User reviews

After "Wild Strawberries," this is perhaps my favorite Bergman movie, though be warned: it will take the wind out of you, especially if you watch the full five-hour version in a condensed period of time, as I did.

Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson create perhaps too realistic a version of marriage in this emotionally bruising film. When Marianne (Ullmann) finds out that Johan (Josephson) has been cheating on her and has decided to leave her, the safe, secure world she has built around her crumbles. She plays Marianne as a wife blind to her own husband's unhappiness and embarrassed that she didn't see it coming, and her's is a convincing portrait of a woman whose partner has decided long before her that what they have isn't working.

Josephson makes Johan into a contemptible ass, but he still manages to earn our sympathy. It's easy to dislike Johan but difficult to hate him, so we're in many respects thrust into the same emotional straight jacket as Marianne.

The saddest thing about "Scenes from a Marriage" is how much affection and love there actually is between these two people, and how it's going to waste. When they get angry, they lash out to hurt one another with words and even with fists at one point. There are tears, laughs, reveries. It's obvious that there wouldn't be the need for all this if there wasn't so much ingrained affection between them, and it's tragic to see them become each other's enemy rather than each other's ally.

For a very good if not quite as brilliant sequel to this film, see "Saraband," which has Marianne visiting Johan for the first time in many years after each has established a life of his/her own without the other. It brings a peaceful sense of closure and in many ways stitches up the raw wound left by the first film.

Grade: A

There are few other films that have the direct authenticity of this one. It is very frank, honest, tender, and heartbreaking. The performances of the two primary actors are amazing. Never once did I doubt their sincerity. In every single scene they overwhelmingly conveyed the intense and nuanced emotions of the couple. I use the word "overwhelmingly" because that is exactly what it is. At times it is hard to watch. Especially the scene in which Johan admits his infidelity. I could feel Marainne's hurt/anger/confusion. There are moments of intense tenderness, as in the last scene where Johan comforts Marianne after her nightmare. To be sure, the actors had some incredible material with which to work. Bergman knows human nature as much as any of modern writer. His dialog is poetic at times, and achingly authentic at others. They way the couple eviscerates and dissects each other is alarmingly, yet honest. Rarely is a character saying what they actually feel. Rarely do the characters know what they feel. They, like many people, really are "emotional illiterates." Bergman's direction is minimal, and that is what makes it so effective. The emphasis is completely on the characters and their existences. This is a powerful, evocative film. And I have seen only the theatrical version. I can imagine the full TV version is even more detailed.

Enormous success it had with audiences of Swedish TV, where it was shown in six episodes paved way for its theatrical release. This however called for compromising almost half the original length of celluloid.

As one of more easily understandable Bergman films, "Scenes From A Marriage" met much enthusiasm on both sides of the Atlatic.

The film showcases great two of Ingmar Bergman's favorite actors. Both Liv Ullman and Erland Josephson give lively mature performances, lauded by critics.

Being a down-to-earth family drama with strong social commentary of great relevance, "Scenes From A Marriage" has something important to convey. It is a meaningful picture.

It reflects on the nature of relationship between man and woman. It invites us to ponder on this basic issue, a cornerstone of human society Although not quite in the same league with bona-fide Bergman classics like "The Seventh Seal" and "Persona", "Scenes From A Marriage" remains a powerful movie.

I used to think that I knew a thing or two about marriage having been married for as long as I have but nothing from my experience had prepared me for the merciless and deep dissection of Marriage: Bergman Style. When we meet Johan and Marianne for the first time, they have been happily (or so it seems) married for ten years. They have two daughters; they are still young, very attractive, healthy, educated, well off, and they seem to love each other very much. But Bergman is not interested in happy families – all happy families are happy in the similar ways. Like Tolstoy many years before him, Bergman explores the second part of the formula – All unhappy families are unhappy in their unique ways.

