Ingmar Bergman's "Wild Strawberries" (1957): A Road Trip to Solitude ​ ​

​In this episode, we take an existential road trip from Lund to Stockholm to discuss Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film, Wild Strawberries—or Smultronstället—a film about aging, isolation, and confronting a lifetime of emotional coldness.​Host Eric Trommater is joined by panelists Erin Brown (experiencing Bergman for the first time) and Sila Blume for a deep dive into the film's structure. We examine how Bergman uses unsettling dream sequences and unreliable, sunlit flashbacks to hold the protagonist, Dr. Isak Borg (played by Swedish cinema legend Victor Sjöström), accountable for his solitude. We also discuss the controversy surrounding Bergman's biography, explore the tension between public gesture and private acceptance of mortality, and ask: Does the critical habit of viewing every film as autobiography serve the art?​Key Cast Credited: Victor Sjöström (Dr. Isak Borg), Ingrid Thulin (Marianne), Bibi Andersson (Both Saras), and Max Von Sydow.​Source & Music Credits:​Interview Excerpt: Ingmar Bergman on The Dick Cavett Show (1971)​Special Thanks for the sound clips: The Swedish Chef (from The Muppets)​Cold Open Music: "Glädjens blomster" (Traditional/Elias Sehlstedt)​Main Theme Music: "Excelsior! Concert Overture" (Wilhelm Stenhammar)Check us out on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@worldcinehist?si=z8Yay0W0I-6APEZz ⁠⁠⁠ on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/world-cinema-history/id1744483892 or Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4YkCJSJvngtDMhey0CNsWj?si=i143kCA8RQKhQauUICLrmA or follow us on X (The Artist Formerly Known as Twitter): @etrommater Consider joining the World Cinema History DVD Extras Club.Benefits include:* Bonus Episodes * Attending Live Recordings of the Show * Our Love and Appreciation * Whatever Else We Think of in The Future * Having your name mispronounced on the podcast (sorry in advance) To join just go to https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistoryand make a recurring monthly payment for any amount.