The Straight Story and The Seventh Seal - Comparing and Contrasting

In 1957 a Swedish Film Director named Ingmar Bergman introduced the world to an innovative film called The Seventh Seal that would change the course of history. This awe inspiring allegorical masterpiece tells the story of Antonius Block a 14^th century Knight returning home from the Crusades only to find a godless plague ridden world. Throughout the course of his long journey Antonius Block plays chess with death in order to delay the inevitable long enough to find validation in his life by answering the age-old questions of life, death, and the existence of God.

Since the groundbreaking film The Seventh Seal debuted nearly half a century ago there have been many films that continue the tradition of portraying a significant journey through the troubles and trials of life in order to reach a coveted goal. One of the best examples of this hypothetical journey is David Lynch's The Straight Story. In this modern day re-telling of The Seventh Seal, based upon a touching true story, 73-year-old Alvin Straight treks across the Mid-Western United States via lawn mower in order to visit his estranged brother whom has fallen ill. During his arduous journey Alvin encounters many road blocks and complications that threaten his goal and seek to destroy his utmost desires.

In both of these tales of the literal and metaphorical journeys undertaken in life it is evident that there are many similarities and differences. We can classify these cognates and nuances in terms of narrative structure and content, themes, and aesthetics and style. In order to understand the connection and parallelism of the films we must first explore these similarities and differences.Narrative Structure and Content

The Seventh Seal begins with a metaphoric fall from grace as Antonius Block, upon returning from the crusades after ten years, questions the meaning of life and shows disdain for a perceived silence of God and his plague ravaged world. As Antonius sits on a lonely beach battling his faithlessness and inner demons he is literally confronted by Death, or the grim reaper, portrayed by an older man wearing a black robe. In a desperate attempt to make sense out of his rhetorical dilemma and validate his life he challenges Death to a game of chess for the worth of his soul. Death agrees and grants him temporary reprieve.

Antonius continues his journey home questing for proof of the almighty with fervor and dedication while longing to completing "one significant action" to substantiate his life. Traversing the cynical world of death, destruction, and the black plague the once stalwart Knight painfully seeks solace in unlocking the secrets of life after death and the existence of God. Wandering solely in the pursuit of personal gratification Antonius hardly seems to notice the strange occurrences and the interesting characters that his party encounters along the path. In fact he remains chiefly passive to the events of his physical journey.

For instance he is not seen on the screen when Jöns saves the Girl, Plog the smith asks to accompany the group, Lisa the strumpet returns to her husband Plog, or when the grave-robbing Raval dies. Even after the procession of penitents has passed, he makes no comment. The reason for this passivity is obvious: he is so preoccupied with his inner journey that human beings, nature, and art mean little to him. The exceptions to his indifference come only in his meeting with Tyan the young pregnant woman being burned at the stake, the actors Jof and Mia and their son Mikael, his intended means of recompense, and the arrival of Death at his castle; all being directly related to his quest. The Knight is, therefore, isolated from his fellow man and imprisoned in his dreams and fantasies. He realizes this himself, for he admits to Death in the church that only his search for God is important to him.

After succeeding in his sole unselfish quest to help Jof and Mia, who flee while the Knight distracts Death by knocking over the chessmen, Antonius finally regains his faith and comes to terms with his life upon arrival at his castle. It seems the sight of his wife Karin and her endless devotion help bring back a glimpse of his humanistic side. Karin seeing in her husband's tired face traces of the boy who left her graciously serves Antonius and his guests their last supper. Rapping on the door disturbs the group as they finish their meal and death appears to collect what is owed. The guests make their final appeals to the cloaked collector as Antonius kneels exclaiming "God who is somewhere! Who must be somewhere! Have mercy upon us!" The film concludes with a sequence of Jof the actor watching Antonius and his party with hands interlocked dancing to the tune of death on the horizon.