Bergman and his leading actors Liv Ullmann and Arland Josephson give one of the most truthful, honest, heartbreaking and credible portraits of a couple, one of the most intense character studies ever done on film. For five hours, we share twenty years from the lives of Johan and Marianne as well as their love, hate, misunderstandings, insecurities, anger, jealousy, denial, sadness, pain, despair, and loss. We witness the moments of incredible tenderness and unexpected and shocking violence, both physical and mental. There are no depth that they have not descended in the search of themselves and the meaning of their relationship.

There are actually four marriages Bergman studies in "Scenes from a Marriage" –none of them is happy, all are miserable. Bergman does not deny the possibility of finding a soul mate but his opinion on the modern marriage is quite pessimistic.

It felt like Bergman was saying - marriage is dead, long live love. For hours after the film was over, I could not shake off the sadness and pessimism of it. Only later I realized that even if four marriages in Bergman's film were disastrous, it does not necessarily mean that all couples in the world are or have to be that miserable. Bergman wrote and directed Scenes from a Marriage in 1973 when he was in his 5-th marriage, the one that would last for 24 years until his wife died. He brought in the screenplay (I think so but I may be wrong) the bitterness, resentment, anger and disappointments from his previous four marriages - maybe that's why the film is sometimes almost impossible to watch?

"Scenes from a Marriage" is a masterpiece but it may leave you devastated and emotionally exhausted. I watched the original 5-hours TV version and did not even bother with three hours version. 10/10

Scenes from a Marriage (the TV version, even as the theatrical cut is still very good and worth the time if the only copy available) is an intimate, naturalistic portrait of a couple, who at first are seemingly happy, then aren't, then try and find out where they go wrong. It's involving drama at its nexus, and for those who love the theater it's an absolute must see (aside from the theme, no music, all talk). Johan and Marianne are two of Bergman's most interesting, true characters (among his countless others) that he's ever presented, and like many other film artists, you can tell he's lived through at least some if not most of the emotions and trials these characters have been through.

Along with several supporting characters, two of the more notable ones played by Bibi Andersson and Malmjso are a perfect contrast in the first episode of the series. The conflicts that are established throughout the series never pay-off in a mis-fire. Craft-wise there is almost no style except for the minimal lighting by the great Sven Nykvist. And the dialog that goes on between the two leads goes from amusing to tragic, from romantic to bleak, and with all the emotions that I (as one who's never been married) can only guess can be as so. Bergman's script would be just that, a poignant, very profound lot of bits between two people more or less on paper, if not for Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson. They turn on the emotions intuitively, like they've been these people somewhere else at some other time. Or rather, the husband and wife don't have very complicated jobs or economic situation, but the problems lie on the emotional plane, and the intellect they try to put to it. Johan loves another woman, how does that affect Marianne? Marianne asks for a divorce, how does that affect Johan? What will they do to cope? These are questions Bergman poses for his actors, among plenty of others, and they pull off the emotional cues off of each other like the most wonderful theatrical pros.

It's hard to find anything wrong with their acting, cause they don't over-do it (unless you're not into Marianne's changes in feeling in some scenes, which could be understandable), and the bottom line is that despite it being in Europe thirty years ago, it's highly possible these people could be in your house, or in your neighbor's house. Ullmann's Marianne is the 180 of her character from Persona, who could only let out emotions once or twice, mostly as an observer. Josephson's Johan is complex behind is usually sarcastic and simple demeanor- what drives him to do what he does in episode three, or in four? What will the conclusion lead to? Bergman creates a drama that is never boring, never diluted, and asks us to search for ideas about love and relationships we sometimes try and push away. It's a superb, concise treatise about the nature of falling in and out of love, how to differentiate what love is, and essentially what a marriage is. I can't wait to see the sequel, Saraband, which is Bergman's (definite) last film.

"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.

Johan and Marianne have been happily married for ten years. Following the rough choice to abort their child, the marriage begins to fall apart. Theirs is a marriage of convenience anyway, so it is no surprise that they have looked elsewhere for love and comfort. One day, Johan runs away with another woman, and the process of divorce begins. "Scenes from a Marriage" (Scener ur ett aktenskap) is an intense and personal look at the sanctity of marriage in a world where divorce is in vogue.

