C U LT U R E
5. Wild Strawberries (Smultronstället) (1957) If you’re in a more serious and soul-searching mood, then you might want to put Wild Strawberries on, an Ingmar Bergman staple that symbolically studies the frailness of life and the eeriness and grief of death through the thoughts and memories of Isak Borg. On his way to receive an honorary degree at his old university, Isak brings along with him his daughter-in-law and other hitch-hikers along the way, one of them resembling his once sweetheart Sara. They are entwined in Isak’s constant and hazy flashbacks as he continues to self-assess himself. According to Rotten Tomatoes’ Hal Erickson, Wild Strawberries’ “Intense focus on one man’s thoughts, regrets, and memories set the tone for innumerable psychological character studies in its wake.” Trust me, it’s a compelling film, but maybe you could watch it alone and not, you know, during a lively night out with friends (unless you’re into those kinds of stuff, you party pooper).
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