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I love this film! This Swedish classic from Ingmar Bergman is a captivating journey into the time of the Black Plague. Most people will know this film from its human-looking version of Death (Bengt Ekerot, THE MAGICIAN), with his pale, hairless face and black hooded robes. He makes appearances in films like BILL & TED’S BOGUS JOURNEY and LAST ACTION HERO.

In this film, Death engages in a chess match with a soldier named Antonius Block (Max von Sydow, THE EXORCIST). Going into the film, I was expecting something very artsy and metaphorical. It is those things, but not at all in a pretentious way. The most surprising thing about the film is that it’s often funny. Block and his squire Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand, AUTUMN SONATA) are journeying back home after being involved in the Crusades for the past 10 years. Block is questioning his faith and Jons is convinced there is no God. They meet up with various people along their way — most notably an acting troupe led by Jof (Nils Poppe, THE ACTOR) along with his wife Mia (Bibi Andersson, PERSONA) and infant child Michael.

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Check Out the Trailer

M. Night Shyamalan became a name director with this film and hasn’t looked back since. The film starts with psychiatrist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis, DIE HARD) and his wife Anna Crowe (Olivia Williams, PETER PAN) as they celebrate Malcolm winning an award for his work, which has consumed his life. Then comes a tragic event that puts a bigger wedge between the couple. Malcolm seeks redemption in helping troubled child Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment, SECONDHAND LIONS), who claims to see dead people.

The core theme of the film is people learning to communicate with each other — Malcolm with Anna and Cole with his mother Lynn (Toni Collette, JAPANESE STORY). If you know anything about Shyamalan’s films there is always a big “twist” revelation at the end. Knowing the twist and watching the film a second time, I was surprised at how engaging the film still was. It’s because the twist is based in the characters not the plot. It’s a revelation to the characters as much as it is to the audience.

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