NIU Cine Club will hold a free showing of “Wild Strawberries” Thursday at 8.45 p.m. in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium.

“Wild Strawberries” is a poetic Swedish film that weaves together dreams and reality, and the past and present into a beautiful seamless whole.

The film is richly suggestive and evocative. Many of its scenes encourage the viewer to interpret them in his own way and derive his own meanings or truths.

The film can be seen as a meditation on the impossibility of attaining happiness in a universe devoid of love. The main character represents the plight of modern man who has divorced himself off from all the vital forces of life.

Victor Sjostrum shines in the role of Isaac Borg; an unsentimental physician who has become a cold and heartless old man. He is financially well-off, yet he alienates his son and daughter-in-law by charging them exorbitant interest rates on a loan.

The juxtaposition of scenes depicting the old and young Issac emphasize how drastically he’s changed. In his youth he was a compassionate, sensitive and loving theology student who was engaged to a vibrant young woman named Sara. His frivolous brother Sigfrid managed to steal Sara away from him and the experience left him with deep emotional scars.

“Wild Strawberries” contains several fascinating female characters that are associated with the positive forces of life, rebirth, and creation.

Bibbi Anderson does a fine job portraying two characters both Sara. One of the Saras is a delightfully capricious and friendly girl who enjoys flirting with the old Issac.

Strawberries function as important symbols in the film. When Sigfrid kisses Sarah in the garden she spills her basket of strawberries. The spilled strawberries clearly represent the loss of innocence, virginity, and purity.

“Wild Strawberries” was directed by Igmar Bergman who is considered by many to be one of the greatest living directors. His work has influenced such diverse directors as Woody Allen, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Robert Altman. Bergman’s work often deals with theological themes and they examine difficult questions regarding man’s place in the universe. “Wild Strawberries” is one of his most consistently engaging works.

“Wild Strawberries” is a masterpiece that comes close to being perfect. It is an unforgettable and profound film that should be viewed at least once by all serious cinema fans.