" This room will be ideal for pictures." " Sit here on the sofa." "SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE" "Nice, isn't it?" "Let's see some happy faces." "INNOCENCE AND PANIC" "Smile." "You too, Mom." "Watch the hair!" "That's the shot." "Are we done?" " I think so." "The girls can go, at any rate." " Good job, girls." " Go have your sandwiches." "Good as gold." "Bye-bye." "How about some shots of the husband and wife on the sofa?" "Sure." "Move forward." "Don't slouch down." " I'll make myself look smaller." " Make it a close-up." "Talk to each other." "Marianne, turn your gaze a bit." " Look as if you're fond of each other." "Now smile at each other." "Hold it." "That's great." "I got my shot, thank you." "Take a few portraits, too." "Well, let's get cracking." "I generally use a standard opener to put people at ease." " I'm not particularly nervous." " All the better." "So, how would you describe yourselves in a few words?" " That's tricky." " Is it?" " I might give the wrong impression." " You think so?" "It sounds cocky if I say I'm bright, youthful, successful and sexy." "My mind has a global scope, I'm educated and a I'm a great mixer." "What else?" "I'm a good friend, even to those less fortunate than myself." "I'm sporty, and I'm a good father and a good son." "I don't have any debts, and I pay my taxes." "I respect our government, no matter what." "I love our royal family." "I don't belong to the state church." "Is that good, or do you want more details?" "I'm a fantastic lover." "Isn't that right, Marianne?" "Maybe we should skip that question." "Your turn, Marianne." "What can I say?" "I'm married toJohan and we have two daughters." "I can't think of anything else." " Sure you can." " I thinkJohan is very nice." " How kind of you." " We've been married for ten years." " Yes, I just renewed the contract." "I lackJohan's boundless self-assurance, but in all honesty, I'm happy I lead the life I do." "It's a good life, if you know what I mean." "What else should I say?" "This is diffcult." " She has a great fgure." " I'm trying to take this seriously." "I have two girls, Karin and Eva." " You said that already." "Let's move on to the particulars." "How old are you?" " I'm 42, but it doesn't show." " I'm 3 5." "We come from ridiculously bourgeois backgrounds." "Johan's father is a physician." "My mother is very much the mother." "My father is a lawyer." "It was decided early on that I would become one, too." "I'm the youngest of seven children." "My mother ran a large household." "Nowadays she takes things easier." " Oh, really?" "Oddly enough, we enjoy the company of our parents." "We see each other often, and we rarely clash." "Maybe we should talk about your professions." "I'm an associate professor at the Psychotechnology Institute." "My feld is family law." "I belong to a large law frm and deal mostly with divorce." "The interesting thing about my job is " "Don't move!" "Hold that pose." "Take a picture and get that look." "Good." "Great." " Oh, that makes me feel " " You'll get used to it." "How did you meet?" "I'll leave that to Johan." "Now that's an interesting tale." "It wasn't love at frst sight." "Both of us socialized quite a lot, and we often ran into each other." "For many years we were heavily involved in political causes and belonged to a drama group at school." "We weren't particularly interested in each other." "I guess Marianne thought I was conceited." "At the time,Johan was in a highly publicized romance with a pop singer." "It gave him a certain image, and he was cocky." "At 1 9, Marianne was married to a boy whose only virtue was a rich father." "He was very kind, and I was crazy about him." "I also got pregnant." " But how did you " " Get together?" "Basically, it was Marianne's idea." "My baby died soon after it was born, and my husband and I split up." "Johan's singer had given him his walking papers." "Both of us were shaken, so I suggested we start seeing each other." "We weren't in love, but both of us were unhappy." "We realized that we got along famously, and our grades improved." "So we decided to live together." "We expected our mothers to be shocked, but they weren't." "They became fast friends." "We were accepted as a couple and got married six months later." " By that time we were in love." " Madly in love." " People saw us as the perfect couple." " And it's been that way ever since." "Without any hitches?" "Our material needs are met." "We get on well with all our friends and relations." "We have good jobs that we enjoy." "We're in good health." "And so on and so forth, to an almost embarrassing degree." "Security, order, contentment, loyalty." "We're indecently fortunate." "We do have our disagreements, but basically we get along well." " Don't you ever