"Scenes" begins with Johan and Marianne being interviewed for a magazine article about their perfect marriage. Johan is confident in his happiness. He loves his wife, has fathered two children, and has a well-paying job. Marianne is sure of nothing, other than that she's happy. She tries to talk about her future, but the photographer cuts her off for a picture. She never gets to finish her thought. One wonders what she would have said if she'd gotten to same amount of time to speak as Johan did.

During the course of an epic five-hour ride, the two will switch places. Johan will become uncertain of what he wants, and Marianne will become liberated and truly happy. It's what happens in between that fascinates. "Scenes from a Marriage" focuses on the in between moments in life. Most of the time there are only two characters on screen at a time. Filmed in an intimate, documentary-like style, the film gives us the feeling that we're watching a home movie about the down time in the couple's life. This is when they real emotions come to the surface. Johan reveals his passion for Paula, the woman who has seduced him away from Marianne. Marianne, reserved in public, let's her anger, pain, and jealousy flow freely when they are alone together.

It is this that makes the film work. The film was written and directed by Swedish master Ingmar Bergman, a man who knows how to create arrestingly real drama. Bergman knows that the little moments in life are utterly more fascinating then the overblown public moments that most movies show. By allowing us into these personal moments, Bergman allows Johan and Marianne to become like old friends to the viewer, and that makes the story all the more impactful.

The performances by Liv Ullman and Erland Josephson as Marianne and Johan are nothing short of revelatory. Let's face it, most actors don't shoot for the stars in television productions. Ullman and Josephson treat "Scenes" like any one of their theatrical films. This approach is much appreciated. I only wish they could teach American TV actors a thing or two. Ullman and Josephson deliver more meaningful and powerful performances in the course of five hours than half of the American network line-ups could provide in 5 seasons.

Take, for example, the scene where Marianne discovers that she is the last person to know about Johan's infidelity. The camera gets in close on Ullman's face to reveal all the little details of her expression. Ullman's face is a mask of horror and shame. Her eyes are crying out in despair much louder than her voice can.

There is another fantastic scene in which Marianne who, in the ultimate irony, is a divorce lawyer listens to a client discuss her loveless marriage. The comparison to Marianne and Johan's marriage is undeniable. The look on Marianne's face as she sees her future self in her client is hard to describe, but undeniably affecting.

Johan has less emotional depth, as one of the main plot points is that Paula saps the life out of him as the relationship progresses. However, look at the earliest scenes of the film, where he is overflowing with happiness. The joy in his eyes and his voice are so real it's hard to believe that the whole thing was carefully scripted by Bergman rather than improvised by Josephson.

It is said that, following the initial airing of "Scenes from a Marriage" on Scandinavian TV, the divorce rate in Scandinavia grew immensely. More surprising is that Ingmar Bergman was, and still is, delighted by this fact. The film does provide somewhat of an argument for staying together (Johan and Marianne bounce back and forth on th divorce issue several times) and ultimately, as far as I understand, says that even the most strained relationships can be helped. I suppose it is all up to individual interpretations.

I think that "Scenes from a Marriage" is a film about communication. The lack of communication, and the inability to communicate at all, are the major contributing factors in the breakdown of Johan and Marianne's relationship. It isn't until the divorce papers come that the communication begins. A lack of communication with their own emotions prevents the two from seeing any way out other than divorce--they simply assume that it's too late and that all is said and done. It doesn't have to be that way, and "Scenes from a Marriage" will provide a wake up call to anyone who thinks it does.

Scenes from a Marriage is a film about a breakup. We are not talking about some ephemeral youthful relationship, but a happy marriage of many years between a couple who truly feel they are happy together.

Yet cracks become visible, and soon the whole structure comes tumbling down as the once happy couple spends the next 15 years of their lives trying to make sense of it all. The film (aired in Sweden as a 6 part miniseries) is 5 hours of the most intense, painful, emotional conversations ever committed to celluloid. It is filmed almost entirely in close-up with sparse lighting and no music. I have watched it multiple times and by the end of the emotionally grueling experience it feels as though you have lived through each moment Johan and Marianne have experienced, no matter how far from your actual life any one detail might be.

