So Ingmar Bergman finally lost that chess game. And If you have any idea what I’m talking about, it’s because Mr. Bergman created one of the most memorable allegories of all time: the image of a man playing chess with Death, holding off the inevitable as long as he can. Countless millions have seen The Seventh Seal, but many times that number recognize the image of chess with Death without ever having seen the movie.
I have little to add to the torrent of tributes, except to say that allegory is our business here at GrailCode.com, so it seems like nothing less than a duty to acknowledge the life of one of the great masters of allegory—especially one who so valiantly fought an age that had little patience for the stuff. If you’ve avoided seeing The Seventh Seal because you expected unbearable bleakness, see it now. It’s full of tough questions, like the Book of Job, and it doesn’t give us straight answers. But it’s also full of unexpected beauty and hope and joy, just like life.
