Diehl40's Top 100 Films (Favorites)

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78. The Seventh Seal

Dir Ingmar Begman
Cast: Max von sydow, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Maude Hanson,



In some ways The Seventh Seal is a film from a different time. A time when it was more appropriate for a film to ask existential questions such as "Why does God Remain silent" or at least seems to. Bergman followed this sort of theme in most of his mature movies (his comedies were an an exception).

In this film he takes a more direct approach than say his "silence of God" Trilogy: Through a Glass Darkly, Winter's Light, and The Silence". A knight returning from the crusades is approached by death and is informed that Death has been traveling by his side for some time now. The knight (Max Von Sydow) challenges death to a game of chess for his soul.

Death has other souls on the menu, and the Knight loses the game on purpose to distract death from claiming the lives of a small family traveling through the country side.So he sacrifices his life for the lives of the travelers. Bergman is not for everybody. some would say his films are to heavy or boring. I enjoy Bergman for his willingness to explore life issues in his films.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.



78. The Seventh Seal

Dir Ingmar Begman
Cast: Max von sydow, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Maude Hanson,



In some ways The Seventh Seal is a film from a different time. A time when it was more appropriate for a film to ask existential questions such as "Why does God Remain silent" or at least seems to. Bergman followed this sort of theme in most of his mature movies (his comedies were an an exception).

In this film he takes a more direct approach than say his "silence of God" Trilogy: Through a Glass Darkly, Winter's Light, and The Silence". A knight returning from the crusades is approached by death and is informed that Death has been traveling by his side for some time now. The knight (Max Von Sydow) challenges death to a game of chess for his soul.

Death has other souls on the menu, and the Knight loses the game on purpose to distract death from claiming the lives of a small family traveling through the country side.So he sacrifices his life for the lives of the travelers. Bergman is not for everybody. some would say his films are to heavy or boring. I enjoy Bergman for his willingness to explore life issues in his films.

The Seventh Seal is one of those movies that I've heard about, and it sounds interesting, but I'm not sure if I'll like it, so I haven't watched it yet. I even bought the DVD at a garage sale recently, but I haven't decided whether or not to watch it yet.
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The Seventh Seal is one of those movies that I've heard about, and it sounds interesting, but I'm not sure if I'll like it, so I haven't watched it yet. I even bought the DVD at a garage sale recently, but I haven't decided whether or not to watch it yet.



It is a good Bergman film, and if you have not already checked him out I think it would be a good introduction. Bergman is definitely not for everyone, but I like him.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
It is a good Bergman film, and if you have not already checked him out I think it would be a good introduction. Bergman is definitely not for everyone, but I like him.

I think I watched a few Bergman films in some early HoFs here, but the only one that I remember liking is Wild Strawberries (1957).




77. Midnight Cowboy


Looking back on this film, What I liked was primarily the acting of Voight and Hoffman. I would still consider a top 100, but maybe not this high.






76. Blue Velvet

Dir David Lynch
Kyle Mclachlan, Laura Dern, Dennis Hopper, Dean Stockwell, and others


Lynch seeks to show that even in the Mayberry like town of Lumberton, that there is something dark lurking under the thin veneer surface that we see. In this case its name is Frank Booth. For me Frank booth is the ultimate villain, bad guy, or whatever you want to call him. (I've said so in some of my posts to threads on the subject). A young man (Mcchachlan) returns home to Lumberton when his father suffers a severe stroke. While he is there he meets a young women (Laura Dern) who he starts dating. While cutting through a field on his way home from visiting his father, he comes across a human ear. He takes it to a detective down the street (Laura Dern's father ) and Kyle starts to be drawn into a dark mystery that he finds irresistible. He also gets Dern's character involved against her father's wishes. the young man gets himself in over his head with Frank and finds that it just might cost him his life.

This theme of the dark forces living just under the surface of the seemingly good veneer has become a common theme in Lynch's movies and tv projects. You see it clearest in Twin Peaks, but it is also there in Lost Highway and other Lynch films. He also is big on mystery. Not so much stories about a mystery, but creating a mystery with his film. Anyone who has seen Lost Highway knows what I am talking about.

I wouldn't recommend this film to everyone. This film is meant to offend you, and I would worry about you if you are not on some level offended. Frank is pure id, and thus becomes the ultimate in uncontrollable rage. David Lynch tells the story of writing the part and having Dennis Hopper call him saying that he was Frank Booth and wanted the part. Lynch just said he was silent for just a moment with a chill, an gave Dennis the part. I would give the film a higher score, but it is going to turn to many people off to earn a five.




77. Midnight Cowboy


Looking back on this film, What I liked was primarily the acting of Voight and Hoffman. I would still consider a top 100, but maybe not this high.
I almost ended up watching that one this year, but never got around to it for some reason. I'll have to consider it for November after my October horror binge is up.