quarrel?" " Marianne quarrels." "Johan is so slow to anger that it takes the wind out of my sails." "That all sounds fabulous." "I heard someone say just last night that the very lack of problems could cause strife." "We're well aware of the hazards of a life like ours." "Hazards?" "How do you mean?" "The world is going to the dogs, and I prefer to live and let live." "I'm entitled to simply look out for number one." "It makes me sick to hear about the latest panacea." " I don't feel the same way as Johan." " How do you feel?" "I believe... in compassion." "Could you please expand on that?" "If we all learned to care about our fellow man from childhood, the world would be different." "Hold that pose." "Look into the camera." "I'd better check in the kitchen." "The girls have to go to the dentist, and I'm worried they might sneak off." "Bye." "To be honest, it's not that simple." "That's true." "How do you mean?" "Once upon a time, we felt safe." "Nowadays we realize that bad things can happen at any time." "That's the difference." "Are you afraid of the future?" "If I dwelt on it, I'd probably be paralyzed with fear." "Which is why I don't." "I like this old sofa and that lamp." "They create the illusion of being safe -- such a ridiculously fragile illusion." "I like Bach's St. Matthew Passion even though I'm a nonbeliever, because it creates a sense of piety and community." "I depend heavily on interaction with our relatives, since it recreates the childhood experience of feeling protected." "I enjoy Marianne's talk of compassion." "It soothes the conscience, which acts up at inappropriate intervals." "Remaining content requires a certain technique." "You need to put a lot of effort into not caring." "I really admire people who can laugh everything off." "I can't." "My sense of humor isn't well-developed enough to pull that off." "Are you going to include that?" "No, it would be beyond our female audience, if you'll excuse me for saying such a thing." "What should we talk about now?" "I've got lots of questions." "Would it be all right if I made a call frst?" "Of course." " I'm sorry it took so long." " That's quite all right." "Where's Johan?" "He had an urgent call to make." "I guess we'll have to amuse ourselves." "You know, I don't think we've seen each other since school." "No." "Do you run into the old crowd often?" "Not really." "It's so nice to see that you and Johan get along so well." "You are truly happy, aren't you?" "Everything you say sounds so wonderful." "But then again, someone should be entitled to a perfect life." "I don't know about perfect, but we're fortunate." "We're happy." "Could you defne the word happiness?" "Do I have to?" "It's a women's magazine." "You have to." "If I said anything about happiness, Johan would make fun of me." "No, I can't." "You'll have to make something up." "Don't be evasive." "Happiness is contentment." "There's nothing I really long for." "I want things to stay just the way they are." "What about fdelity?" "Really, now." "Come on, help me flesh this out." "Johan's a dear, but nothing much is said while he's around." "Fidelity." "Yes, fdelity." "In a loving relationship." "What should I say?" "In your line of work you must have come across " "My personal belief is that fdelity needs to be a given." "It can't be an obligation or a rule." "You can't promise fdelity." "Either you're faithful or you aren't." "I'm faithful toJohan simply because I enjoy being faithful." "I don't know how I'll feel tomorrow or next week." "Have you ever cheated on Johan?" "This is getting a bit too personal." "I'm sorry." "I have one last question whileJohan is on the phone." "What about love?" "You have to make a statement about love." "That's what this series is all about." " What if I don't want to?" " Then I'll make something up." "And I assure you, it won't be half as good." "No one ever told me what love was, and I'm not sure you need to know." "But if you want a detailed description, you can look in the Bible." "There Paul describes love." "Right, in Corinthians." "It's beautiful." "The only problem is his defnition casts us in such a harsh light." "If Paul is right about love, it's so rare that hardly anyone ever experiences it." "But as a recital piece at weddings and other special occasions, it's certainly very effective." "Personally, I fnd it's enough to be kind to the person you live with." "Affection is also good." "Humor, friendship, tolerance." "Having reasonable expectations." "If you have all that, then love isn't necessary." "Why are you so upset?" "At work I see people who collapse under the weight of unrealistic emotional demands." "I fnd it barbaric." "I wish " "What?" "I fnd it diffcult to get the right perspective on this issue." "That's why I'm reluctant to discuss it." "But