Even if you haven’t seen this film, you know of its most famous scene, the one in which Death plays a knight recently returned from the Crusades in an seaside chess match. The plague has ravaged the land. Yet as long as the game continues, the knight can remain alive. It doesn’t really matter, though, because Death always wins in the end, doesn’t he? This Criterion cover — simple, stark — conveys that same truth with nothing but light and shadow. The face of Max von Sydow, who plays the knight, is slowly disappearing into darkness. One could also interpret the image in reverse, by saying that his face is emerging into the light. If that is the case, though, it’s a pitifully small light. The meaning remains the same.
Top 10 Cool Criterion Collection Covers
The Criterion Collection recently announced it would move its films from Netflix's streaming service to that of its competitor, Hulu. In addition to having rights to many of cinema's most beloved and classic movies, Criterion is also known for its beautifully designed DVD cases. TIME takes a look at some of the company's best work