Wild Strawberries

Formally, another flawless Bergman. The inner struggle of an ageing man looking back on his life under the unexpected pressure of new acquaintances remains interesting and inspiring thanks to its artistic treatment (impressionistic memories and dreams). But today, the contents of the film have become so stale and repetitive that my enjoyment of Wild Strawberries, with all due respect to the director and his feeling for beautiful actresses, cannot be rated four stars. This in no way denies that this work probably deserves a firm place in film encyclopaedias. 70% (24/02/2014)

An old man's view in the mirror, through dreams and episodes of an unusual journey to Lund, to receive an honorary doctorate. The absolutely unnameable power of individual dream scenes, which are enhanced by a fantastic visual composition and the overall mood, which penetrates deep under one’s skin. Small alternations of positions from humor and idylls (especially popular fluffy family scenes) to exciting existential outpourings that evoke Kafka... In Wild Strawberries, Bergman is a captivating narrator who is able to embed an inconspicuous but even more suggestive drama into every shot. Without any intellectual incomprehensibility, he creates a road movie of an aging man who, in the face of death, his own imperfection and unfortunate fate, becomes Isak, an understanding and generous father. This is Bergman, friends. The magician of the film image, a juggler of dim moods and a master of thoughts. (29/10/2008)

As much as Wild Strawberries appeals to me for its heavily romantically idealized view of youth and adolescence, at the same time it puts me off with its lengthy metaphors and repetitive scenes. Ingmar Bergman, often tells the same story when he returns to childhood, in a bitter and yet nostalgically unique form. However, the older I get, the more unnecessary the scenes, which only he himself can understand, seem to me. (16/03/2020)

A film about an old man who seeks recognition for his work? Actually, a road movie from 1957? Directed by Ingmar Bergman? With his surrealist images, of which there aren't many, but they still captivate you? Maybe right at the beginning? And that's good? Well, judge for yourself, because it's really good, so good that it surprises you with how good it is. (14/01/2015)