Wild Strawberries and Erikson’s Theory

An analysis of the movie Wild Strawberries, with reference to Erik Eriksons’ theory of development.

This paper examines the film `Wild Strawberries` and the manner in which Bergman has captured the introspective process by which an aging man comes to accept his life. The paper describes how this journey is a combination of the doubts and the problems that people have when facing their imminent demise or their mortality. The paper explains Erikson’s eight stages of psychological development and his last stage of old age and shows how the movie becomes an actual psychoanalysis of any individual that goes through the process of aging and attempts to understand the ultimate degeneration of their life.
Films are supposed to depict reality in a dramatic manner and create scenarios where societal problems can be discussed. The biggest advantage of film presentations is that the problem can be discussed without the interference of the actual consequences limiting the fear of men. The growing statistical population of the elderly in society is a factor that has kept every person in society on tenterhooks. We realize that we too will one day grow old but the process of aging is so potentially scary that not many people actually delve in the developmental process. Thus, films take up that discussion. In movies directors are free to give in to their imaginations and create situation, which they believe, are true to reality.
Consider the aging doctor of Wild Strawberries (the classic film by his revered role model, Ingmar Bergman), Allen embarks on a car trip to accept a career achievement honor and confronts his past along the way. When we view Wild Strawberries we cannot but be fascinated with the manner in which Bergman has captured the introspective process by which an aging man comes to accept his life.”