That may not seem like the most pleasant viewing experience, but I should add that the film is not quite as harrowing as my description might make it seem. Yes, intense doesn't even begin to describe it, but Bergman has created the film with such honesty that there is no manipulation or unnecessary suffering. Even the immortal Eric Rohmer has never displayed this level of understanding into basic human relationships. Again, there is no manipulation here; Bergman would never stoop so low as to include suffering merely for the sake of additional drama. What is actually present in every second of the film is simply many lifetimes worth of wisdom on love, loss and moving on.

There are no easy answers in Scenes from a Marriage. The film is an emotional roller-coaster from start to finish. The person who is handling things the best will just as often have hit a new low when they are revisited down the road. The couple's bond will never disappear and yet they can never be what they were to each other. Old feelings resurface, old wounds reopen, old passions return and throughout it all Sven Nykvist's camera does not flinch. No film has done more with such a stark palate of images.

What elevates the film to "second favorite movie ever" level for me is not just the insight into human interaction, though that is my favorite subject matter in film. Scenes from a Marriage is not content to merely show what the loss of a loved one is like, Bergman also has a point beyond a simple documentation of the dissolution of a marriage.

By the final chapter, perfectly titled "In the Middle of the Night in a Dark House Somewhere in the World", an epiphany is reached. Johan and Marianne do not necessarily "get back together" or "never see each other again", but a certain level of acceptance is reached. That which can never be understood, which no one can put into words, and which has no solution is somehow grasped in the final scenes of this magnificent movie. Like a fleeting glimpse of the sun from inside a cave, all the mysteries of life and love briefly make sense.

While I never leave a viewing of Scenes from a Marriage feeling any less confused about the grand questions of life, I can't help but suspect that for a time during its brief 5 hours I almost had it. What more could any artist want from their viewer?

The lawyer Marianne (Liv Ullmann) and the professor Johan (Erland Josephson) have been married for ten years, having two daughters. One night, Johan tells Marianne that he met a young woman, Paula, and he will travel to Paris with her for eight months. Caught by surprise, the perfect world of Marianne falls apart, and she starts living alone. Along the next ten years, they meet each other in different situations, in a relation of love and hate for each other. The first time I watched this theatrical movie I was single and was less than twenty years old. In that occasion, I loved the performances of Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson, but I found the story too long. Today, with twenty-five years of marriage, I have watched this film again on video: what a masterpiece! Ingmar Begman presents an amazingly credible and honest story of the relationship of a couple along twenty years of their lives. Liv Ullmann is so beautiful and has such a stunning performance that impressed me. Erland Josephson also has a magnificent performance as an insecure but sensitive man, full of contradictions and without knowing how to make a decision about his feelings. Unfortunately the VHS spoken in Swedish distributed by Concorde in Brazil has many dialogs without subtitles. Sometimes, four, five sentences are omitted in the translation, or a long speech of a character is resumed to a five or six words sentence. A crime against the viewer! Highly recommended for married couples as a lesson of life. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): `Cenas de um Casamento' (`Scenes From a Marriage')

I haven't seen a great deal of Ingmar Bergman's work, but I doubt if he ever made another film quite like this one. Although he may have looked at intimate relationships before, I wouldn't think he had done it in such a naked manner. There are no abstractions or representations here, just basic camerawork, usually from one talking head to another, mostly in tight shots or close-ups of the two principals, who are in practically every frame of the film. There's hardly an exterior shot in the whole movie, appropriate since we're dealing with emotions and inner feelings.

Bergman the director is not so much the prime figure in this film as is Bergman the writer. The movie is literally what its title says--several long scenes of a husband and wife (played by Erland Josephson and Liv Ullman) at various stages in their marriage, which is ten years old when we first see them. Through these long takes we witness the tangible beginnings of the deterioration of their relationship, then follow it through its various up-and-down stages. The form of the film, being mostly dialog with little action, forces an intimacy with the viewer also, especially if you are watching with subtitles, since you can hardly afford to take your eyes off the screen for a moment.

