Ingmar Bergman's Swedish-language classic of world cinema "Wild Strawberries" (1957) has long been a favorite of mine, and I've watched it on videotape many times over the years. Now I'm delighted to own the Criterion Collection DVD of this great movie, and I know I'll enjoy watching it repeatedly over the coming years. The picture quality provided by the DVD is excellent, the English subtitles are good, and the sound is reasonably good. Also, the DVD comes with some nice bonus materials, and I give it my highest recommendation.

"Wild Strawberries" chronicles one long day in the life of a 78-year-old medical professor named Isak Borg (Victor Sjostrom). On that day, Borg makes a long automobile journey from his home in Stockholm to a university in southern Sweden to receive an academic honor. He is accompanied on the trip by his daughter-in-law Marianne (Ingrid Thulin), and they discuss the marital problems between her and his son Evald (Gunnar Bjornstrand). Along the way, Borg pauses at the place where he spent summers as a boy, and he pays a brief visit to his 96-year-old mother. He also picks up three youthful hitchhikers, one of whom is a vivacious young woman (Bibi Andersson) who is the spitting image of the girl he loved when he was young. Most of all, Borg's mind is flooded with memories, reveries, and dreams as he tries to come to terms with the life he has lived.

What I like best about "Wild Strawberries" is the mesmerizing performance by Victor Sjostrom, who was 79 when the film was shot. Sjostrom portrays Professor Borg as a grumpy and irascible old man who has been successful in his professional life, but has failed to connect with people on a personal level. Many close-ups show Sjostrom's face expressing his character's inner conflicts, and I find his performance to be one of the most memorable I have ever seen in any movie.

I think Bergman creates some unforgettable moments in "Wild Strawberries." One of these is Professor Borg's haunting dream of wandering empty streets and encountering a coffin that contains his corpse. Another is the mellow scene at a restaurant overlooking a lake where Borg, his daughter-in-law, and the three hitchhikers recite poetry after having lunch outdoors.

The DVD provides an audio track that features commentary by film scholar Peter Cowie, and I found it to be worthwhile to listen to this commentary while watching the movie. Cowie is at his best here when talking about Bergman's career and relating "Wild Strawberries" to the rest of the great director's work. He also does a good job of discussing the actors and roles they have played in other Bergman films. I was a little disappointed, though, that Cowie doesn't spend much time analyzing "Wild Strawberries" itself.

The DVD also provides a 90-minute 1998 Swedish-language documentary titled "Ingmar Bergman on Life and Work" that was originally made for Swedish television. The documentary consists mainly of an interview by Jorn Donner of Bergman at about age 80. The interview isn't of the hard-hitting variety, and it doesn't reveal all that much about the best known living Swede, but it's still worth watching if you're a hard-core Bergman fan like me.

Selected Special Features on the DVD:

• Commentary Track by Film Scholar Peter Cowie
• "Ingmar Bergman on Life and Work" (90 minutes)
• Stills Gallery
• Six-Page Brochure with Short Essay by Peter Cowie