Film Review
Widely acknowledged as one of Ingmar Bergman's finest films,
Wild
Strawberries is a distillation of all that is great about this director - his humanity,
his appreciation of human psychology and his consummate skill as a cineaste.
It is a beautiful work, a visual poem that is crafted with the depth, sensitivity and emotional
potency that illuminates the greatest works of art. Gunnar Fischer's expressionistic
photography adds greatly to the film's lyrical power and is the perfect support
for Bergman's intensely humanist portrait of an old man who looks back on his life with great sorrow, and in so doing causes
us to reflect on our own lives. Winner of the Golden Bear for the Best Film at the
Berlin International Film Festival in 1958,
Wild
Strawberries is a haunting piece of cinema that has exerted a great influence on
many other filmmakers.
The film moves seamlessly between present reality, past memories and dreams - recognising
the fact that all three play an essential part throughout the journey that is human existence. The dreams help
the film's central character, an ageing doctor of medicine, to make sense of his memories
and thereby see more clearly his life in the present. It's a tragic story
because, after a life devoted to ministering for other people's bodies, he finally
realises that he has neglected to make contact with their souls. The film's apparent
simplicity is a thin veil that covers some profound humanist messages, and, like much
of Bergman's work, it allows various interpretations.
One critical factor in the
film's success is the extraordinary performance from its lead actor, Victor Sjöström,
who, apart from being a great actor, was also a noted film director, responsible for such
silent classics as
Eyvind of the Hills (1918),
The Phantom Carriage (1921)
and
The Wind (1928). Here, in his final
screen role, Sjöström conveys a sense of isolation and self-reproach that is
almost heart-breaking, yet there's also a feeling of intellectual detachment and aloofness
that makes his character distant, unsympathetic and at times unfathomable. It is
as poignant and convincing a portrait of old age as cinema has ever shown us, and
Bergman's compassion for his subject is surpassed only by the sublime
elegance of his mise-en-scène.
© James Travers 2006
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Next Ingmar Bergman film:
The Magician (1958)
Film Synopsis
Isak Borg is a distinguished medical professor who is about to be rewarded with a doctorate
to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of his graduation. His daughter-in-law Marianne
accompanies him on the long car journey from his home in Stockholm to Lund University
where he is to collect his award. En route, he has time to reflect on his past life.
A visit to his aged mother and to the place where he spent his summer holidays as a child
bring back bittersweet memories. When these are added to a bizarre dream he had
the night before, the old man begins to realise that his life has not been as full as
he had thought. Marianne's revelations about the state of her marriage and
her antipathetic feelings for Borg cause the professor to see the failings of his life...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.