I wish people " "I wish we weren't forced to play all these roles we don't want to play." "That we could be kinder to each other." "Don't you agree?" "Yes, a more romantic life." "That's not actually what I meant." "I meant the exact opposite." "You see how poorly I express myself." "Maybe we should stick to tangible issues." "Why don't we discuss children and cooking instead?" "I guess we digressed a bit." "Yes, I think so." "So, how do you manage having a career and a family?" "Listen to this:" ""Marianne's eyes are as blue as a folk song and are lit up from within." "When I ask her how she copes with it all, she smiles in shy delight and replies that she and Johan both pitch in."" "Which happens to be true." ""'We understand each other,' she replies, brightening as Johan sits down next to her on the heirloom sofa." "Protectively, he puts his arm around her, eliciting a smile."" " Hey!" " Here comes the best bit." ""As I take my leave, I notice how they secretly appreciate that fact so they can bask in each other's presence once more." "Two souls who have matured together sharing a positive outlook, yet never forgetting to put love in the forefront."" "We were mortifed when we read it." "I considered taking action, but our mothers adored the piece." "One thing gets me:" "My eyes didn't get a mention." "Don't they shine with a secret light?" "They're more like dark pools." "The effect is quite sexy." "Katarina has a crush on you." " How about running off with me?" " A change would do Johan good." "He's lived a married life for ten years, and he's never strayed." "Are you sure?" "Certainly." "From the get-go I decided to believe everything Johan tells me." "Did you hear that, Katarina?" "Well, I bet Johan is a better liar than you, my silly little darling." "I'm afraid I have a limited imagination." "That's just it." "Less imagination makes for better liars." "Peter embroiders his tales too much." "It's almost touching." "I read your piece in Technical Times." "Even I could understand it." " Actually, Katarina wrote it." " Are you really that clever?" "I was in Germany, and they wanted an article on the spot." "So Katarina whipped one up and read it to me over the phone." "Why does it have your byline?" "It's not discrimination or anything." "We generally collaborate." "That's admirable." "Not if you consider how badly we get along." "Frankly, things are hell." "Cheers, honey!" "Cheers." "But surely I can tell Johan and Marianne how things are?" " What's wrong, Katarina?" " Nothing." "Peter can be such a clod." "That's all." "I'm a clod, all right." "I'm proud to be a clod and to have an imagination." "The odd thing is that Katarina thinks I'm a spineless jellyfsh." "Oh, my!" "Let's try to have a pleasant time and not get into life's injustices." "That's why we shouldn't forget " "It's time for a little speech, with reference to that blessed article on the two of you." "Let's not forget that we are in the presence of a happy home that shouldn't be soiled with our emotional crap." "Cheers, Marianne." "The meal was lovely." "I may not envy your domestic bliss, but I do admire your culinary talents." "I mean it." "I really wish Katarina could pick up a few pointers." "Katarina's a much better cook." "Peter thinks I poison his food." "It's a running joke at our house." "It was clear it was a joke, right?" "One that's hard to digest." "Let's have some coffee in the living room." "What should I do now?" "I seem to have put my foot in my mouth again." "The girls will clear the table." "Would you care for a cigar?" "No, thanks." "I've given up smoking." "Really?" "Congratulations." "He got so irritable and antsy that I begged him to start again." "But he won't,just to spite me." "I can't quit." "I'll end up as wrinkled as a mummy and die of cancer, but so be it." "Would you happen to have some aspirin?" "I've got a beastly headache." "Certainly." "I'll go with you." "That way the boys can air their dirty secrets in peace." "Are you game for some chess?" "Sure." "Why not?" "Pick a hand." "I had to get away." "I'm slightly tipsy, which always makes me irritable." "Poor Peter." "He acts like a cornered rat." "Using convoluted language, his eyes darting around the room." "Would you like to lie down?" "No, thanks." "It's nice and quiet here." "You're kind, Marianne." "You're going through a rough patch, aren't you?" "You could say that." "Wouldn't a separation do you good?" "We're headed for just the opposite." "We're going on a long business trip abroad." "Our income hinges on collaboration." "The survival of our Italian company depends on our collective efforts." "All these new synthetics need testing." "And my color schemes and patterns may need modifcation." "Peter is an analytical genius." "Everything would fall apart if we