Subject: Re: horse play
From: simmons@cetus5a.cs.utk.edu (Paul T Simmons)
Date: 1991-02-15, 09:45
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks

Yes, I have seen the Seventh Seal and it does have the same setup.
If memory serves (it's been ~4 years since I've seen the film) the main
character is a knight on a crusade (theres a news flash) during the time of
a great plague or other disease killing off hundreds of people.
Death confronts him and our hero challenges him to a game of chess in
exchange for his life and his traveling companions.  This is where it becomes
interesting.  The game I think is symbolizing what the knight does with his
remaining time until Death eventually wins (we are lead to believe).  The
knight does good works and the corresponding chess games goes well.  Here's
where my memory is fuzzy, the knight slackens his chivalrous pose and becomes
cocky "Beating death will be easy, look how well I've done so far".
To cut to the end (moral?) Death beats the knight whilst the world has
darkened (literally, light rain, heavy cloud cover, gusting cold wind) so the
knight and his companions are dead. (no happy ending here)

To compare this to TP.  I believe it is similar in it's allegorical
representation of the board vs. real-life, but the comparison will fall short
in the fact that Cooper is doing his damndest to stop WE from killing pawns and
other such dark works.  Our protagonist will not slacken his taught regime of
evil battling.  He is a just and good man.  So unlike the knight who started
the game as a humble knight trying to do good for his companions and evolved
into an egoist trying to beat Death and gain fame; Cooper will continue on in
his even Tibetan keel(sp?) and confront WE on even terms if not win out right.

The double reverse at the end of SS comes with the knight's aggressive
board moves (cocky attitude) being turned against him by Death; if he had
played more conservatively and thoughtfully (keep up his run of good deeds) he
would have triumphed over Death (IMHO).

Hope all found this interesting.
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Paul T. Simmons [The Doctor]     |  "The secret is: you have to
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