As the Black Death continues to wipe out the population of Europe, knight Antonius Block (Max Von Sydow) returns from the crusades. Disillusioned and worn, he encounters Death and makes a bargain - his fate will be determined by a game of chess.

Taking a troupe of travelling players and a deaf girl under his protection, the knight plays the game with Death, who, as the pieces fall, exacts his toll. All the while, the villages and towns about them fall into ruin and religion takes a stranglehold.

This beautifully restored edition is presented here with previously unseen on-set footage, shot during the film's production in late 1956, and is complimented by Bergman's powerful and evocative short film, Karin's Face.