split up." "We can't afford to." "Why not just work together?" "We've tried that." "I know." "Peter says other women make him impotent." "I don't know if that's the truth, but I think it is." "He goes crazy if I turn away from him." "It's all right." "I like sleeping with him, as long as I have someone on the side." "Don't you have a lover?" "No,Jan broke up with me." "So he fnally did." "He detested leading a double life." "It looks like that's all I'm capable of." "So now the cage door has slammed shut on our private hell." "Sometimes I hate Peter so much." "I want to torture him to death." "Some nights, when I can't sleep," "I dream up diabolical ways to hurt him." "Isn't there any way out of this?" "I can't see one." "Have you ever actually talked to Peter?" "Now that's touching." "Well, what did he say?" "He said I should do what I damn well please." "He's only interested in seeing how much we can humiliate each other." "He calls it our dehumanization process." "Maybe he should see a doctor." "He did go see an analyst, but he claimed the man was an idiot." "Maybe you should go away for a while." "One morning I woke up to fnd the bed empty." "Guess where he was." "Out on a ledge on the eighth floor, gazing down on the street below." "He told me not to worry, that he was only trying to fnd out who he was." "I had to plead with him." "Finally, I told him to go ahead, but that brought him in." "I wasn't going to get off the hook that easily." "You two had it good once upon a time." "I still feel a certain hopeless tenderness for him." "I understand the anxiety and the feelings of emptiness, disgust and fear." "He knows things about me too." "Things no one else knows." "He says I look like a woman but that I'm a man through and through." "Maybe he's right." "I feel better now." "Shall we go back?" "Yes, that sounds good." "It's pretty damn touching." "What is?" "Your marriage." "Johan and Marianne." "It's so touching, it brings tears to your eyes." "It makes one itch to puncture that beautiful balloon of yours." "You would do that?" "Cheers." "You've been married for ten years." "We just celebrated our tenth anniversary." " No skeletons in the closet?" " You never know." "No, you never know." "Both Johan and I enjoy cleaning up." "Well, what do you know!" "That's where we've been remiss:" "the cleaning." "But that's going to change." "Next week I'll call Marianne and have her arrange for our divorce." "Unfortunately, Peter will back down again before he sobers up." "The adding machine will start running, you see." "It will say, "I'll go through with a divorce if Katarina relinquishes any claim on our Swiss assets."" "To which I counter, "It's my money." "I earned it."" "Then Peter will say, "I made it grow." "You can have the factory."" "And I say, "Great." "A factory in Italy with steadily rising labor costs."" "Katarina, please " ""Take everything in Sweden." "The apartment, the summer cottage, the boat, the stocks and bonds."" "And then I say, "Damned nice of you to leave me with the taxable assets."" "Excuse me for putting a damper on the evening with such trivial matters." "But when Peter talks about splitting up, then I know how drunk he is and that insults are soon to follow." "It's like I always say:" "Katarina is a businessman." "With equal emphasis on both parts of the word." "Business... man." "She's also a brilliant artist." "And she has an IQ of I don't know what." "And she's attractive, too." "A real gem in a stunning package." "How such a paragon could ever spread her legs for me is a mystery." "I think it's time to call a cab and go home." "It can't be pleasant for Johan and Marianne to witness a scene like this." "Johan and Marianne!" "They're candy fgurines wrapped in red ribbons, like the gift-wrapped marzipan pigs of our childhood." "It'll do their souls good to catch a glimpse of the depths of hell." "August Strindberg once said," ""Could there be anything more terrifying than a husband and wife who hate each other?"" "What do you say?" "Child abuse could possibly be worse." "But then again, Katarina and I are children." "Deep down," "Katarina is a little girl who cries because no one comforts her when she falls." "And in the opposite corner, I'm a little boy who cries because Katarina can't love me." "Even though I'm bad and mean to her." "Well, on the bright side, there can't possibly be anything worse than this." "That's why I think we're ready for a divorce." "Only if you're sensible." "Only if the two of us simultaneously, and in the presence of witnesses, sign all the papers." "So neither of us can cheat the other." "We'll call you sometime this week." "We have a fne business lawyer." "Mr. Borglund can help you with the business end." "What do you say, Katarina?" "Even if our fnances are resolved, you'll