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.
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.