RETRO: Scott Walker - "The Seventh Seal"The legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, who directed such classics like The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light and Persona, not to mention countless others, died today. Bergman was one of the first directors to meet simultaneous acclaim in the art house and mainstream, and his high concepts--particularly his explorations of existential and metaphysical themes--left a permanent mark on the art form.
But his influence--and truly, Bergman is one of cinema's most iconic figures--was not unfelt by musicians. Take this somewhat campy, but ultimately haunting, song from the baroque-pop singer Scott Walker. Named for Bergman's best-known film, "The Seventh Seal" is the first track on Walker's fourth album, from 1969, and one of my favorite songs from that era. With its coarse trumpet and percussive Spanish guitar, it could have easily soundtracked an early Sergio Leone film. But it carries all the power and somberness of its namesake, in which, against the backdrop of a plague-torn Sweden, a returning crusader plays a game of chess against Death, his life the prize should he win. "The Seventh Seal" also shares that film's ambition; it's the rare pop song that is both elaborate and immediate. It's because of songs like this, I imagine, that later eccentrics--those along the lines of Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Julian Cope--themselves channeled the cerebral, doom-laden themes of Bergman's best films.
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