8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 5.0 | |
Overall | 5.0 |
Disillusioned and exhausted after a decade of battling in the Crusades, a knight encounters Death on a desolate beach and challenges him to a fateful game of chess.
Starring: Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Nils Poppe, Max von Sydow, Bibi AnderssonDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 87% |
Surreal | 18% |
Imaginary | 7% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Swedish: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital Mono (192 kbps)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 5.0 |
Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" (1957) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; archival audio commentary by film scholar Peter Cowie; additional featurettes; audio interview with actor Max von Sydow; and more. In Swedish, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
The knight
Presented in aspect ratio of 1.38:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The new 4K remaster that was used to source this release is very good, but it presents a difficult dilemma which I am going to describe below.
When Criterion released The Seventh Seal in 2009 I liked the technical presentation a lot, and for a long period of time I thought that it was amongst the very best presentations of a classic film on the market. Technology has evolved quite dramatically since then and we are seeing more and more top-quality 4K remasters being done for a wide range of different films, but I still think that the first release of The Seventh Seal looks fantastic. So, this new 4K remaster does a couple of new things. First, it improves density, though I immediately have to say that the actual upgrade is very tiny because the previous remaster had all-around solid density levels. Second, it tones down and rebalances the contrast levels, which is a very common improvement that properly done 4K remasters deliver. Third, it has a slightly superior grading that expands some more gentle nuances, which is another expected improvement. Now, here's where things become complicated. The new 4K remaster conveys traces of denoising, and while they are certainly very gentle, they do produce undesirable side effects. For example, instead of looking 'tighter' and natively sharper (not sharpened) the film tends to look softer because of the adjustments. The real issue, however, is that darker areas and nighttime footage can also appear flatter, and in certain cases it is quite clear that fine nuances have been lost in backgrounds (see examples in screencaptures #10 and 23). Some of the side effects can also be observed during daylight footage where again it is clear that small nuances are lost (see screencapture #2). On a large screen I easily see these limitations, but I prefer the less contrary look of the new remaster. On the other hand, the difference is very small, and there is actually greater native clarity on the old remaster. To sum it all up, while certainly very good, I think that without the tiny adjustments the new 4K remaster would have been something truly special. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Swedish LPCM 1.0 and English Dolby Digital 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The lossless track sounded terrific, with a rather unusually good balance in the mid-/high registers, but I am unsure if some new work has been done to further improve its quality. Either way, I think that it ensures a very pleasant viewing experience. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report.
This new release of The Seventh Seal is sourced from a recent 4K restoration of the film and is included in Criterion's upcoming Ingmar Bergman's Cinema thirty-disc box set, which will be available for purchase on November 20. The restoration is very good, but it has some digital work done which I am not a fan of. In the technical section above I have done my best to explain what I see, what I like, and what I dislike, so that is where you will find my final opinion of the restoration. All bonus features from the first Blu-ray release of the film have been retained. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
1966
Hamnstad
1948
Smultronstället
1957
Ansiktet
1958
Otto e mezzo / Federico Fellini's 8½
1963
2003
Till glädje
1950
Riten / The Ritual
1969
Törst
1949
Efter repetitionen
1984
En passion
1969
Nära livet
1958
Skepp till Indialand / A Ship Bound for India
1947
Kvinnodröm
1955
Gycklarnas afton
1953
Tystnaden
1963
Scener ur ett äktenskap
1973
Nattvardsgästerna
1963
Såsom i en spegel
1961
Fanny och Alexander
1982