From here, the characters begin traveling back to the Block's castle, while the knight tries to restore his faith in God before his game with Death is complete, and while this may be the central theme for many who watch this movie, to me, the main theme offered by The Seventh Seal is death is unavoidable, no matter your belief structure, no matter what you do to delay it. Death is still coming for you. For me, the chess game represents a person's struggle to continue life, even though they know death is inevitable.
When watched from this perspective, Block's actions, especially during the movie's finale when he's praying/begging for knowledge and mercy, are those of a person who doesn't accept his ultimate fate, even as it bangs on his castle door. Instead of trying to find peace in his current life, Block's quest is one to that focuses on having his faith validated. While some may argue that restoring Block's faith offers the character purpose and peace of mind, his pleads for mercy during the final scene reflect the actions of someone who is not at peace with his life.
Granted, a desire to live is never a bad thing, but Block understood the circumstances of his agreement with Death, and instead of trying to find inner peace and satisfaction as he delayed Death with a chess game, he focuses, instead, on his crumbling faith. Furthermore, once his faith is restored, after the strawberries and cream scene with Jof and Mia, Block is still resigned to begging for forgiveness and mercy. Compare these actions to that of his squire Jons. Despite having little faith in an afterlife, going as far as to belittle Block's prayers and pleas, he is far more accepting of his fate, perhaps understanding he wasn't supposed to be rewarded with long life following his actions during The Crusades.
Meanwhile, Death plays no favorites and offers no bargains or alternatives. When he comes for you, your time is up. Yes, it is suggested that Block delayed Death with the chess game, but there's also a distinct possibility that Death knew the game was going to happen before he introduced himself to Block, and he allowed it to happen. If Death was indeed acting with such knowledge, and it's not a stretch to believe Death has omniscient awareness, that also indicates there was no delay to begin with. He could have allowed Block to play because Death simply wanted to play a game of chess. It should be noted that while he was being "delayed" by Block, Death continued to work, taking Skat's life by sawing down the tree he was perched in.
If Death was truly delayed by Block, he wouldn't have time to take another's life. This also suggests he could've taken Block's life at any time. With that in mind, the The Seventh Seal suggests the concept and the character of Death waits for no man. The personification of Death is also responsible for the movie's breath-taking closing scene, the danse macabre:
Does such a moving scene suggest Death is not the awful end we think it is, and that perhaps it's something beautiful? Questions for another time...
The Seventh Seal. By: Allie Lonneman
ReplyDeleteThe key concept mentioned in the post that spoke louder than any points made was, “Death waits for no man”. With Death being the central character in The Seventh Seal, it is important for a viewer to see that Death is not escapable. Although Block is able to delay his pending future via a game of chess, Death still makes his presence known. A key scene to back up the points being made in the post is the scene in the forest, when they are enjoying their “last supper” and there is a skull attached to a stick making its presence known. This is just one example of the underlying theme that Death is inevitable. Group 8 threw a great twist in the post with the final comment: “Does such a moving scene suggest Death is not the awful end we think it is, and that perhaps it's something beautiful? Questions for another time...” The whole movie, the viewer is on a journey to escape or delay Death, then the end “Dancing with Death” scene displays Death in a way not shown throughout the movie. Ingmar Bergman displays it as an escape to an almost happy, beautiful new world. The whole movie depicts this journey of fearing Death and running from it. Throughout this journey Block and his companions are subtly reminded of Death’s constant presence. To viewers, this is scene as a scare tactic or a way to instill fear throughout the movie. Finally, the “journey” escaping Death was brought to an end. After all the foreshadowing, and subtle reminders of Death’s dark and gloomy presence, the end is shown as something beautiful. Overall, the post was great. It analyzed alternative ways to interpret the movie. In analyzing the movie this way, it allows viewers to see Death in a more positive light.
It's very true that death is inevitable. It is great that the movie has a personification of death. The character of death dictates all of the other characters' actions, including the beautiful chess game between Block and Death. Some see this as just an attempt by Block to delay his own demise, but it represents so much more than that. The chess game is a wonderful piece of imagery. It represents all of the regrets, second-thoughts, and attempts to make a deal with death/God that so many people go through. But in the end, death is always the victor. I agree that Block trying to restore his faith in God isn't the central theme in the film. It's larger than any one faith. It's all about how people deal with death. Having Block be a Christian just made the themes more applicable for the majority of the audience. I agree that the scene at the end makes it seem that death isn't as bad as we make it out to be. Throughout the film, as the characters deal with death, the audience is evaluating their own lives and feelings about dying. Death can definitely seem scary; just look at how death is depicted in the film. But the dancing with death scene at the end leaves the audience with a sense of hope and assures them that dying isn't going to be that bad. It's something that you can't avoid and there's no use in worrying about it.
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