Is there life after death?: 'The Seventh Seal' Plot Summary

This is a plot summary of director Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film 'The Seventh Seal'. 

The Seventh Seal is a 1957 Swedish fantasy written and directed by Ingmar Bergman based on his play called Wood Painting. The film follows Antonius Block (Max Von Sydow), a 14th century knight from Sweden who goes off to fight in the Crusades and returns home to a country ravaged by the Plague. The film’s epigram, Revelations 8:1, describes a half hour of silence after the opening of the Seventh Seal; it is within this half hour that Block and Death play a game of chess that Block uses to buy time to search for the meaning of life and the existence of God.

Crusader Antonius Block and his squire Jons wash up on the shore of Sweden, both having fought long years in Jerusalem only to return home to a country  ravaged by the Black Plague. When they awaken, there is a chess board set up and also Death who has come to take Block; Block is not ready to die, however, and challenges Death to a chess match with the stipulation that Death spares him if he wins. They begin and 2 horses materialize out of nowhere to take Block and Jons inland to Block’s castle and wife, Karin. Their 1st encounter with death is a corpse ravaged by the plague. 

Next, the scene switches to a small wagon with actors on their way to Elsinore to perform at the Saint’s Festival.  There’s Skat who plays Death, Joseph who juggles and plays man’s immortal soul, his wife Mary and their child, Michael. Joseph sees a vision of the virgin Mary.

Block and Jons stop by a church. Inside, they find a man painting the Dance of Death on the wall. The plague, the man believes, is punishment from God. High on a hill within the painting, a procession of human figures are joined by hand behind Death.

Block enters the confessional booth and speaks to the priest who listens patiently on the other side. Block bares his soul: he wants to see God for himself; he is tormented by faith; he needs to know whether or not there is any meaning to life? The priest reveals his face and is actually Death. Block is enraged at being tricked and they continue their chess match.

Some guards outside the church prepare to burn a woman at the stake who they believe is possessed by the Devil. In a barn, a man robs a corpse. This priest, whose name is Raval, had persuaded Block and Jons to go off to fight in the Crusades, promising them that doing so would lead to their salvation. Raval attempts to rape a young woman but Jons intervenes, saving the woman and warning Raval not to cross his path again.

Joseph and his fellow actors perform in small village but they are not well-received. The show is interrupted by monks bearing a large statue of Jesus on the cross followed by a procession of villagers afflicted by the plague, whipping each other in penance. The priest warns the village of impending doom for their sins. An angry blacksmith named Plog searches for his wife. The priest whom Jons warned earlier tells Plog that his wife ran off with Skat—one of the actors —and then the priest goes on to humiliate Joseph by making him dance on a burning table in a pub. Jons enters the pub and rescues Joseph. Jons grabs the priest, reminds him of his earlier warning, and fulfills his promise by taking out his knife and slashing the priest’s face. 

Later, Mary consoles Joseph who is still upset about being forced to dance on the burning table. 

Block sits with Joseph and Mary and they share their milk and strawberries with him. Block recalls his beautiful wife and how he left her to go fight in the Crusades. Joseph plays the lute. 

But Death is nearby and when Block sees him they continue their chess match. Death takes Block’s knight and falls into a trap, Block checks and threatens Death’s king. Block is confident but this confidence changes to uncertainty when Death takes an interest in Joseph, Mary, and their baby, Michael whom Block has agreed to escort through the forest. 

Jons befriends Plog, the blacksmith who lost his wife. Plog joins Jons and Block on their journey through the forest. Plog spots his wife with Skat. The blacksmith and the actor square off and trade insults. Plog and Lisa kiss and make up; she turns against actor who plays on Plog’s sympathy, concedes his wrongdoing, and stabs himself in the heart with a fake dagger. When everyone leaves, Skat climbs a tall tree, looks down and sees Death with a saw. Skat pleads with Death but it is no use. Death saws down the tree. 

Block and the others stop to watch knights burn a witch at the stake. Block wants to know whether God exists and asks the possessed woman to put his question to the Devil. The girl’s hands are broken and Block asks one of the monks who did this but the monk turns out to be Death. The girl’s eyes are wide-open as the flames wrap around her and Block asks Jons what she sees and Jons says nothing. They leave. 

A man dying of the plague stumbles into their camp begging for water. Joseph stops Mary from giving their water to the dying man. Block and Death resume chess game by a tree but it looks like Block is playing chess by himself. No one but Joseph can see that Block is actually playing chess with Death. Their game is almost finished. Death takes Block’s queen and Block looks worried and “inadvertently” knocks over the chess pieces to buy more time from Death who is ever more impatient, promising to end the game at their next meeting. Block asks Death for his secrets hoping to get some clue as to what happens on the other side. Death cannot answer. 

There’s a storm and Mary senses Death behind them. Block finally makes it to his castle and his wife whom he can’t remember or recognize. She prepares a meal and reads revelation 8:1 as they are eating. Block hears a knock at the door and sends his squire Jons to answer it. It is Death. Everyone rises from the dinner table to greet him, all except Joseph, Mary, and their child Michael whom were left behind. Block prays but Jons mocks him, saying that there’s no God to hear his prayer. Death takes them all.

Later, Joseph, his wife, and their child wake up their wagon which is alone in an empty field. Joseph sees the shadow of Death leading Block and the others by hand on the horizon. Mary cannot see this vision. The film ends.