Everything alive in the world must ultimately face Death. Every culture and religion has their own views about what they think death is. Martin Brest's Meet Joe Black and Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal give a first-class glimpse into the world of Death. Martin Brest's portrays Death as a sensible man who gets whatever he wants. Bergman portrays his Death as a mysterious, enigmatic being. Every director has his or her own interpretation of Death and this case is no different.
In the film The Seventh Seal, Death knows life very well so he comes strictly for business. The Death in this movie is hideous and hard to look at. He does not explore the world because he already comprehends life. Antonius" call to adventure is finding out if G-d exists. From the beginning, Death reveals that he is very sneaky and devilish by meeting Antonius on a foggy, desolate shore with rotting corpses. This illustrates the point that all Death wants to do is destroy. He confirms his cruelties when he takes the form of a monk, a peaceful man, and breaks Tyan's arms just before they crucify her. Antonius Block reminds one of the poem Invictus written by William Ernest Henley because it says, "My head is bloody, but unbowed" which means he will never succumb to fate. Antonius battles Death in a game of chess to remain the captain of his fate. Death personifies the fact that he can take people's lives but even he does not know what will become of them in the afterlife. .
In the film Meet Joe Black, Death exemplifies that he knows nothing of the world or of life. He acts very childish and ignorant. Death in this film is very charming and gentleman-like. William Parish's call to adventure is showing Death life. He acts as Death's tour guide throughout his world of luxuries and riches. As Death becomes more and more entranced into William's life, black begins to seep into the paintings on his walls. When Death first introduces himself to Bill in human form, he comes to him in a library.
