Ken Harris
Phil 201
04/24/12
The Seventh Seal
The film start off with Block the Knight and his squire Jӧns heading home from fighting in the Crusades. The two then travel to a beach where Block encounters Death who has come to claim his soul. Block then challenges Death to a chess game because he believes he can prolong his death as long as the game continues. In the beginning the other characters don’t see Death and they think that Block is just playing a game of chess alone, like he always does. Block and Death do not finish their game, for they take many breaks throughout the film. Upon reaching a church Block mistakenly tells Death his strategy for their chess game, believing him to be a priest. Block believes that his life has been without meaning, like most other people’s lives, but he will use my reprieve for one meaningful deed. After leaving the church, the two head to the next town in search of supplies. Block encounters a young woman who has been condemned to be burnt alive for supposedly consorting with the Devil. Block speaks to her wanting to know if she has really seen the Devil. While looking for supplies, Jӧns saves a young woman from being raped from a man robbing a corpse. He recognizes the man as Raval, the guy who convinced Block to leave his wife and join a crusade to the Holy Land. Jӧns promises the man that if he sees him again doing wrong, he will brand his face. For saving her, the girl thne joins Block and Jӧns on their travel. Jof, Mia, and Skat are introduced as traveling actors. Jof and Mia are husband and wife with their young son traveling with them. Jof is said to have visions of things and the first one we see is of the virgin Marry and baby Jesus walking in a medal. While doing a performance, Skat runs off with a blacksmith’s wife causing him to become furious at Jof for knowing him. Raval also egged the blacksmith on to attack Jof and humiliated Jof by making him dance like a bear on the table. Jӧns then walks in and stops Raval from messing with Jof. Keeping his promise, Jӧns then slashes Raval across the eye and walks away. Mia meets Block and together they share strawberries and milk while talking. Jof then joins his wife and shortly after Jӧns and the young woman joins the group as well. They all agree to travel to Block’s castle, as well as the blacksmith, to be safer from the plague. Along the way, they come across Skat and the blacksmith’s wife. As she is...
