The protagonist of The Seventh Seal and The Exorcist has written fundamental pages of auteur and genre cinema. These are the streaming titles with which we want to pay tribute to him.
On the anniversary of his disappearance, which took place three years ago, we want to reiterate how much Max Von Sydow still possesses a unique and indisputable charm today. The majestic elegance with which he spanned sixty years of cinema, making arthouse masterpieces as well as bombastic genre films, made him an icon for international audiences. Select “only” five film in streaming within such a long-lasting and varied career it has not been absolutely easy. Among those left out we also want to mention The desert of the Tartars Of Valerio Zurliniil Robin Hood directed by Ridley Scott e Conan the barbarian Of John Milius. But there would be many, many more… As always, enjoy reading.
Five streaming masterpieces interpreted by the unforgettable Max Von Sydow
- The seventh seal
- The exorcist
- The three days of the Condor
- Shutter Island
- Very strong and Incredibly Close
The Seventh Seal (1956)
The masterpiece of Ingmar Bergman which imposes Max von Sydow on audiences around the world represents a turning point for European cinema, a metaphorical and passionate story staged with unprecedented attention to aesthetics and characters. The seventh seal and the chess match between the knight and Death take their place by right in the collective cinematic imagination, making the fortune of director and protagonist. Frighteningly fascinating film, with moments of emotional and intellectual depth that are simply bowing. Available on Rakuten TV, CHILI, Google Play, Apple Itunes.
The Exorcist (1973)
Von Sydow’s American career becomes legendary when William Friedkin calls him for the role of Father Merrin, the only rival that the demon Pazuzu deems atale. The clash between Good and Evil has never been so fierce and terrifying. The exorcist it becomes a case of manners, sweeps away every box office record in the world and comes close to the Oscar for best film – which it would have deserved. By Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Linda Blair they are the other protagonists of a film that is absolutely simplistic to define horror: we are faced with a radical drama that speaks of faith, regret, irrationality, darkness, denial. Eternal. Available on CHILI, Apple iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, NOW.
Three Days of the Condor (1975)
One of the most important thrillers in the history of cinema in which von Sydow is an extraordinary protagonist thanks to an initial sequence of rare cinematographic effectiveness. Robert Redford fugitive and hunted down by the fa de secret services The three days of the Condor an unprecedented masterpiece. Sydney Pollack stages the paranoia and pessimism in the institutions of the time through a perfectly calibrated story, with a disconcerting open ending. The psychological duel between the prey and the assassin Von Sydow ends with an epochal confrontation scene. What a great cinema this was…Available on Infinity +Amazon Prime Video.
Shutter Island (2009)
Extraordinary participation and one of the most fascinating and elegant films of the last Martin Scorsese. Behind the thriller package (with some horror veins) Shutter Island is a melancholic and open-minded reflection on lost love, regrets and uncertainties. With a magnificent and poignant ending, and a portentous cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Michelle Williams, Mark Ruffalo and many others. Film of great success with the public that the critics should have valued more. It got under our skin as much as Scorsese’s best films. Available on Apple Itunes, Amazon Prime Video, NOW.
Very Loud, Incredibly Close (2012)
We close with one of the most painful and poetic interpretations of von Sydow’s career, for which he gets a surprising but well-deserved Oscar nomination for supporting actor (the second). The rejection of the word as a bearer of pain for one’s neighbor is an act that pays off Very strong and Incredibly Close even more dramatic and poignant. Stephen Daldry also directs Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock e Viola Davis in other supporting roles in a very successful melodrama, which tells the story of loss and acceptance in a satisfying way. Beautiful. Available on Rakuten TV, CHILI, Google Play, Apple Itunes, Amazon Prime Video.