What is Bergman trying to tell us about Johan and Marianne, and about all married couples? In spite of all we see, it's still hard to answer. On one hand the two seem to live up to the old cliche about people who can't live with and can't live without each other. On the other hand the epilogue scene seems to indicate that if the couple had made the effort to work harder at their relationship, the years would have been much happier. Just as in real life, answers don't come easily.

This may be the ultimate relationship film, though not necessarily the best. It's not an easy journey to make, but one that is worthwhile throughout and another testament to a great filmmaker's wide-ranging talent.

Bergman set the standard for commentary on relationships with this film. Liv Ullman & Erland Josephson are extraordinary as a couple viewed over the course of their marriage and breakup thereof. Bergman and cinematographer Sven Nyquist do an absolute masterful job following both -- Liv Ullman truly has one of the most expressive, beautiful faces in cinema, and Bergman's genius is that he captured every nuance of her perfect performance masterfully.

Don't expect a single extraneous, out-of-place shot. Expect the perfect cinema-plus-verite of long-term relationships that various others, including Woody Allen in his efforts (Annie Hall and onwards,) have tried to riff on -- but never as well.

The writing, acting and direction are wonderful in this film. I simply can't find fault with the quality of the film. However, like a few other comments here on IMDb, I found this film depressing and difficult to watch. However, that isn't all bad--such a film can also get you to think. After all, nearly half of all marriages end in divorce so it's good to see someone attempting to broach the topic of a failed marriage! But, I am afraid that many who view the film could easily take the attitude that infidelity is inevitable (especially since the featured couple is so "civilized" about adultery). Of course, it also is very possible that the movie COULD be a warning that advises us not to be stuck in sick roles within a marriage but deal more openly and truthfully. Who knows. at least it made me think.

I love Bergman. In fact, I hate relationship dramas usually, but still I enjoy a lot of Bergman's films in that genre.

I've been trying to see as much of his work over the years as possible, and I recently bought the Criterion box set.

This series has been praised to the heavens since its release, and you can see by all the reviews here that it is greatly loved.

However, despite all the love others have given it, and despite my being a huge fan of Ingmar Bergman, I struggled to get through this. I really only sat through its entirety to say to myself I've experienced the director's (mostly) complete oeuvre.

The production was flat. I know it was a TV show, but I expect from Bergman at least a little bit of cinematography. This series consisted of mostly long, unmoving, direct conversation shots.

The acting was decent but not good.

The story was tired and uninteresting. Despite a few interesting and insightful moments, it was a run of the mill, uninspired, and downright boring failed marriage tale, presented in the form of long, generally vapid conversations in which the cold husband tries to justify himself with junior high level philosophical commentary and the spineless wife placates him with coddling smiles in between badly played crying fits (the most entertainment I found in the series was laughing at Liv Ullman's weird moaning).

I'd looked forward to this after all of the great films by Bergman and all the accolades this series has received, but what a let down.

Ohmygod. Liv Ullman really deserved an Oscar for this one, as did Bergman. WOW- not many movies are this honest, this heartbreaking, this true, and this tumultuous- we see two people, in and out of a relationship over fifteen years, experiencing all the pain, loss, love, hate, anger, jealousy, denial, sadness, and so on that finding one's soul-mate brings, stretched out long-term.

Not many movies even come close to this one's brutality in its genuine awareness of people. Most modern films (and television, for that matter) cannot even come close to the psychological precision of Bergman's films. Perhaps "Scenes from a Marriage" is his best work- more accessible than "Wild Strawberries", more compelling than "Persona." This is definitely a film to seek out.

