Titled "Wild Strawberries" it continues, to this day, to be an example of film as art, a piece of enduring substance and importance.

It is the story of an aged Swedish doctor/professor (Isak Borg) who travels from Stockholm to Lund University to receive an honorary degree for his lifetime achievements. On this journey, which he chooses to take by car, he reflects on his life, and the relationships with others that filled it - relationships that he used and misused for reasons he is trying now to understand.

This film deals with the larger issues of life in the post-war generation of the 1950's: Love, lost love, alienation, emotional impotence, man's purpose and his dealings with others; or in some cases his lack of dealing with others as he should.

Isak Borg recalls days of bliss when, on his way to Lund, he stops at the location of the old Borg summer house where he used to spend time in his youth. Here he is overwhelmed by the beautiful memories of time spent in this tranquil, lush landscape; time spent with family, many who are now gone. Here, he looks upon the wild strawberry patch of his youth- its vibrancy and freshness: symbols of a simpler, richer, more energetic time in his life.

Through dreams, meditations, and conversations with his daughter-in-law Marianne, who accompanies him on the ride to the university, Isak is forced to confront the indifference he has shown to others throughout his life; he is forced to contemplate his life and what its purpose was, and still is, and by extension he is forced to contemplate life: the bigger picture.

One sequence, revealing a dream Isak has, can only be described as artistically eerie. Here he is in a seemingly deserted town in all its whitewashed blandness, where the town clock has no hands, as if time doesn't exist, and the only sign of life he sees is a horse-drawn cart -rider less- pulling a wagon with a casket on it…what this casket reveals, after it has fallen off of the wagon and opened up cannot be given away here, but it certainly sets the tone for the rest of Isak's musings on his journey.

The film is, as they say, "poetry in motion," with gorgeous cinematography by Gunnar Fischer. The flashbacks are seamless and fluid, with scenes of the past and present moving back and forth with ease, as if riding between gentle waves on a lake.

This film is an experience which begs to be experienced again and again from time to time. This is no transitory entertainment to be watched once and tossed away like a fast-food wrapper. This is a film which reveals more of itself upon repeated viewings and the more it reveals the more satisfied and enlightened the viewer becomes.

What can I say of the ending to this visual and aural sculpture? It is probably the most beautiful, poignant, and understated ending in all of cinema. A perfect ending to Isak Borg's life progression; a testament to Ingmar Bergman's cinematic vision and storytelling genius.