In a similar manner The Straight Story begins with a literal fall as Alvin Straight collapses on the ground due to weakness associated with hip problems and old age. Upon discovery Alvin's daughter, Rose, rushes him to the doctor for assistance. Resistant to accept medical help or any prognosis Alvin is then metaphorically confronted by death in terms of medical problems, inevitable old age, and lifestyle choices. Alvin is told that if he doesn't stop smoking and start watching his diet his time is limited.

Shortly after his fall Alvin is once again confronted by death when he receives the news that his estranged brother Lyle is in the hospital due to a stroke. In a desperate plight that parallels that of Antonius Block, Alvin embarks on a literal life-validating journey in order to make peace with Lyle before it's too late for either of them.

Taking flight on his gas-powered riding lawn mower with trailer affixed, Alvin sets off across the Mid-Western United States in a gesture that as The Seventh Seal squire Jöns said of the crusades, "was so stupid that only an idealist could have thought it up." Yet as stupid and daring as it may be Alvin treks diligently, playing a metaphoric game of chess with death as he risks all to complete his "one significant action"; obtaining Lyle's forgiveness and lying under the stars together conversing as they did in their youths'.

Rather than the literal reference to the Black Plague in The Seventh Seal the plagues that affect the world of Alvin Straight are abstract and obscure. Deteriorating health, an assortment of common diseases, mental handicap, and alcohol and tobacco addiction are all plagues of the modern age, although they don't necessarily carry the same dramatic impact. The differences, however, come in the optimism portrayed by Alvin, whom refuses to let his physical state or any other hindrances stop him from achieving his ultimate goal. He instead relentlessly pursues his journey touting, "I'm not dead yet!"

Interestingly Alvin also takes a very active approach to the occurrences and characters along the way, as opposed to the passivism of Antonius Block. Along the road to forgiveness Alvin offers a pregnant run-away teen food, shelter, and good familial advice, is confounded by a group of passing cyclists; witnesses an automobile versus deer collision, confides in a World War II Veteran, and converses with a Priest just to name a few. Not only is he actively cognitive of the events of his journey, he also teaches many people along the way important life lessons while concurrently fulfilling his needs and desires as well.

When all is said and done Alvin, after weeks of traveling, has surpassed all possible snares and other difficulties and finally reaches Lyle's home. As he calls out to his brother he is met with a familiar voice as Lyle replies "Alvin is that you?" As they meet on the porch after ten long years of separation the tension runs high. Suddenly Lyle glances over at Alvin's humble transportation and with a loving and sympathetic tone, (which rivals that of Karin the Knight's wife in The Seventh Seal) exclaims with tears in his eyes, "you came all the way on that just to see me?" The film ends with Alvin replying "Yes I did" and the credits roll over a shot of the stars that makes one assume that Alvin is victorious in his endeavor. Themes

There are obviously many themes evident among these wonderful films, first and foremost being that of the literal versus the metaphoric journey. Throughout both films the protagonist, Antonius Block and Alvin Straight, must metaphorically come to terms with Death through an evaluation of life and make amends by completing one final self-validating task.

Another clear theme among both films is that of Religion and the Bible. The Seventh Seal derives its name from a Bible passage from chapter 8 of The Revelation of St. John the Divine, which the film begins and ends with. Aside from the title the entire premise of the film is religious in nature, showing contempt for a hypothetical silence of God and questioning the utter existence of a higher being. In The Straight Story elements of Religion and the Bible are also hinted at, but the real Religious themes are manifest in Alvin's underlying motives. Repenting for the sins of the past and receiving forgiveness through sacrifice, whether spiritual or temporal, sets the stage for the narrative.

Along with these religious themes is that of the inner torment of the psyche and self-punishment for sins. In The Seventh Seal the people believe that the Lord has sent the Black Plague as punishment for their sins, even going as far as to blame the phenomenon on a young pregnant girl named Tyan whom they claim conceived by the Devil inflicting the wrath of God upon the people. Droves of penitents walk the desolate land carrying crosses, dawning crowns of thorns, and flogging one another in a callous attempt at self-punishment to make recompense for the sins of the people.

