Episode 59 – Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries

Great episode, guys. I adore Ingmar Bergman, and this is one of my favorite films of his. Partly because of this episode, partly through coincidence, I actually revisited Wild Strawberries myself tonight – boy, did he knock it out of the park with that and The Seventh Seal – both in the same year! The black-and-white photography in it is indeed beautiful, and I love what James said about seeing the color within it.

Thank you for reminding me to seek out Revanche and Linklater’s Before Sunrise and Before Sunset.

Finally, I definitely second the Fanny and Alexander recommendation. That’s possibly my favorite Bergman – it’s such a rich, heartfelt and magical film. And if you’re struggling with whether you should go with the 3-hour film or the 5-hour television version, I’d suggest the latter if you have the time. It’s two extra hours of content, sure, but all of that content is great. It just adds to the richness and scope of the film.

i usually really enjoy the podcast and the guest hosts. but angie han didn’t add a thing to the discussion (‘i guess the scene with the clock with no hands had to do with time.’ yeah. well put angie.) i’ll skip future editions if she’s on them.

Smiles of a Summer Night is a great recommendation, Stephen – I had the same thought listening to the episode, that it would make an ideal intro to Bergman, or a good example of his lighter side for those who’ve already seen Seventh Seal or his later work that’s been stereotyped as bleak and cerebral.

Another minor clarification – in the New Release segment it was stated that Senso would be the second Visconti film (besides The Leopard) in the Criterion Collection, but it’s actually the third. Le Notti Bianche was made between those two films and it’s a great romantic classic – worth discussing on the show some day!