Scenes from a Marriage (TV Mini Series)

Tåredalen (1973)

Erland Josephson: Johan

Quotes 

• Johan : I'll describe my take on security. The way I see it... loneliness is absolute. Anything else is an illusion. Never expect anything but trouble. If something nice happens, all the better. Just don't imagine you can do away with loneliness. A sense of togetherness can be created in, say, religion, politics, love, art. But loneliness is still all-encompassing. The treacherous part is that every once in a while you're struck by an illusion of togetherness. Just remember that it is an illusion. That makes it easier when everything returns to normal. You have to face the fact that loneliness reigns supreme. It puts an end to your moaning. Then you feel safe and secure. And you learn to accept how pointless it all is with a certain satisfaction. I don't mean you should be resigned. You should carry on as best you can, if only because it's better to do your best than to give up.

• Johan : The best thing about Paula was that she taught me how to fight. Even hitting her wasn't out of bounds. You wouldn't believe me if I told you everything. Sometimes it was like some grotesque play in which I was both actor and audience. Our fights would last for days on end until we collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

• Johan : What's wrong, Marianne?

  Marianne : It's so humiliating.

  Johan : What's humiliating?

  Marianne : I think about you... and I think about myself and about the future. I can't see how you're going to cope without me. Sometimes I think in desperation, "I must look after Johan. He's my responsibility. It's up to me to make sure he's all right. That's the only way my life will be worthwhile." I don't believe people are strong all on their own. You have to have someone's hand to hold.

• Johan : It was silly of me to suggest this. We can't seem to talk without hurting each other.

• Johan : I'm still in love with you.

  Marianne : Why say that when it isn't true?

  Johan : Don't you think I've longed for you? I have. We were good together. We were friends. We had fun. If we feel like having sex, why shouldn't we? It only shows we still long for each other. Why have all these reservations? Why worry about tomorrow?

  Marianne : [He continues kissing her, until she pushes him away]  No, Johan. Johan, I don't want to. I want you to stop it! I don't want to pine and weep and long for you. Please understand. This is really how it is. It's no good. If you're going to persist, you might as well leave. I don't want to sleep with you. Please try to understand.

  Johan : I'm trying to understand, but I can't.

• Johan : Are you angry with me?

  Marianne : I'm not angry, but I'm on the verge of tears. The trouble with me is that I can't get angry. I wish that for once in my life I could really lose my temper, as I sometimes feel I have every right to. I think it would change my life.

• Marianne : [reading from Paula's letter]  "Johan is the gentlest, kindest, most affectionate person I've ever met. He has no self-confidence at all, though he tries to put up a brave and cheerful front."

  Johan : You can say anything about anyone. It always fits in some respect.

• Johan : I don't really care where I live. To me, every domicile is only temporary. Security must come from within.

  Marianne : Does yours?

• Johan : It's funny, come to think of it. Has it ever struck you that emptiness hurts? You'd think it would make you dizzy, or queasy in spirit. But this void inside me is physically painful. It stings like a burn. Or like when you were little and you'd been crying, and the whole inside of your body ached. At times, Paula's tremendous political commitment astonishes me. She's so sincere, and so very involved within her group. Her conviction answers her questions and fills the void inside her. I wish I could live the way she does. I really mean that, without any sarcasm.