THE SEVENTH SEAL 4K Blu-ray Review - Better than the Criterion? with Screenshot Comparison 

Hey, thanks for watching :) You can buy The Seventh Seal on 4K here - amzn.to/3EUf36g

The Seventh Seal is quite simply a Masterpiece. It has been on my personal Top 10 list for more than 3 decades.

Excellent video and coverage Elliot! Good timing too, as I was just talking to Sam about ordering a copy for myself. Cheers man!

Gunnar Björnstrand in this movie... He breathes live into it, he makes all the right choices to ease the viewer into the heavy topic. One of the best casting choices of all time. Thx for the review!

Yes, on booklet's front cover is original poster for the film

What are the odds? I haven’t really cared so much about that movie before. I barely knew about it, except for the Chess scene which is parodied a lot. But the last few weeks, I’ve gotten an urge to watch it. (Even found out about the name🤭😅) I take it as a sign that I have to watch it as soon as possible!

An absolute classic - I got this on the first day it was released. I took a two courses on Silent Swedish cinema at UEA so have a particular love of black and white Nordic film.

Elliot, have you ever done a vid on what Blu Ray player and TV set up you have? If not do you plan on doing one and showing your set up off?

Nice video going over this in detail Elliot! I'm curious as to how this holds up with the new Blu Ray in the BFI box set (which I think is the same 4k scan as this release). At the moment it's not viable for me to buy a HDR player/begin to purchase 4K Blu rays, but with more releases like this, I can see that being an option!

Great video mate, thank you! Do you think you’ll do a similar one for the upcoming Citizen Kane 80th Anniversary 4K blu ray? Also, I watched My Man Godfrey based on your recommendation in the last video - what a film. I loved every second. Thank you for putting it on my radar

Ordered mine the first day it went up for preorder it's on the way but it's taking a while to get across the pond. Can't wait to pop it in.

Ahh ok, thanks for clearing it up about the Blu Ray in the Criterion Bergman box set being different from the previous individual Criterion Blu Ray. I was confused about that so that was very helpful information to know that the Bergman box set does include this improved restoration (even if on Blu Ray instead of 4K disc). Because I mean honestly, spending that large amount of money on that huge set and then buying this 4K on top of that just makes me hesitate a little, so it's good to know this information.

This is my favorite movie of all time

My order from Amazon in the U.K. just arrived today at my home in Canada. I look forward to watching it and am pleased to learn it was money well spent. 👍

6:01 In fact, if you're a real film-fan; you LOVE grain! It adds a real palpable sense of looking at FILM shot on celluloid, not pixels captured in a memory bank. As much as I would like to, I will not be buying this; I got the Criterion box-set Ingmar Bergman's Cinema a year or so ago, and that will (have to) do me nicely! (The copy of The Seventh Seal in that set is a new 4k remaster, so probably the same source as your 4k disc!) Thank you for the great review; I will admit I'm tempted, but having it on a good Blu-ray.. and there are so many films to buy.. I just can't justify it!

Totally agree I’ve been buying the BFI Bergman sets so Although I got the film as part of Vol 2, I still bought it on 4k as it’s a masterpiece and I wanted it in its best iteration.

Thanks Elliot, I already have the Criterion single release Blu Ray and the Bergman Cinema boxed set. Can’t justify a third dip. Would love to.

First Swedish movie released on 4K disc. Finally!

Great that you did this as I've been wondering if it was worth it as I have the Ingmar Bergman's Cinema Criterion release already. I think the scan will be the same so really comes down to the use of HDR to really bring out these inky blacks and lovely seperation of contrast to the lighter shades. I may just grab it I think. I had to do some research recently to decide if I wanted to double up a few films by getting BFIs first Bergman volume box set but since there were some films in there not in the Criterion I decided to grab that set but won't be doing the same got volume 2 as they are all in the Criterion set. I believe I read the BFI will release 5 volumes so will be interesting to see if there are any more of Bergman's films in the BFI volumes that aren't in the Criterion mega set ...,or indeed if they release any more Bergman 4k sets. I think Wild Strawberries would make for a lovely 4k disc personally!

Damn, great comparison. Thanks pal!

Good review. A little off-topic, but instructive to see that in the comparisons between the blu ray and 4k images, much of the exalted 'grain' is simply noise from image capture. Much of what is claimed as 'grain' is often just errors due to capture limitations of lenses and film or limitations of the digitization process. Even actual grains in film are really errors due to the physical limitations of the original film media with contributions from the rest of the original image capture equipment (e.g. unsuitable lenses). Liking grain is similar to loving vinyl albums for their scratches and hissing.

Do you have a video covering what TV and sound system you use. If not can we get one soon?!

Tempting to get this but will wait to see if Criterion will do their own 4K release now that they are finally getting into the UHD market.

I'll wait to see if Criterion releases it on 4K in the future and see what's what. But I'm extremely tempted.

I’m in the US and got my copy yesterday

Which Fellini film? Is it 8 1/2? The dance scene at the end of that movie reminds me of the dance of death at the end of Seventh Seal FWIW.

Criterion for Seventh Seal is not really an option here in the UK, but I believe the Blu-Ray is in one of those new BFI Bergman box sets, so I’m not sure… Either way I must have it because it’s one of my all time favourites. I’ve only seen 7 or 8 Bergman films but this is the best so far

the blu ray on the 4k does have the new restoration of the film right?

hope to order it soon but might get the bfi 4K version but like the criterion version and a great classic movie by ingmar Bergman

I love the Criterion version.

This review made me buy this 4k version, since Criterion still hasnt released any 4k. As of 21th of May 2022 leaving this comment :)

I just bought the single Criterion blu-ray. Did not know this one was coming out on 4 k. Oh well I am starting a Criterion collection.

I don't find that uhd makes that big of an improvement on black n white films, beyond the resolution obviously. However the extras are what I want my hands on. Bergman's "Scenes From A Marriage" is another I want on 4k release.

Thank you. The video quality is indeed excellent. But, one thing you didn't talk about, that I think deserves some comment, is the subtitles. And the subtitled translations are at times so bad that they kind of ruin it. Example: they consistently refer to Death as "the Devil," thus messing up the central allegory of the film. (How did this happen???) Plus, the timing of the subtitles is also off at times.

I wonder how it compares with the BFI blu ray box sets that are coming out. Already have the Criterion mega box so not sure whether to double dip on the box sets.

Why not in color?

Is part of the moral here to proceed cautiously with purchasing Criterion blu rays going forward? Presumably some (many?) of their 2k or 4k-remastered blu rays will get released by Criterion, or Studio Canal/BFI et al., in 4k UHD.

What is that yellow “PG” on the front? I don’t like that

Shipping to Canada about the same cost as the Blu Ray *cries*

Take my money 💵!

Do you really buy ur videos? $40 Amazon stick and I downloaded one app. And all moves and shows are free to watch. No monthly payments.