The Straight Story also contains example of self-punishment for sin, of a similar yet less dramatic nature. Alvin Straight, obviously grieve stricken with guilt, sets out upon his journey with the sole purpose of mending his relationship with his ill brother. Yet we also catch a glimpse Alvin's mental anguish over accidentally killing one of his friends during World War II. A final self-punishment parallel is that of the pregnant teen who has run away from home because she is ashamed of her sins and is afraid that her family will not be sympathetic. Aesthetics and Style

In terms of aesthetics there are several likenesses worth mention. For instance The Seventh Seal opens with a bird coasting through the darkened sky as the scene reveals a desolate beach overtaken by rampant waves from the seemingly endless ocean. Both the cloudy sky, seemingly representative of the dark and dreary world, as well as and the ocean, representative of a chaotic and uncontrollable nature, play a significant cinematic role in The Seventh Seal being revisited several times.

These visions of the sky and ocean also play into The Straight Story. Shortly after Alvin sets out on his journey there is an interesting moving camera shot beginning with a patented Lynch subjective road shot which tilts up from the painted yellow lane dividers to reveal an extreme-long-shot of the endless horizon and continues to tilt up to the blue sky. After a momentarily pausing on the cloudy sky the camera once again tilts back down to Alvin as he continues on his way.

When it comes to the ocean in The Straight Story the correlation is not so obvious. Being that the film takes place in the Mid-Western United States the ocean, instead of water, is one of endless grain fields during harvest time. These images of golden fields are revisited frequently throughout Alvin's journey and seem to represent the harvesting of forgiveness.

There aren't many stylistic similarities between the films, probably due mostly to the forty-two year time gap. However, despite the limitation imposed by Disney, it remains substantially clear that The Straight Story bears the fingerprint of David Lynch.

The film, like many other Lynch films, is set in small town rural America, involving many interesting characters whom in some cases seem to suddenly appear and disappear to no avail. Alvin Straight, the protagonist, represents the typical disfigured body being that his strength is dissipated and he must maneuver through life with the help of two canes. In a similar manner Alvin is stricken with inner turmoil as he must come to terms with old age, deteriorating health, and ultimately death.

By far the most evident Lynchism is the subtle reference to his other films. The opening scene of the film consists of a sequence of machinery harvesting in the fields inter-cut with shots of the local town rivaling the opening of the Twin Peaks Series; in fact even the music seems similar to the music used in the opening of Twin Peaks. This establishing sequence is then followed by a scene implying that someone inside of a local home is in trouble.

Hearing only the sound of a person falling inside the home as the camera stays fixed on an exterior shot exterior shot of the kitchen window brings back memories of the sudden heart attack of Jeffrey's father at the beginning of Blue Velvet.

The subjective shots of the moving road are also another stylistic throwback to the majority of his films, including: Wild at Heart, The Lost Highway, and Twin Peaks. A final reminder of a previous film comes in the scene where Alvin loses control of his lawn mower as he travels down a hill. As he speeds out of control toward a local town a group of Fire Fighters are conducting an exercise at a local run-down building. The building, engulfed by flames, has an eerie resemblance to that of the exploding cabin in The Lost Highway.

The similarities and differences between The Seventh Seal and The Straight Story in terms of narrative structure and content, themes, and aesthetics and styles portray a distinct connection between these two tales of allegorical journey. However evident or obscure these parallelisms may be they certainly validate the statement that The Straight Story is one of the best examples of the hypothetical journey film, rivaling that of its classic predecesor. Whether you prefer the optimistic modern day portrayal of The Straight Story or the classical Bergman pessimism of The Seventh Seal remains purely subjective; but there is no doubt that these films will live on as stellar examples and continue to inspire generations to come.