never let me go." "I know that." "So you think you're so bloody irreplaceable, my dear Katarina?" "Just when did this occur to you?" "That would be interesting to know." "Couldn't you tell me?" "Tell us?" "You force me to have sex with you, since you can't get it up with anyone else." "You have an insatiable need for guilt." "Now that it's over between you and Jan, you feel desperate." "Now Peter's the only one who cares and has the proper patience." "So you think you're the only one?" "Isn't that touching?" "You think I don't have anyone else." "Let me tell you something, Peter." "Forgive me for being so frank, but Peter's challenging the truth, and he needs to be enlightened." "I want you to know this:" "I fnd you utterly repulsive." "In a physical sense, I mean." "I could buy a lay from anyone just to wash you out of my genitals." "Abide with me Fast falls the eventide" "The darkness deepens Lord with me abide" "You son of a bitch!" "When other helpers fail" "And comforts flee" "Help of the helpless" "Oh, abide with me" "Whatever that's supposed to mean." "I hope that won't stain the carpet." "I'm not sure about liqueurs." "Send me the bill." " No." "Do it!" "Could you please pour me a cup of coffee?" "I'm " "I'm pretty drunk." "Please forgive us." "We don't usually behave like this." "But you're our best friends." "Our only friends." "Forgive me." "Forgive us." "Call me a cab." "I'll take my bacchante home, and we'll fnish our little scene." "The fnale is generally inappropriate for an audience." " What time is it?" " Ten past 1 2:00." " I'm glad we got rid of them." " Yes, things got a bit too festive." "Do you believe two people can spend a lifetime together?" "It's a ridiculous convention passed down from God knows where." "A fve-year contract would be ideal." "Or an agreement subject to renewal." " Would that apply to us, too?" " No." "Why not?" "We're the exception that proves the rule." "So you think we'll stay together?" "Now that's a strange question." "Doesn't it bother you to never get to sleep with anyone else?" " No." "Does it bother you?" " Sometimes." "I'll be damned." "On a purely theoretical plane." "I wonder if something's wrong with me." "I don't have fantasies like that." "I'm content." "Well, so am I." "Oh, now I get it." "I know why Katarina and Peter go through hell." "They don't speak the same language." "They have to translate everything into a common language." "I think it's simpler than that." "You and I understand each other." "We speak the same language." "That's what makes us click." "I think it's the money." "If you speak the same language and trust each other, money is not a problem." "You and your languages." "I see it at work all the time." "Sometimes it's like husband and wife are talking on telephones that are out of order." "Sometimes it's like listening to pre-programmed tape recorders." "Sometimes all you get is the vast silence of outer space." "I don't know which is worst." "I have my doubts." "What if we were factory workers and had to have the kids in day care?" "It doesn't matter." "I don't agree." "If you speak the same language, your environment isn't a factor." "That's a romantic point of view." "Would a life like that affect us?" "Are you serious?" "Yes, I'm serious." "We wouldn't get along as well?" "I really mean it." "Regardless of language." "Isn't there just as much potential for alienation and loneliness now?" "Absolutely not." "A dull, strenuous job would wear people down to a greater degree." "You're dumber than I thought." "And you're the romantic, by the way." " We'll see." " And exactly what will we see?" " I don't know." "Do you?" " You're teasing me." " Yes, I am." " Aren't you hungry?" " Yes, I'm ravenous." "How about a sandwich and a beer?" "Sounds great." "Johan?" "I have something to tell you." "Don't worry." "It's nothing bad." "Now that sounds ominous." "What is it?" "I'm pregnant." " I told you that three weeks ago." " I didn't want to worry you." "That was considerate." "What should we do?" " Do you want to have an abortion?" " I want this to be a joint decision." " It's your decision." " Why mine?" "It's obvious." "You're the one who ends up with the burdens and the delights." "You mean it's all the same to you?" "Not at all." "What do you want?" "Truthfully." "It's not that easy." " Is it so hard to be honest?" " You're being unreasonable." "What was your immediate reaction?" "You know I don't have immediate reactions." "I'm an invalid in that regard." "Do you want to have another child?" "I have nothing against it." "It might even be nice." "But you're not all that enthusiastic." "Give me an honest answer." "Why should I be honest all the time?" "Tell me what you want." "I happen to have asked you frst." "When did this accident happen?" "You