A film of visual scope, of imaginative concept, of powerful content, written and directed by Ingmar Bergman

Starring: Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Nils Poppe, Bibi Andersson, Inga Gill, Maud Hansson, Inga Landgré, Gunnel Lindblom, Bertil Anderberg

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I want to confess as best I can, but my heart is void. The void is a mirror. I see my face and feel loathing and horror. My indifference to men has shut me out. I live now in a world of ghosts, a prisoner in my dreams." - Antonius Block

Why watch this? It's a classic for incredible visuals and thought-provoking themes of death and God.

Plot Summary: A weary medieval knight returns home from the Crusades only to find his homeland ravaged by the Black Death. When Death appears to claim him, the knight challenges the entity to a game of chess, hoping to find answers and perform one meaningful act before he inevitably dies. The film then follows the knight's profound journey across the desolate landscape as he engages with various people and wrestles with existential questions of faith, suffering, and the meaning of life

Dad's Preview: This Ingmar Bergman masterpiece of cinema yields new meaning each time I watch it. It is a fable of mortality where man (portrayed by a disenchanted knight) outwits death (a white-faced visage in a black robe), and is permitted to ask questions regarding life, God and the reason we exist. Mortals, who have no idea if they will die of the plague or live in a castle, have mostly become acrimonious beings, struggling with such random uncertainty. Yet some live happily with very little. This film is aesthetically gripping in its black and white splendor - no shadow or ray of light is wasted here. There are subtitles, but that should not deter you from exploring this film classic, which you will find on just about every "Greatest films..." list in existence.

Allan Ekelund; AB Svensk Filmindustri