Starring Victor Sjostrom, Bibi Andersson, Ingrid Thulin and Gunnar Bjornstrand
Sweden, 1957
Over the years I've been steadily making my way through Ingmar Bergman's massive filmography and I've finally made it to WILD STRAWBERRIES. It's the story of a retired and reclusive physician who returns to his university to receive special honors, 50 years after getting his doctorate there. At the last minute he opts to take a road trip there, rather than fly, and the bulk of the movie is made up of this trip, the people he meets on it and the dreams, nightmares and memories that come to him as he goes along. His primary companion on the trip is his daughter-in-law, who is on the outs with his son for the moment. The evolution of their relationship from cold and distant to warm and friendly was one of my favorite parts of the story.
It was interesting to watch this movie unfold and notice the way it influenced other films I've been more familiar with throughout my life. The main on is DECONSTRUCTING HARRY, a Woody Allen film from the 90s with a similar premise. I've always known Allen was a Bergman fan, but it was fun to see a movie full of specific influences.
I also wondered, towards the film's climax in which the main character dreams that he's put on trial for his life and is declared guilty of guilt, if Pink Floyd's Roger Waters was a fan. Seems to me with the climactic trial, and the non-chronological structure blending past and present with fantasy and reality, this film may have been an influence on THE WALL, both the album and the movie, though I don't think I've ever seen this mentioned anywhere, so I might be way off.
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