent terror among the local inhabitants, and made everyone question their faith in a holy deity.

The main character is a knight on his journey homeward pondering these questions on why God has forsaken the human race. However, unbeknownst to him, the Grim Reaper has been following him for a long time, and engages in a metaphoric game of chess for his very soul. “Long considered one of the masterpieces of cinema, it is now a little embarrassing to some viewers, with its stark imagery and its uncompromising subject, which is no less than the absence of God” (Ebert 405). The film beautifully illustrates the probing questions about our relationship, destiny, and spirituality with God,
“Modernism was a colorful trend, it manifested in a different way in many national cinemas. For example the French new wave become famous for its playfulness, Italian post-neorealist for the alienation of its neurotic characters, the Czechoslovak new wave for its grotesque kitchen sink realism, Polish cinema for its historism and the Hungarian new wave for its parabolic stories. But even though its diverse national versions, Modernism was an international phenomenon, which had some common characteristics.