--- title: "Wild Strawberries" year: 1957 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/wild-strawberries" fi1m_id: "wild-strawberries" imdb_id: "tt0050986" tmdb_id: 614 wikidata_id: "Q239756" fi1m_score: 88 critics_score: 86 critics_reviews: 8 published: "2026-09-25T07:58:42.605169+00:00" updated: "2026-09-25T07:58:44.844642+00:00" region: "SA" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Wild Strawberries (1957) Directed by Ingmar Bergman · 1h 31m · Drama ## Identity Wild Strawberries - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/wild-strawberries - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** wild-strawberries - **IMDb ID:** tt0050986 - **TMDB ID:** 614 - **Wikidata ID:** Q239756 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050986/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/614, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q239756 **Fi1m score: 88** · Critics 86 from 8 reviews *In a sentence:* Ninety-one minutes with a lonely professor, and we would happily have stayed longer > Victor Sjöström makes an isolated professor worth caring about without asking us to excuse him. Ingmar Bergman’s drama is warm, unsettling and occasionally too insistent with its symbolism, but the performance keeps it human. ## Synopsis Professor Isak Borg (Victor Sjöström) is an elderly academic whose journey turns his attention towards the life he has led. Marianne (Ingrid Thulin) and Sara (Bibi Andersson) are among the people around him as he begins to reckon with his isolation. He wants to escape that loneliness, but the habit of keeping others at a distance is difficult to break. A nightmare gives his fears a shape, while the journey provides time for reflection. His regrets accompany him as he considers how much of his unhappiness he has brought upon himself. ## Review *Wild Strawberries* is a moving film about a man whose loneliness has something to do with how he has treated other people. Ingmar Bergman allows the professor regret without treating it as sufficient reason to forgive him, and that makes the warmth convincing. We recommend it, with one reservation: some of the symbolism presses a point already clear in the performance. Victor Sjöström gives the film enough awkwardness and vulnerability to keep those heavier passages from taking over. Victor Sjöström makes the professor’s reserve seem habitual. There is no need to strain for a grand explanation of the man when the performance keeps us attentive to the difficulty he has dealing with other people. We found his loneliness more upsetting than we expected, because he never seems entirely innocent of it. The character remains difficult company, and the actor trusts us to stay interested without making him charming whenever our sympathy might ebb. The nightmare frightened us. It makes the professor’s fear immediate enough to interrupt the more comfortable business of watching an elderly man reflect. Gunnar Fischer’s careful compositions matter here: they encourage us to look closely and give the unease time to build. The sequence makes the professor’s distress harder to regard from a safe distance, and its disturbance stays with the gentler material. Oscar Rosander’s editing gives the film room to move from melancholy towards gaiety without treating the lighter stretches as an interruption. That matters in a drama concerned with age: an unbroken procession of solemn thoughts would soon become oppressive. The music credited to Erik Nordgren and Göte Lovén supports the feeling without insisting that every regret deserves a swell of pity. At 91 minutes, the film gives reflection time without making slowness a virtue in itself. Gittan Gustafsson’s production design is unobtrusive enough to keep our attention on the people. The surroundings leave us free to study the faces, which is where this film does its most persuasive work. Ingmar Bergman’s screenplay is less discreet when it reaches for symbols, and there are passages where interpretation becomes too easy. The difficulty is small but persistent: we would rather be allowed to watch the professor than feel his condition being explained for us. For a reflective drama, it has a welcome interest in the pleasures of being alive. The changes in mood prevent the professor’s regrets from becoming the only things we are permitted to notice, and the lighter passages make his isolation more painful. That is also what makes the occasional heavy emphasis frustrating: the film has already shown how much it can communicate through a performance and a change of mood. Its humour deserves as much attention as its solemnity. Save it for an evening when quiet attention feels possible. The nightmare makes it an unwise choice if the plan is simply to find something soothing. Give Victor Sjöström the uninterrupted 91 minutes. *Fi1m score 88, published 25 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The consensus on Wild Strawberries is warmly positive, with all eight reviews finding much to admire in Bergman’s account of an elderly professor reckoning with his life. Praise centres on Victor Sjöström’s sensitive performance, particularly his handling of nostalgia, dread and regret without losing the character’s humanity. The reviews also stress Bergman’s empathy towards Borg’s isolation. Careful composition and graceful shifts between melancholy and gaiety support a film repeatedly described as warm, moving and accessible. The differences are chiefly matters of degree, with no outright dissent and reservations confined to particular choices. Total Film finds some of the symbolism overdone, while still admiring the complexity of the character portrait. Empire offers the most qualified response, finding that parts creak but praising the evocation of old age. Neither reservation substantially weakens the shared appreciation of Sjöström’s performance. ## Straight answers **Is Wild Strawberries worth watching?** *Wild Strawberries* is worth watching for its moving portrait of a lonely professor, and we score it 88 out of 100. Victor Sjöström makes him worth caring about without excusing his behaviour; the symbolism sometimes labours what his performance already tells us, but we recommend it for an evening of quiet attention. **How long is Wild Strawberries, and what is it rated?** *Wild Strawberries* runs 1h 31m. It is a drama film. **Where can I watch Wild Strawberries in Saudi Arabia?