Wild Strawberries (1957)
#68 in my 2007 movie challenge was Wild Strawberries, part of a retrospective at the Oak Street Cinema to honor the late Ingmar Bergman (no relation to the actress Ingrid Bergman.) It’s a beautiful black and white film. The main character is an elderly doctor who has to travel to another city to receive an honor for his career. He chooses to drive with his daughter-in-law. Along the way, he has meaningful dreams, poignant reminiscences, and frank conversations. They pick up a group of young hitchhikers and a bickering couple who’ve been in a car accident. There’s no shortage of themes to ponder, in spite of the film’s 91-minute running time–parenthood, aging, marriage, career, and happiness are but a few. I feel fortunate I was able to see this in a theater. I found it a film that was lovely to look at, and engaging to think about.