Wild Strawberries - Criterion Collection

Wild Strawberries - Criterion Collection
by Ingmar Bergman

Wild Strawberries - Criterion Collection
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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Bibi Andersson, Gunnar Bj?rnstrand, Ingrid Thulin, Jullan Kindahl, Victor Sj?str?m
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Brand: Image Entertainment
Cinematographer: Gunnar Fischer
Writer: Ingmar Bergman
Editor: Oscar Rosander
Producer: Allan Ekelund
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: Swedish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled)
Format: Black & White, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 91 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-02-12
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Criterion

Movie Reviews of Wild Strawberries - Criterion Collection

Movie Review: Artistic expressions captured in simple reflection...
Summary: 5 Stars

Drawing comparisons to (and probably serving as the inspiration for) Woody Allen's masterful `Deconstructing Harry', and personally reminding me of the shockingly haunting `Eraserhead', Ingmar Bergman's 1957 classic `Smultronstallet' (translated `Wild Strawberries') is truly an unforgettable film. The definition of a reflection piece, `Smultronstallet' gives us a look into the life nearly complete and all the lessons learned from deep and meaningful pondering of that said life.

Isak Borg has been a doctor for fifty years. He is being honored for this great achievement and so decides to take a road trip with his daughter-in-law to receive his award. Upon setting off, Isak is plagued by memories that expose parts of his life that weighed the heaviest on him and that molded him into the cold and selfish man he is today. This reflection helps Isak to see the meaning of his life and what he needs to do in order to truly feel accomplished.

A lot of people have spent time laying out the emotional progression of this film, and normally I would also, but I don't feel the need to just repeat everyone else.

I will mention that the wonderful thing about `Smultronstallet' is that its focus is on self reflection, and while that comes in the primary form of Dr. Isak Borg it is not exclusively contained in him. Everyone around him is affected by his personal reflection and thus are all given the opportunity to expose themselves and work towards change. We are also given modern day glimpses into Isak's past (with the surfacing of three young hitchhikers as well as a bickering married couple) that give Isak, as well as his daughter-in-law Marianne, reason to examine their own situation. Their initial coldness is worn down as they realize they have more in common with one another than they expected.

The film is propelled by some very strong performances, especially from Victor Sjostrom and Ingrid Thulin. Sjostrom, who was eighty when he did this film, is fully realized as Isak, capturing the man's emotional fragmentation as he picks apart his own existence. Thulin is possibly even more effective as Marianne, for it is within her complete transformation (and stunning confession) that the true signs of change are seen. The rest of the supporting cast is also very effective, especially Bibi Anderson (who covers two very important roles) as well as Bjorn Bjelfevstam and Naima Wifstrand; and Gertrud Fridh has a very strong cameo as Karin, Isak's wife.

The film is almost frighteningly realistic in its unveiling of our own humanity, and it is definitely a film that will leave you with much to ponder about your own life. With some outstanding performances and Bergman's brilliantly restrained touch, `Smultronstallet' is a classic example at superior filmmaking.

Summary of Wild Strawberries - Criterion Collection

The film that catapulted Bergman to the forefront of world cinema is the director's richest, most humane movie. Traveling to receive an honorary degree, Professor Isak Borg (masterfully played by the veteran Swedish director Victor Sj?str?m), is forced to face his past, come to terms with his faults, and accept the inevitability of his approaching death. Through flashbacks and fantasies, dreams and nightmares, Wild Strawberries captures a startling voyage of self-discovery and renewed belief in mankind.
An elderly college professor sets out in his car to receive an honorary degree--and takes a trip instead through his own past and subconscious--in this bittersweet but ultimately tender and understanding 1957 film by Swedish master Ingmar Bergman. Casting Swedish star Victor Sj?str?m in the lead, Bergman, then at the height of his powers as an international filmmaker, uses flashbacks and bright, lyrical storytelling to capture the full arc of one man's life: the successes that seem fleeting, the disappointments that linger in the memory, the regrets that never seem to let go. In some ways, it can be seen as a forerunner of Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry, except that Bergman's sense of irony is always more profound. --Marshall Fine

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