Seventh Seal, The (Max von Sydow) (DVD)

Directed by Ingmar Bergman

Vividly recreating a medieval world tormented by plague and superstition, Bergman's allegorical drama — centred on a knight (Max von Sydow), returned from the Crusades, who challenges Death to a game of chess in order to postpone his demise — remains fascinating (and finally rather touching) as a study of faith in crisis. Packed with powerful images, it punctuates its bleakness with moments of wry humour. A Jury Prize winner at Cannes upon its release, the film remains one of the must-see masterworks of world Cinema.