I have always considered it a great privilege to share this film with a class. It has affected me deeply since I first saw it when I was ten years old, or so, on Channel 13, when they showed the entire Janus Film collection of great foreign films over the course of two years or so back in 1970. I may not have understood much of it, but the subject matter, and the sublime imagery captivated me.
Like Runaway Train, the quotable quotes come fast and furious. Squire Jons get almost all the best lines. Let me think of a few:
1. Our Crusade was so stupid, it could only have been thought up by an idealist.
2. A skull is more interesting than a naked woman.
3. They don't really expect modern people to believe that rubbish.
4. You, with the fat nose, will you continue to pollute the earth for another year?
Better ones come later.
Oh, here's a question for you: How does the film end? Answer in comment below.
Since it's an existentialist film, someone has to die. However, I truly believe it won't be Antonius Block; he said he'll beat Death, and I think he will.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely brilliant movie. When you showed it to my class, you mentioned that you could watch the film on mute and be just as affected by it. I bought the DVD, and actually tried it. You were absolutely right. Remarkable imagery.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really loved about this movie was that I felt Bergman didn't really force his ideology on the viewer. He just presented the viewer with what he felt was necessary for them to decide for themselves. I honestly never felt like Bergman was saying "there is no God", but rather, "question the fact that there might not be one".
3. They don't really expect modern people to believe that rubbish.
ReplyDeleteThis really stuck out to me because we are learning about the Salem witch trial in English class and have finished learning about them in AP US and the thought of such horrors that people have brought about falsely in the name of "God" is terrifying to say the least.
As far as how the film ends I am going to put my money on Death and Antonius Block getting into a stalemate in Chess and then something crazy happens.
i cracked up with the quote," a skull is more interesting than a naked women." Then i thought to myself what can this mean. Only to find out that death can sometimes be better than sex depending on your situation. If your were to have a terminal illness such as cancer then death would be the best thing to do for it would end your misery.
ReplyDeleteBased on Nick's comment I am going to assume that they all die in the end and that Death takes them all. Unlike the comments above, I think Black will get awfully close but Death will outsmart him in the end, because i cannot imagine what would happen if Black won.
ReplyDelete