11. The Seventh Seal: Bergman's one funny motherfucker

It's rare to find a film as intimidating as The Seventh Seal. This is one of those Important films, a film that you are expected to not only assume is brilliant, but also to respect and speak about in hushed tones. This is Serious Cinema. There will be no fucking around with the great Ingmar Bergman.

The thing is though, when you actually pop one of these in and start watching it as just a film, all the intimidating bullshit flakes away. Yes, The Seventh Seal is an important movie with iconic scenes that every film lovers needs to watch. It's also, shockingly, a fun viewing with some legitimately funny shit going on. The famous "chess with Death" scenes are great, but less talked about is the scene of Death sawing the trunk of a tree to get at an actor hiding in the branches. It feels like something out of a Mel Brooks film. There's also a delightful sequence prior to that one of a cuckolded husband threatening to murder said actor, with the Squire making sarcastic running commentary on the affair. Finally, there's a scene of the Knight in a confession booth talking about his strategy for beating Death at chess, and it's revealed that the person he was talking to in the booth was Death all along, who smiles and says that he'll remember his strategy. That's some straight-up Bugs Bunny shit.

This isn't to say that The Seventh Seal isn't an Important and Serious film. There are a lot of striking images here that will stay with you long after the jokes fade, and have probably contributed to its current reputation. The burning of the witch is heartbreaking and terrifying, and the final scene where the Knight, his wife and their friends finally have to confront Death is a powerful ending that's guaranteed to stick with you and possibly cause a crisis of faith. Or at least that's what it did for a friend of mine.

I love The Seventh Seal and like I said, it's not as intimidating to watch as its reputation suggests. The humor helps lift up the tragic scenes, and this film would not be the masterpiece it is without the jokes. As for the ranking, it's a three-way battle between this and my top two. As much as I love this film, Beauty and the Beast is still one of my all-time favorites, so that one's staying put. Seven Samurai's a bit harder to put above it, but personal enjoyment is the deciding factor, and in the future I'll be more inclined to watch that over The Seventh Seal. Therefore, Bergman swoops in and takes the #3 spot.

1. Beauty and the Beast (1946)
2. Seven Samurai (1954)
3. The Seventh Seal (1957)
4. Grand Illusion (1937)
5. Hard Boiled (1992)
6. The 400 Blows (1959)
7. Walkabout (1971)
8. The Killer (1989)
9. A Night to Remember (1958)
10. The Lady Vanishes (1938)
11. Amarcord (1973)

Next up: I try my hardest not to immediately put This is Spinal Tap at 11.