Lanquist

This film had a hypnotic effect on me with it's ambient, ponderous score, subtle character acting and peculiar imagery. I watch it maybe once a month, just to let the feel of it sink into my skin. It's full of ideas and images that won't go away--in fact there's very little of it I can't remember. It's a small and unconventional masterpiece for a director who has since gone down a more conventional route (Copland, Girl Interrupted). Watch it if you can find it. If you like it, get a copy because it may be forgotten one day. This one is about something.

When I first saw this film I was toiling through medieval literature which imbued it with a deeper meaning. It's about all the fears of a world we think is gone--a world where death seems to lurk--ready to open its arms and lead us away at any time. It's been a while since I watched The Seventh Seal, but what I remember about it is that one must consider life and death and be ready for either. There are meanings in this film that run deep. I watch it again and again hoping for some glimpse of the human soul that sheds light on my own.

The combination of sounds, acting, and the story in this film make it a small masterpiece. I loved the tension one always gets with an anti-hero. I also got a real sense of time and place--the temperature, day and night, the feel of a long night--despite this film''s short length. This film lands on my top ten list.