are on the pill, aren't you?" "I forgot to take them when we were on our trip." " Why didn't you tell me?" " I figured it didn't matter." "Did you want to have a baby?" "I don't know." "That's no answer." "Maybe I thought that if we got pregnant, then it was meant to be." "Oh, my God!" "Come on!" "A modern woman like you who preaches birth control." "True, it doesn't really make sense." "I guess you've already made your mind up." "I guess I hoped you'd be pleased." "Well, I am rather pleased." "You haven't felt sick at all?" " I've never felt better." "Our mothers will be beside themselves with joy." "What do you think the girls will say?" "Right now they tolerate anything we do." "One more act of stupidity on our part could hardly matter." "They'll forgive us." "You know, I'll enjoy having a baby around." "And you're awfully cute with a bulging tummy." " What's wrong now?" " Nothing." "You're crying, so something's wrong." " I'm telling you, it's nothing." " There must be something." "Do you know what you want?" "No." " Maybe we don't want more kids." " Do you think so?" "Well, the prospect of breast-feeding, all that laundry, and getting up at all hours " "We've put that all behind us." " I feel so guilty." " Why?" "Guilty that I wanted to have a baby and looked forward to it, only to change my mind when it actually happened." "Why impose a moral aspect on it?" "This is my fourth child." "One died and I'm going to kill one." " You can't think like that." " Well, I do." " You've got to be practical." " No, I don't." "What's the issue here?" "The issue is love." " Aren't you being a bit too intense?" " No." "Could you enlighten me?" "No, I can't." "It's an emotional thing." "It's as if I no longer perceived myself as being real." "You aren't real either." "Neither are the kids." "But this baby is real." "It could be the other way around." "We're pitiful, self-indulgent cowards that can't connect with reality and are ashamed of ourselves." "There's no affection, love or joy in our lives." "We could very well have this baby, and I was right to be pleased and daydream about it." "I think it was an honest feeling." "I'm mature enough to be a mother now." "I don't understand." "It's like you've had the abortion already." "I have." "You can't judge yourself for your thoughts." "This is a serious matter." "It will influence our future." "What if we do something we can't take back?" "What if we haven't realized how serious this is?" "What ridiculous, nebulous, intangible demands." "They're pure superstition." "You don't understand." "Not one damn word makes sense." "We're trying to run away." "We're trying to avoid drama here, which is healthy, in my opinion." "You don't look very happy." "I fnd this conversation distasteful." "Couldn't we have this baby and just be happy about it?" "Couldn't we enjoy our little slipup and just love it for happening?" "I've said all along that it would be nice." "You made this conversation diffcult, not me." "Should we make a decision?" "What decision?" "To keep the baby." "All right, let's keep it." "I feel very relieved." "There's nothing strange about feeling torn." " No, I suppose not." " That's generally the way it is." "The issue wasn't really the baby." "No, I suppose not." "It was about you and me." "Hello there." "How are you?" "I feel a little sick." "Was it rough?" "Not really." "Could you lower" "Of course." "The doctor said you could come home tomorrow or the day after." "I need to catch up on my sleep." "We could spend a week in the country when you're up to it." "I can take some time off after the tenth." "I asked your mother if she could take the girls, and she agreed readily." "That might be nice." "I had dinner with Gunnar and Sven yesterday." "They said that Sture might be sent to Pretoria as an ambassador." "I wonder what Aina will think." "It will be a blow." "Giving up bridge with Princess Christina on Fridays." "She'll never survive that." " When will they know?" " Anytime now." "Did you tell the Egermans we can't make it to their dinner party?" "No, I forgot about that." "I'll do it right away." "Have you spoken to our parents?" "I told them you had minor surgery, scheduled on short notice because the doctor was going abroad." "What did Mother say?" "She oozed sympathy." "She could be here any moment." "That's what I'm afraid of." "I can call her and tell her to come later." "I can tell her you're asleep." "No, that would only make things worse." " Are you in pain?" "Just a little sore, that's all." "I thought we might discuss the summer cottage, if you're up to it." "Of course I am." "We could add on a nice veranda." "Like those old farmhouses have." "A blue one." " Shouldn't we paint the whole house?" " Yes." "And we'd better fx the roof, too." " Can we afford it?" " Yes, it