Reviews

DVD

The Seventh Seal **** (4 stars)

Starring Max Von Sydow. Directed by Ingmar Bergman. Released by the Criterion Collection. $29.95.

More than 50 years have passed since Swedish director Ingmar Bergman came up with the idea of a knight playing chess with Death, with the knight's life hanging in the balance. Even those who have never seen 1957's The Seventh Seal have heard about the infamous chess match, especially after it was spoofed in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (where the game was updated to Twister, electric football and a few others).

Bergman himself might have chuckled at how that single scene has become a cultural touchstone of sorts. But The Seventh Seal, especially in this wonderfully annotated and accentuated Criterion edition, is a film that deserves so much more than to be a source of satire.

Max Von Sydow is Antonius Block, a knight heading home after years away fighting in the Crusades. Disillusioned by what he has seen, plagued with doubt over God's very existence, if not His sense of justice, Block is anxious to reunite with his wife and re-establish some sense of normalcy. When Death greets him shortly after arriving in Sweden, Block wrangles a deal: He and Death will continue their journey to Block's home, playing chess along the way. As long as Block is winning, the journey continues. If Death wins ... well, we all know what happens then.

The Seventh Seal is a fascinating, multilayered film, centered on a character's crisis of faith, but with subplots and themes (such as selflessness and innocence) that should resonate with everyone. Bergman's visuals are nothing short of astonishing, as he and cinematographer Gunnar Fischer come up with scene after scene of astonishing simplicity and power - culminating in a joyful dance with Death that lifts both hearts and minds.

Extras included with this exemplary film package include an 80-minute film biography, Bergman Island; a running commentary from Bergman expert Peter Cowie, an introduction to the movie by Bergman himself, filmed in 2003 (he died in 2007, at 89); even a tribute from Woody Allen.

Also out today: Season 2 of USA's Burn Notice (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, $49.95) offers the further adventures of Jeffrey Donovan's blackballed secret agent.

- Chris Kaltenbach

MUSIC

Lines, Vines and Trying Times ** 1/2 (2 1/2 stars)

Jonas Brothers (Hollywood Records). $19.98