This is an actor's masterpiece. The two leads are about as adept as any I've ever seen. This is also about what love is, that unexplainable, elusive, unpredictable thing that sometimes can't be fathomed. The two characters go about their business of caring for each other despite the incredible mistakes and baggage each has. There is physical abuse and verbal abuse and serious of catastrophic events and bad acts. Sort of like life, right. We soon realize that it doesn't matter if these characters aren't like us. They are displayed as amazingly well developed people who have our interest every minute of the film. Some may say it is incredibly talky, but that's the central issue: the talk is what they are about and the nuances of their conversations and interactions is important to the viewer. The pacing is excellent. We get to see them in their most primal and most painful. They never stop loving each other or, in one sense, hating each other. This movie will be with me for a long time and it will haunt (in the best sense of the word) the relationships I find myself in. This is a true masterpiece.

Scenes from a Marriage (1973)

Written and played with amazing honesty. It's simple on the surface, and plain (which is different), and it might just seem insignificant as it goes. Even in the 2 ½ hour version, instead of the 5 hour one.

But the two (and pretty much only) actors are so utterly convincing, and transparent, and the writing is so everyday and so profound, the result is something deeply moving. It's never especially fun, though it is often warm. It's absolutely not exciting, and in a sense very little happens, bordering on nothing.

Except for what is said. This is a five hour conversation between two bright people who seem to love and understand each other better than most people every hope. And yet it isn't enough. They have a love without real passion, and without drama, or even surprise. The question for them, and us, ends up being, who cares? What really matters? What's the meaning of life after all?

Famed Swedish director Ingmar Bergman doesn't worry about making inaccessible or offputting films. He makes them so subtle in their probing of life's mysteries (and it is the mystery that we are confronted with, not the events under out noses), they stand apart, almost from anything anyone else has made. It's not for everyone. If you are new to his films, don't start here. It isn't fair. (Start, maybe, with Wild Strawberries.) But this one is interesting if not exciting, and deeply felt. Woody Allen often professes a tremendous admiration for Bergman's films, and you can even see an influence here, where ordinary, educated people deal with ordinary, profound issues.

Film discreetly mellows down the glorified myth of marital bliss, but at the same time gives you realistic, deep yet paradoxical association of two troubled souls. An ideal portrayal of human nature that cannot exist without hurting those who mean so much, especially those who are bonding in matrimonial. Well settled careers and added years to age make them no exception from the likes of those adolescence who are suffering from identity crisis And film exhibits that uncertainty of inexpressive emotions. Blend of love and hatred, growth and vulnerability of characters. Great performance by the two main characters, a lesson for married couple. In your face blatant reality that goes and finds it roots too deep within us. End is so imperfectly perfect like love of those two… A masterpiece and must see movie for all.

Two of Ingemar Bergmans' most famous works were originally released as TV miniseries: Fanny and Alexander, and Scenes From a Marriage. Finally, after many years, the 6 episode long mini-series version of Scenes has been released in America.

I never saw the original 4 hour movie version of Scenes, but something tells me I wouldn't have liked it. The movie is very talky and most of the scenes are just long conversations between two people. My butt hurts just thinking about having to sit in the theater that long.

As a mini-series, though, it is possible to break the film up into 6 easily digestable parts, as was intended. It wasn't great in terms of cinematography, or exciting plot points, but I don't think it was intended to be.

It was obviously something meant to be watched slowly, so that the characters could get a chance to grow and develop realistically. While it was still a little slow going at times, it is worth checking out if you like probing psychological character studies.

The leading actors Liv Ullman and Arland Josephson give what must be one of the most realistic portraits of a marriage that exists on film. Mostly this is because the actors get 5 hours to depict their two characters. This kind of intense focus almost never happens in cinema, and for this reason alone it is worth watching. Give yourself a week to see it, you will be highly rewarded with one of cinema's most intense character studies.

