The Story : Isak Borg is a doctor well into his autumn years and about to receive an honorary degree celebrating his fifty years in medicine. As he makes the trip to the university, he and his daughter-in-law travel across the areas where he grew up, leading Isak to reflect on his life, which ultimately makes him confront his fears and the fact that he has become a cold, inadequate man. They pick up a group of kids and a husband and wife, and even these strangers begin to meld into Isak's nightmares and reflections. Isak Borg is forced to confront his wasted emotional life, the inevitability of his death, and he struggles to make amends with who he has become.

The Film : It is a fairly safe bet that most cinefiles would consider Ingmar Bergamn one of cinemas finest creators/directors and Wild Strawberries is one of his signature films.

From the opening dream sequence in which Isak, played beautifully by actor/director Victor Sjöström, has a nightmare about walking empty, soundless streets, seeing figure with no face, clocks without hands, and a funeral carriage that tips over, spilling its coffin into the streets, revealing Isak reaching out to himself from inside the coffin, Bergman's surrealism is note perfect. Isak is a silent observer, actually transported to his past, walking around, observing his childhood love, his late wife. And, in his nightmare, figures such as the empathy free husband he gives a lift becomes, in Isak's nightmare, an inquisitor, interrogating Isak, putting him on trail for being a guilt-ridden, passionless man.

Despite its heavy subject matter, it is one of Bergman's most sweet and melancholy works. Its is actually quite life affirming as we watch Isak slowly begins to reconcile with his regrets and the man he has become. I have always thought Wild Strawberries was the best way to introduce Bergman to new viewers- easy to grasp symbolism, great performances, and as always wonderfully powerful visuals. Personally, I have always preferred his darker work like Seventh Seal, Hour of the Wolf, Cries and Whispers, Scenes from a Marriage and my favorite Persona, but how often can you say death and regret was the subject of a film? By blending Isak's nostalgia and his subconscious nightmares he finds an even ground, there is the carefree youth he once was and what he sourly became, but in finally realizing this (as Isak says ".. I am dead. Although I am alive") he finds a calm inner peace. It also has touches of humor, something Bergman isn't known for, such as after his drive and monumental facing of his fears, Isak's maid states, "A nice drive is relaxing, isn't it?".

Very often if death and regret is the subject of a film, it is patronizing simple, like a terminal disease movie of the week , or the insipid fantasy of Cocoon (which is a film that so insultingly preys on peoples fear of death it is unhealthily). With Wild Strawberries, Bergman manages to take us along as a man plunges into the depth of his psyche, confronting himself in his twilight years, and producing a moving, intelligent, substantial tale of a mans inner reconciliation.

The DVD : In the world of DVD, are there two better words than Bergman and Criterion?- I don't think so.

Picture- Fullframe, as the film was shot, 1.33:1. Once again Criterion does a fantastic remastering job, presenting the film far better than it has ever looked. The print is so nice, its actually quite shocking in the few scenes where a minor spot, line, or missing frame appear. Still, the film does show some grain and occasional flicker; it is not as superior as the job they did with Seventh Seal, but it is just a hair shy of perfection for a film of its age that has seen some bad releases in the past... And, it is a good thing too, Bergman is a great screenplay writer (if you consider yourself a film fan and haven't read his screenplays, you are really missing out), and he is one of the few men who could write down "cold sun" and actually make the sun look cold in a simple black and white film.

Sound- Swedish, Dolby 1.0 mono with a new (optional) English subtitle translation. Cleaner than in the past but still a bit tinny, they have polished the audio of some of the distortions that plagued it.

Extras- While not as extra laden as some of Criterions other releases (screenplay or more promo material would be nice), by any other companies standards it is still a great DVD.--- 24 Chapters--- Insert with general notes about the production as well as the transfer/restoration process.--- Still Gallery of 34 stills. Mainly behind the scenes photos and a few promotional posters and lobby cards, all accompanied by informative text--- Commentary by resident Criterion film expert and author of "Ingmar Bergman: A Critical Biography", Peter Cowie. As Criterion fans no doubt already know, Cowie is very well informed, but his commentary is a bit mannered. I prefer anecdotal, casual, conversational commentary, and Cowie leans toward the clinical side, as you can clearly tell he is reading from notes, probably time-coded, and is exacting like a documentary narrator. Still, he is quite informative in a technical way and lends pleasant anecdotes, like the fact that one dream sequence was to have been done in a terrarium full of snakes, but the snakes all escaped through a hole, and the scene was changed. --- And finally, "Ingmar Bergman on Life and Work", a ninety minute documentary/interview from 1998 that was made for Swedish television. 10 chapters. An absolute must for Bergman fans, it is the first sit down interview, accompanied by various film clips, that Bergman has made in many years. Conducted by Bergman's writer/filmmaker/friend Jörn Donner, the interview covers Bergman's thoughts on his family, life, work, fame, his sense of self, and gives fascinating insight into one of the worlds greatest filmmakers.