The Flagellants Arrive, from The Seventh Seal (1957)

The Flagellants Arrive, from The Seventh Seal (1957)

In this clip from Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal (1957), a rural town in interrupted by the violent and frightful procession of flagellants -- wandering penitent Christians who believe the plague was sent by God, and that physical pain is the necessary penance. Bergman's use of music and camera angles emphasize the horrific nature of this mutilating ritual, which was a real historical phenomenon in the later middle ages. The flagellants, as an extreme penitential group, contribute to the film's exploration of faith and spirituality through a medieval lens.

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Declan Murphy
published via YouTube.com

2018-05-02T15:04:37.000Z