This has got to be one of the most realistic, honest, truthful and incisive studies of human relationships ever committed to film. Ingmar Bergman really makes his case here that all you need for a movie are skilled actors and an interesting script. This has got to be one of the best screenplays ever. The level of depth, complexity and nuance to these characters is astonishing, and the performances of Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson more than match the script. Liv Ullmann in particular, is an acting God, and this is instantly one of my favorite female performances ever. The characters just feel so real and complete, and many times during the film I related so much to their trials and tribulations, to their anguish, their fears, their confusion and longing that sometimes I felt like I saw a big part of myself in these characters. It's that personal and that real. The level of intimacy and minimalism achieved by Bergman and DP Sven Nykvist is awe-inspiring. The 5 hours flew by so quickly that when it was over, I was bummed because I would've been more than eager to spend another 5 hours with these characters.

Just an amazing, incredibly understanding, moving and perceptive masterpiece.

There has recently been a remake of Ingmar Bergman's "Scener ur ett äktenskap" ("Scenes from a Marriage" in English), so I decided to watch the original. Even if you've never experienced this stuff, it hits you hard. I know that there were two versions of this movie, and I'm not exactly sure which one I saw. Nonetheless, the movie is a true-to-life portrayal of the trials and tribulations that come with a relationship. It probably made sense that such a movie came from Sweden, which is probably the most advanced country in terms of gender relations.

Basically, if you care about understanding cinema, then you owe it to yourself to see this movie. This quote by Anton Chekhov may offer some insight into the plot: "All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

Poor Paul Mazursky. Hounded for life by portraying a rape as a somewhat ambiguous, even comic manner in "Blume In Love" he felt guilty for life and even made the film "An Unmarried Women" as a sort of apology to his critics. In "Scenes From a Marriage" Bergman has his sniveling hero lock his wife in a room and beat her before signing divorce papers. And She, of course, loves him all the more. I've never heard anyone object to this this, and the film is generally hailed as a classic. Well, an international rep as a genius has it's privileges.

Generally a big Bergman fan, with a couple of his films among my very favorites, I was surpassed how repellent I found "Scenes From A Marriage." Men are worms, and women love them for it, would pretty much sum up things here. The picture would be more offensive, perhaps, if it were more credible. It is said Bergman wanted to "stay with the couple" but the Husband's utter disinterested in the children, and his wife's indifference to said, is either not believable or marks the couple as such coarse dunderheads that it's impossible to care about them.

Or, it makes it fashionable with the era's feminism, or male bashing if you like. Either way, the notion that this women works with couples going through the agony of divorce but is oddly indifferent to the suffering of those going through the process is another salvo Bergman aims at contemporary life, but another oddly vacuous one. There is an element of snobbery here, Bergman seems to view these people as empty middle class mediocrities with pretensions to Art they are unworthy of. No wonder Woody Allen loves this movie. In terms of executions, the movie is all you could as for-it's unsloppy Cassavettes. In terms of ideas, however, it's even lower than Cassavettes.

Scenes from a Marriage (1973)

Theatrical version

**** (out of 4)

Ingmar Bergman's nearly three-hour drama about a husband (Erland Josephson) and wife (Liv Ullman) who's been married for ten years and then discover they can't stand one another yet they can't keep apart. I viewed the theatrical version, which is three hours full of conversations and nothing but conversations yet I can't wait to view the TV version, which runs two hours longer. For a three-hour film that has nothing but talking going on, this thing turned out to be a real masterpiece and I'm glad to read that the TV version is even better. Bergman has quickly jumped to one of my favorite directors, right up there with Scorsese, Kubrick and Allen. The funny thing is that this film clearly influenced everything Woody Allen did after this year in his career. Annie Hall, Manhattan and especially Husbands and Wives, which is pretty much a remake of this, are heavily influenced by this film. The two actors do a marvelous job with their roles as they've got to depend on acting skills, which most would fall on their face trying to do. The wide range of emotions they go through, sometimes seconds apart, is remarkable to watch and I'm starting to feel Ullman is perhaps the greatest actress I've seen when it comes to playing emotion. What I loved most is how honest, brutal and open this film is towards relationships in general. There's a lot of ugly nature in this film but hey, that's life and I think that's the entire message of the film. A remarkable piece of work that hits every note correctly and certainly has me wanting more.