«The close-up, correctly illuminated, directed and acted of an actor is and remains the height of cinematography. There is nothing better. That incredibly strange and mysterious contact you can suddenly experience with another soul through an actor’s gaze»
— Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman on what "The Seventh Seal" (1957) meant to him:
"'The Seventh Seal' (1957) is one of the few films really close to my heart. Actually, I don’t know why. It’s certainly far from perfect. I had to contend with all sorts of madness, and one can detect here and there the speed with which it was made. But I find it even, strong, and vital. Furthermore, in this film I passionately cultivated my theme to the fullest.
Since at the time I was still very much in a quandary over religious faith, I placed my two opposing beliefs side by side, allowing each to state its case in its own way. In this manner, a virtual cease-fire could exist between my childhood piety and my newfound harsh rationalism. Thus, there are no neurotic complications between the knight and his vassals.
Also, I infused the characters of Jof and Mia with something that was very important to me: the concept of the holiness of the human being. If you peel off the layers of various theologies, the holy always remains.
I also added a playful friendliness to the family picture. The child brings about the miracle, and the juggler’s eighth ball stands still in the air for one breathtaking moment, a microsecond. 'The Seventh Seal' doesn’t chafe anywhere."
("Images: My Life in Film", Ingmar Bergman, 1992)
P.S: Remembering the legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman on his 108th birthday!
Masumiyet (1997)
Director: Zeki Demirkubuz
Zeki Demirkubuz based his other film, 'Kader' (2006) from this monologue by the character 'Bekir' in 'Masumiyet' (1997)