Scener ur ett äktenskap (1973)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Ingmar Bergman

Writer:

Ingmar Bergman (written by)

Release Date:

15 September 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Follows the relationship of Marianne and Johan as they separate, engage in extramarital affairs, bond...

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | Couple | Affair | Marriage | Marital Crisis

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 9 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Liv Ullmann	...	Marianne
Erland Josephson	...	Johan
Bibi Andersson	...	Katarina
Jan Malmsjö	...	Peter
Gunnel Lindblom	...	Eva
Anita Wall	...	Fru Palm
Barbro Hiort af Ornäs	...	Fru Jacobi
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lena Bergman	...	Karin, syster till Eva
Wenche Foss	...	Modern
Rossana Mariano	...	Eva, 12 år
Bertil Norström	...	Arne

Also Known As:

Scenes from a Marriage (USA)

Runtime:

167 min | Sweden:299 min (TV version)

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Colour:

Colour (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Finland:K-11 (TV version) (2003) (DVD) | Finland:K-12 (theatrical version) (1981) | Netherlands:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | UK:AA | UK:15 (video rating) (1986)

Filming Locations:

Fårö, Gotlands län, Sweden

Company:

Cinematograph AB

Trivia:

Bergman's original version of this (a six hour TV series) was a huge hit on Swedish television. It was always the director's intent to reach a mass audience but he was staggered by the reaction that it generated. He would find himself frequently accosted in the street by bickering couples, desperate for advice. Eventually, he had to change his phone number to escape from a constant barrage of entreaties.

Quotes:

Marianne: We're pitiful, self-indulgent cowards that can't connect with reality and are ashamed of ourselves.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Roseanne: Scenes from a Barbecue (#3.24)" (1991)

Sometimes hard to take, but unbearably wise

"Scenes From A Marriage" is quite simply that: we meet Marianne & Johan ten years into their union & we witness half a dozen scenes of their lives. I'm not married, but I have of course known many people, family & friends, who were married & who talked, acted, & lived much like this couple does. That they are well-educated & affluent is somewhat irrelevant - married couples often seem to be keeping a certain secret (some keep it better than others) that they disguise with contentment, ritual, obligation, affection. Most of the time they keep this secret even from themselves. This movie is about the gradual discovery of the two main characters of the nature & ramifications of that secret.

As far as Bergman films go, it's strangely pretty, in color, with two attractive leads. But I think perhaps Bergman (& Sven Nykvist) sought to give us a sense of familiarity with the suburban, middle-class surroundings to lure us into a false sense of the security of the marriage in question. Without giving anything away, I suggest that this film is no less dark & heavy than other Bergman films; it rather goes for the heart in the way that you often wish modern dramas about relationships would. It's not trite, nor contrived, nor easily resolved. It's wise as life.

The movie was edited down by Bergman from a six-episode television series, which comprise the "scenes." The cast is great, but it's Ullmann & Josephson's show, & Ullmann is such a magnificent actor that I marvel at her expressive face, which Bergman smartly keeps his camera on.

It's unbearably wise, & sometimes difficult, but there aren't many films out there as honest as this one.