A mini-series that I think shows better Bergman's writing talent than any of his films.
Scenes from a Marriage is the story of Johan and Marianne and their setbacks regarding divorce. As an unexpected event tears them apart, they are at once unable to reconnect from each other and unable to forget each other. Behind its appearance of great tragedy, Scene from a Marriage has a heart, a desire for honesty, but also a sense of comedy that makes it accessible, unlike one may think.
Bergman, as a director, takes a step back. He lets his actors shine, especially Liv Ullman, and shows a romantic sensibility which I believe contrasts for the better with his earlier works. The Bergman who was called melodramatic after films such as Skepp till India land (1947) is long gone. The new one has reached the peak of his awareness in terms of romantic issues specifically marital issues.
His characteristic formalism to be practically absent from this work is the ultimate proof of Bergman's commitment to the emotional honesty of his film. In the scenes involving Johan and Marianne (practically every scene), close-ups play a major role. Bergman's camera focuses on the faces, typically of a single character, relying on the actor's talent to unveil emotions. Rather than using shot reverse shot, the camera stays on one actor for long minutes, a process I thought was more impactful. For that reason, Scenes from a Marriage reminded me of La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928). It is both as simple as possible and as emotionally powerful as possible.
Scenes from a Marriage is the story of Johan and Marianne and their setbacks regarding divorce. As an unexpected event tears them apart, they are at once unable to reconnect from each other and unable to forget each other. Behind its appearance of great tragedy, Scene from a Marriage has a heart, a desire for honesty, but also a sense of comedy that makes it accessible, unlike one may think.
Bergman, as a director, takes a step back. He lets his actors shine, especially Liv Ullman, and shows a romantic sensibility which I believe contrasts for the better with his earlier works. The Bergman who was called melodramatic after films such as Skepp till India land (1947) is long gone. The new one has reached the peak of his awareness in terms of romantic issues specifically marital issues.
His characteristic formalism to be practically absent from this work is the ultimate proof of Bergman's commitment to the emotional honesty of his film. In the scenes involving Johan and Marianne (practically every scene), close-ups play a major role. Bergman's camera focuses on the faces, typically of a single character, relying on the actor's talent to unveil emotions. Rather than using shot reverse shot, the camera stays on one actor for long minutes, a process I thought was more impactful. For that reason, Scenes from a Marriage reminded me of La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928). It is both as simple as possible and as emotionally powerful as possible.