Wild Strawberries
Not what I expected. For some reason I thought this was going to be a
type of A Christmas Carol, exploring the redemption of a cold,
heartless man.
But this was no Phantom Carriage Victor Sjöström.
His Dr. Isak Borg wasn't cruel or vindictive, nor was he without feeling, but a
man without the faculties or inclination to explore them. He wasn’t even
completely isolated as his housekeeper fulfilled his need for interaction--two
quietly contented individuals. I didn't feel the cold from him, but instead a
pale warmth that needed memories and exchanges to spark the embers and stoke
the heat of living--stirring up the pain and the joy.
I disagreed with
Marianne, and I think she came to the same realization as I did by the end. She
was wrong about Dr. Borg's mother as well. Beneath the well worn pathways of
complaints, was an interesting woman who was lonely and had a lifetime of
experiences to share if someone would just stay for a while. Even inside Dr.
Evald Borg smoldered some heat, mostly from pain, but also for love of
Marianne. Truly an affirming film watching experience.
This is the film that opened up Ingmar Bergman to me. I suppose this reflection on one's life, treading the ground of Ikiru and It's a Wonderful Life, is familiar enough for me to relate to and the reactions of the characters made more sense to me. After this, his films suddenly struck me as human-- the main characteristic I felt his films lacked. Now I have a list of his films I love.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see this list. I came at his films by way of Scenes from a Marriage! What a way to begin. :)
ReplyDeleteI love:
ReplyDeleteWild Strawberries
Scenes from a Marriage
Fanny and Alexander (the miniseries)
Persona
And honorable mention:
Hour of the Wolf
Through a Glass Darkly...
I haven't seen Fanny and Alexander, or Hour of the Wolf yet, both of which I'd like to get to. Thanks for showing my your list. :)
ReplyDeleteIf you get around to watching Fanny and Alexander, please watch the miniseries, not the theatrical release. The miniseries makes so much more sense.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the heads up! I do hope to get to it someday. :)
ReplyDelete