2. Wild Strawberries (1957)
Professor Isak Borg - 78 years old - has been awarded a Jubilee doctorate. He is a stubborn and cold hearted man nearing the end of his life. He gets a ride to the university with his daughter in law Marianne who is pregnant with his son's child. She is considering separation from her husband. The film follows a kind of Road Movie formula and Professor Borg is forced into evaluating the success of his life, his relationships and his impending death. Picking up hitchhikers along the way, Borg is confronted with memories of the past. A young girl looks like his first love, a bickering couple remind him of his unhappy marriage. Thorough examination of the past brings a kind of peace to Borg. At the end, picking up his doctorate is a sober ritual which doesn't please him. Only when he goes to sleep and dreams of a family picnic does Borg's face light up with joy. A film about loss and regret but also renewal, Wild Strawberries is an emotional tour de force. It is sad, but also happy as Professor Borg examines his life and its shortcomings. It is like a personal self made Judgement Day where all the veils fall away and you can ultimately evaluate your life on your own terms. Borg sees himself with crystal clear vision and he is found wanting. But through chatting with Marianne (who gradually warms up to the old curmudgeon) and the hitchhikers, he reaches a measure of self satisfaction that ultimately leads to bliss. Rich with humour, the film is not a gloom ridden study of a man fearing the Grim Reaper. It is a celebration of life despite its inadequacies.