** *Wild Strawberries* is not on any streaming or rental service in Saudi Arabia at the moment. It is available in 9 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is Wild Strawberries, and is it suitable for children?** *Wild Strawberries* has a UK 15 certificate, and its frightening nightmare makes it unsuitable for a soothing family evening or for children under 15. The nightmare frightened us because it makes the professor’s fear immediate; older teenagers comfortable with unsettling material may find the reflective drama rewarding. **How does Wild Strawberries compare to Ikiru?** *Wild Strawberries* is the more inward-looking companion to [*Ikiru*](https://film.one/film/ikiru): its professor considers his loneliness, while the dying civil servant in *Ikiru* considers what his remaining time might be good for. We recommend *Ikiru* more broadly and *Wild Strawberries* particularly for quiet reflection; both rely on affecting central performances, though Bergman’s symbolism and Kurosawa’s satire sometimes explain what is already clear. **What should I watch after Wild Strawberries?** After *Wild Strawberries*, try [*Ikiru*](https://film.one/film/ikiru) (1952, Fi1m 92): A public servant considers what his remaining time might be good for. Then [*The Straight Story*](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story) (1999, Fi1m 88): An elderly traveller, family regret and a journey made at human speed; and [*Poetry*](https://film.one/film/poetry) (2010, Fi1m 87): Everyday duties and difficult moral questions gather around another quietly absorbing older protagonist. ### Reviews we read (8) - **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (★★★★★): Parkinson calls it Bergman’s warmest and most accessible film. He particularly praises Victor Sjöström’s magisterial performance as the professor. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-gg0nw2/wild-strawberries/) - **Slant Magazine**, Chuck Bowen (5/5): Bowen praises the film’s emotional depth and its humane, moving conclusion. He singles out Bergman’s empathy and the film’s precise portrayal of Borg’s struggle to escape his self-imposed isolation. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/wild-strawberries/) - **IndieWire**, Max O'Connell (85/100, inferred): O’Connell presents the film as a warm, modest reflection on a man reckoning with his life. He praises the balance between Bergman’s introspection and Sjöström’s nuanced, bittersweet portrayal of Borg. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/criticwire-classic-of-the-week-ingmar-bergmans-wild-strawberries-126136/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (85/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the film deeply satisfying and praises its careful composition. He singles out its graceful shifts between melancholy and gaiety. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/movie/79108/wild-strawberries) - **Time Out**, GA (85/100, inferred): The review presents the film as one of Bergman’s warmest and finest. It singles out the emotional warmth of an elderly academic’s journey. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/wild-strawberries) - **Los Angeles Times**, Andy Klein (80/100, inferred): Klein treats the film as an enduring Bergman classic, with a chilling nightmare scene standing out. He also praises the Criterion Blu-ray’s excellent commentary and top-notch extras. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/entertainment/tn-gnp-et-dvd-review-wild-strawberries-top-notch-extras-with-an-iconic-film-20130614-story.html) - **Total Film**, Total Film (4/5): The review warmly praises Bergman’s reflective road movie as a moving, complex character portrait. It singles out Victor Sjöström’s majestic performance and the haunting, humane closing shots, while noting that some symbolism feels overdone. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/wild-strawberries-review/) - **Empire**, David Parkinson (75/100, inferred): Parkinson finds that the film creaks in places but remains unsurpassed in its evocation of old age’s nostalgia, dread and regret. He particularly praises Victor Sjöström’s sensitive performance. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wild-strawberries-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Ingmar Bergman - **Director:** Ingmar Bergman - **Screenplay:** Ingmar Bergman - **Cinematography:** Gunnar Fischer - **Editor:** Oscar Rosander - **Music:** Erik Nordgren, Göte Lovén - **Production design:** Gittan Gustafsson - **Costume design:** Millie Ström - **Producer:** Allan Ekelund - **Cast:** Victor Sjöström as Professor Isak Borg; Bibi Andersson as Sara; Ingrid Thulin as Marianne; Gunnar Björnstrand as Evald; Jullan Kindahl as Agda; Folke Sundquist as Anders; Björn Bjelfvenstam as Viktor; Naima Wifstrand as Isak's Mother - **Runtime:** 1h 31m - **First release (Italy):** 28 August 1957 - **Genres:** Drama - **Also in:** [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 1958); [Golden Bear winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-bear.md) (Winner, 1958) - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwMgTyVbCS0 ## Where to watch in Saudi Arabia Not streaming, renting or buying in Saudi Arabia at the last check. Also available in: AT, BE, ES, FR, GB, IT, SE, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1960: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated) - Berlin International Film Festival 1958: Golden Bear (won) - Silver nugget for the best foreign film 1958: Silver nugget for the best foreign film (won) ## If you liked this - *Ikiru* (1952), Fi1m 92: A public servant considers what his remaining time might be good for. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ikiru.md) - *The Straight Story* (1999), Fi1m 88: An elderly traveller, family regret and a journey made at human speed. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story.md) - *Poetry* (2010), Fi1m 87: Everyday duties and difficult moral questions gather around another quietly absorbing older protagonist. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/poetry.md) - *The Green Ray* (1986): Loneliness and awkward company, observed with patience and a welcome sense of humour. - *The Last Laugh* (1924), Fi1m 84: An ageing man’s pride and humiliation, conveyed through a closely watched performance. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-last-laugh.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/wild-strawberries