Obsessed with the ideas of love, life, death, good and evil, [Bergman] mediates as he goes, taking in symbols, in parables and images that are often of breathtaking beauty.

You can hunt about in the history of the cinema and bring up a distant cousin or two for Bergman's great work. Yet, when all the delving is done, this film remains something quite distinct, a wonderful film which is not quite like any other.

Bergman's visually striking medieval morality play [was] the work that gained him an international reputation.

It’s a masterpiece of filmmaking from a master of the profession, and remains an impactful viewing experience even if you can’t tell a knight from a rook.