“The Seventh Seal” / 「第七の封印」, Original Japanese Movie Poster 1963, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) F273

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for the Japanese release of The Seventh Seal / 「第七の封印」, Ingmar Bergman’s monumental 1957 masterpiece, released in Japan in 1963 by TOWA.

One of the defining works of world cinema, The Seventh Seal remains among Bergman’s most iconic films: severe, allegorical, and unforgettable in its meditation on death, faith, silence, and the fragile dignity of human life.

Film background
Set in medieval Sweden during the Black Death, The Seventh Seal follows a disillusioned knight, Antonius Block, returning from the Crusades to a homeland shadowed by plague. When he encounters the personification of Death, the knight challenges him to a game of chess, hoping to delay his fate long enough to find meaning and perform one final worthy act.

Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, the film stars Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bibi Andersson, Nils Poppe, Inga Landgré, and Bengt Ekerot as Death. It won the Special Jury Prize at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival and helped establish Bergman as one of cinema’s central modern auteurs.

Poster design
The poster uses a haunting sepia-toned composition dominated by the towering figure of Death, cloaked in black and staring directly outward. Below him are the anxious faces of the travelling performers and their child, representing innocence, love, and earthly warmth against the immense shadow of mortality.

The upper text reads:

「人間存在のすべてを賭けて生と死の深淵にいどむベルイマン芸術の最高峰！」
“The pinnacle of Bergman’s art, challenging the abyss of life and death with all of human existence at stake.”

At upper left, the original Swedish title Det sjunde inseglet appears in orange gothic lettering, alongside the credit “En film av Ingmar Bergman.” Beneath it, the poster notes the film’s Cannes Film Festival Special Jury Prize.

The lower section is anchored by the Japanese title 「第七の封印」, rendered in raw orange-red brush-style characters. The contrast between the dark photographic imagery and the fiery title typography gives the poster an austere, powerful presence.

Release note
This poster was printed for the film’s Japanese theatrical release.

It is an original period Japanese cinema poster, not a later reproduction or commercial reprint.

Condition
Excellent condition. A highly attractive example, with strong imagery, clear typography, rich tonal depth, and excellent overall display impact.

There are light signs of age and original fold lines consistent with a Japanese theatrical poster from this period, but overall it presents very well.

Please review the photographs carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale.

This is an original 1963 Japanese theatrical poster.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is now over 60 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.