Dec. 26, 1957|Sweden|91 Min.|Not Rated
Genre: Drama
Description: The 1957 film “Wild Strawberries” tells the story of Professor Isak Borg, a grumpy, stubborn, and self-centered 76-year-old widowed physician who specialized in bacteriology. Before his specialization, he worked as a general practitioner in rural Sweden. The narrative follows him as he embarks on a long car journey from Stockholm to Lund to receive the degree of Doctor Jubilaris, 50 years after earning his doctorate from Lund University. Accompanying him is his pregnant daughter-in-law, Marianne, who has a strained relationship with him and plans to separate from her husband, Evald, Isak’s only son. Evald, who opposes having the baby, adds tension to the family dynamic.
During the trip, Isak is confronted with nightmares, daydreams, and reflections on his old age and approaching death, forcing him to reexamine his life. Along the way, he encounters various hitchhikers who trigger memories and dreams of his troubled past. The first group includes two young men and a woman named Sara, who resembles Isak’s youthful love. This prompts him to reminisce about his childhood by the seaside and his sweetheart Sara, with whom he once picked strawberries, but she ultimately married his brother. This group remains with him throughout his journey.
Later, Isak and Marianne pick up a bitter middle-aged couple, the Almans, whose car nearly collides with theirs. Their toxic and hostile behavior becomes unbearable, leading Marianne to demand they leave. The couple’s behavior reminds Isak of his own unhappy marriage. In a dream sequence, Isak is confronted by Sten Alman, who now acts as an examiner, asking him to read “foreign” letters on a blackboard. When Isak cannot, Alman reads them aloud: “A doctor’s first duty is to ask forgiveness,” concluding, “You are guilty of guilt.” This experience further compels Isak to reflect on his life and choices.
Cast director: Katinka Faragó
Cast actor: Victor Sjöström, Bibi Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Jullan Kindahl, Folke Sundquist, Björn Bjelfvenstam, Naima Wifstrand, Gunnel Broström, Gertrud Fridh
Original name: Smultronstället