It has been a long time since I prepared a mix inspired by a movie. During the lockdown, I ended up watching what I consider the master of perfection of all movies... "The Seventh Seal" was directed by Ingmar Bergman in 1957.
Disillusioned knight Antonius Block and his cynical squire Jöns return from the Crusades to find the country ravaged by the plague. The knight encounters Death, whom he challenges to a chess game believing he can survive as long as the game continues. The game they start continues throughout the story.
The Seventh Seal regardless of its degree of accuracy in reproducing medieval scenery may be considered as a universal, timeless allegory. Bergman uses the journey’s theme to conduct his analysis of the most important issue of humanity.
Antonius Block is the figure of the modern believing man, who, unlike the medieval man, no longer blindly believes in a logical system that explains the creation and the functioning of the world, but he’s doubtful about the real existence of something after death. Modern man is gripped by the consciousness of his own impossibility in knowing: he seeks in vain for an answer to the absolute doubt, which unfortunately is impossible to find, and it’s thanks to this doubt that he carries on his own infinite and conflicting knowledge’s process.
The mix is not intended to replace in any way the soundtrack but it's inspired by the atmosphere and psychological conflicts in the movie, it goes from the Apocalyptic Folk through Doom and New Wave bands. The playlist also contains shortcuts of interviews to Ingmar Bergmann talking about the movie and his life.
Enjoy!
playlist:
01. Current 93 - Alone
02. Ulver - Hyfjeldsbilde
03. Death In June - Death Is The Martyr Of Beauty
04. Coil - Fire Of The Mind
05. Earth - Land of Some Other Order
06. OM - State Of Non-Return
07. Grails - Burden of Hope
08. Swans - Love Will Save You
09. The Sound - I Can't Escape Myself