The link between ‘Dune’ and ‘The Seventh Seal’
It would be fascinating to know what Ingmar Bergman would make of inordinately expensive sci-fi blockbusters using his back catalogue as visual and thematic touchstones. Still, he’d probably be a lot happier being channelled by Denis Villeneuve’s Dune than anything directed by Michael Bay.
One of the greatest, most important and influential filmmakers in history, the Swedish auteur has cast a shadow over the generations that followed in his wake. His enthralling meditations on the human condition have spawned a string of classics that have been celebrated by countless greats, many of whom named him as a direct influence on their own work.
Villeneuve may have stumbled upon sci-fi as his calling after helming Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and both parts of Dune one after the other, but he started out on a significantly smaller fare. However, he’s been a noted Bergman fan throughout it all and continues to pay tribute to his inspirations even when he’s painting on the largest canvases.
The Academy Award nominee may have claimed that he actively shies away from making his influences too pronounced on-screen. However, he still made a point of naming Bergman’s seminal The Seventh Seal as having impacted Dune, albeit in a different way from initially thought.
Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen has drawn comparisons to Bengt Erkot’s Death in The Seventh Seal, with the clan’s home planet of Giedi Prime being shot in stark monochromatic colours that would appear to owe no small debt of gratitude to the 1957 classic. And yet, as Villeneuve explained to Letterboxd, it wasn’t even Dune: Part Two that Bergman’s fingerprints were all over.
Instead, the look and mannerisms of David Dastmalchian’s Piter De Vries in the opening chapter were singled out by the director. Costume designer Jacqueline West, as well as certain shot compositions, actively sought inspiration from The Seventh Seal.
“The Seventh Seal was a reference, specifically for Piter De Vries in Part One,” Villeneuve admitted. “That was one of the visual references that Jacqueline West referred to. I’m a big Bergman fan, and the way we approach closeups, maybe there’s sometimes the impact of some Bergman movies that I’m still in awe [of].”
Bergman’s masterpiece has left behind a legacy that’s been spread all across cinema for well over half a century. Even though Villeneuve stated the way The Seventh Seal influenced Dune wasn’t anywhere near as straightforward as lifting its visual language and transplanting it to a far-flung planet, he was happy to confirm it made its mark in an altogether different way.
Dastmalchian’s performance and wardrobe didn’t give off obvious The Seventh Seal vibes. Still, Villeneuve was happy to sneak in a subtle reference to one of his favourites without being too blatant about it.
