Wild Strawberries _FILM REVIEW

Wild Strawberries

Wild Strawberries (1957) is a Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, about an old man recalling his past.1960’s Golden globe award winning movie. An old man named Issk borg was a lead character dreaming and recalling his past, Dreams of Isak is the dilemma of unimaginable things played by a real life character. It’s a Swedish movie which brings out the difference between the dream and the recall.

Isak was accompanied by her servant Mrs.Agda for almost 40 years after his wife died. Dr.Isak starts to recall Memory 1 – A life threatening dream, Dr.Isak was left alone in a no man’s land, it is a big silent street and there are no sign of human existence. He is wandering around the street corner. At last, he saw a big clock tower without hands, over the top of his head. An anonymous slips down when he tries touch Dr.Isak’s back and bleeds to death. He also sees a chariot which carries a funeral box. Accidently, the Chariot crashes on the platform light and funeral box opens when it falls down. The body resembles Dr.Isak and he himself touches the hand, as it grabs him in,. This clock resembles his father’s pocket watch without hands.

In one of the scene Dr.Isak’s mother reveals an nostalgic treasure of his father’s handless pocket clock, Thus the director exhibits the childhood memories of the lead character’s Dr.Isak .He suddenly awakes from his bed and comes out of his unconsciousness .

 Dr.Isak has a son, and there is a relationship breakup between his son Dr.Evald Brog and Mrs. Marianne, a daughter in law. Dr.Isak is a traditional and neat person throughout his life; he helped the poor people and showed kindness. Dr.Isak was travelling to Lund to receive his honor for serving as a doctor for more than 50 years. He drove the car on his own with her daughter in law.

 Mrs.Marianne, away from his husband due to his compulsion to abort the child. Dr.Isak and Mrs.Marianne reaches a resting place where Dr.Isak spent his summer in childhood, there he recalls . Memory 2 – It’s a palace surrounded by a garden where his family members used to spend the whole summer. Isak’s childhood lover named Sara is searching for wild strawberries .Sara is sweet seventeen, she hesitates when her cousin romances with her .Sara is in love with Dr.Isak’s, But unfortunately marries his brother segretti .Dr.Isak’s memories were fading when a teenage girl asks for a ride to Lund.

The memories are the mixture of his childhood romances and expectations, the director argues and exposes that, it is totally because of his loneliness. This was revealed by Dr.Isak’s mother in reality and she announces that the pocket watch without hands will be gift for her grandson who is going to celebrate his 50th birthday.Mrs.Borg greets Marrianne and shares her past life, and feels that she had a eleven children, everybody has died except Dr.Isak and she laughs that she is having 20 grandchildren’s. Accident Journey with youths Dr.Isak gave a lift to music band teenagers (two young men and a beautiful young girl) who are going to attend a rock music party. They are singing and expressing their thoughts while driving down to Lund. Suddenly a car crashes with Dr.Isak’s car and nothing happens to both the sides.

The opponent couples from the other car cannot start their car again. So, they accompanied Dr.Isak. The couple acts in an uncivilized manner and her husband sympathizes that she is suffering from hysteria, she continuously criticizes everybody and suddenly she shows some aggression on her husband. The couple was asked to get down when she slaps and beats him continuously. Memory -3 The members rest in a place near the highway, when Dr.Isak is about to recall, the teenagers were searching for flowers to wish his excellence in medicine .The 3rd memory is the continuation of 2nd one, Sara is playing piano and his husband grabs and kissed her ,then took her to supper. Dr.Isak who is watching from the transparent door tries to knocks it; an old man comes out and takes him to the examination which determines his honor in medicine.

He is asked to read the text written on the board and to examine the bacteria which is under the microscopic view. Dr.Isak fails in both and looks back, it is class room filled with his co-mates who is travelling to Lund in his Oldsmobile car. He is also given a last chance to examine a patient, a hysteria patient who drove along with Dr.Isak after the car crash. In fact, the examiner is the man who drove the car which went down to the bushes (husband of hysteria patient). The examiner takes him to the garden where a middle age man rapes a girl. The memory fades and Isak comes out from unconsciousness.

He shares the uncontrollable dreams with Mrs.Marianne; she also says Dr.Evald (her husband) has the same kind of problem. They drove down to Lund and Dr.Isak meets his mother. Dr.Evald meets Marianne and their dispute is coming to an end .Dr.Isak receives honor in the presence of his family and medical officials. The music band youths were pleased to see him honored .They greeted him with the strings of their guitar and left beyond Lund in a car of an old lady. Dr.Isak start his unavoidable memory recalls in the bed, it was his father and mother who is fishing in the hot summer at the palace, while he calls (as a kid).

They respond and Dr.Isak was watching this from the scene. Suddenly Dr.Isak awake from his sleep. Director has involved Matured Isak in each and every childwood dreams of Isak which also fictioned with a real life pass by characters .It is totally Dr.isaks memory which has his earlier affection, love, and feeling. It’s also portrays his dream of owning his father’s pocket clock.

_ lingaraja Sivanaiah