won't cost all that much." " Why don't you talk to Gustav?" " I will." "Hold me." "Does that feel better?" "Good." "I really regret doing this." "I really do." "You'll feel better tomorrow." "What have I done?" "There's no point in dwelling on it." "In a few week's time you'll have forgotten all about it." " Do you think so?" " I'm convinced you will." " I don't know how to get over this." " Oh, darling." "Don't you think you should try to rest now?" "You see, I really have to go now." "Take care." "Bye." "Give my love to the girls." "Just get some sleep." "I'll tell the nurse you're resting in case your mother should turn up." "That's probably a good idea." "Why don't you give her a call and save her the trouble of coming?" "You're a sweet man." "I'm glad you think so." "We'll have a nice time in the country." "We'll have lots of good food, and we'll rest and watch TV." "And not think." "And we'll hold each other." "Sleep tight." "Don't forget to call the Egermans." "I won't." "This was the first episode of Scenes From a Marriage." "It was called "Innocence and Panic. "" "And while you look at this footage of Fårö, here are the credits." "The actors were Liv Ullman, Erland Josephson, Bibi Andersson," "Jan Malmsjö, Anita Wall, Roseanna Mariano and Lena Bergman." "Sven Nyqvist and his assistant Lars Karlsson manned the cameras." "Wardrobe, Inger Pehrsson." "Props, Gunilla Hagberg." "Makeup supervisor, Cecilia Drott." "Audio and mix, Owe Svensson and his assistant Arne Carlsson." "Editing, Siv Lundgren." "Script supervisor, Ulla Stattin." "Other contributors were Anders Bergkvist, Stefan Gustafsson," "Lars Hagberg, Adolf Karlström," "Kent Nyström, Bo-Erik Olsson and Siri Werkelin." "Lars-Owe Carlberg was the production supervisor, and the lab was Film Teknik." "Nils Melander designed the lighting effects on Eastman Color film." "The series was produced on Fårö by Cinematograph." "The year is 1973." "SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE" "Johan and Marianne have been happily married for ten years." "Johan is an associate professor, and Marianne is a lawyer specializing in family law." "They lead a comfortable life with their two daughters." "One day they have Peter and Katarina over for dinner." "After dinner, their guests start to quarrel dramatically." "Their conflict lies in emotional and material ties, and they struggle violently to break free from each other." "Their loyal friends do their best to mediate between them." "A few weeks later, Marianne discovers she's pregnant." "Johan takes the news calmly, but without enthusiasm." "After deliberation, they decide that Marianne will have an abortion." "They try to play down the issue, but Marianne experiences unexpected qualms." "THE ART OF SWEEPING THINGS UNDER THE RUG" "Good morning." "Good morning." " Did you sleep well?" " Like a log." "How about you?" "Fine." "Only I woke up at 5:00 and couldn't go back to sleep." "Why is that?" "I was irritated." "Should I feel guilty?" "For once you're innocent, my dear." "The thought of Sunday dinner with the folks had me steaming." "We always have Sunday dinner at your parents' place or mine." " And that's insane." " We do it to please them." "Well, I'm going to cancel." "You're going to cancel?" "What will your mother say?" "She can say whatever she likes." "I want to spend the day with you and the kids." "Well, if you can pull it off" "I certainly can." "The more I think about it, the madder I get." " Is your period coming up?" " Why do you always say that?" "Well, isn't it?" "All right, my period's due on Monday, but that's not why I'm annoyed." "What's bothering you?" "Just think about it." "Every last second of our time is accounted for and booked solid." "We have our vacations." "Don't you understand?" "Our vacations are even more tightly scheduled." "Aren't you going to wake the girls?" "They're sleeping in today." "Karin has the day off, and Eva has a sore throat." "I want her to be well by Sunday, to avoid all the snide remarks." "Weren't you going to cancel dinner?" "I want you to do it." "I don't want to lock horns with your mother." "Well, aren't you going to call your mother?" "Didn't we agree you would do it?" "No, honey." "I'll hold your hand and provide moral support." "All right, I'll do it." "My heart is racing." "The frst baby steps in the great revolt." "Aren't they in?" "What a relief." "Miss Alm, is my mother in?" "May I speak to her?" "How is your knee, Miss Alm?" "Oh, it isn't any better, then?" "It's worse?" "Now, that's too bad." "What does the doctor say?" "He's not very understanding." "I see." "Hello, Mother." "How are you?" "Good." "Dad's already gone?" "That's right, he was going out to the country." "You let him go off on his own like that?" "Oh, Erik went with him." "That's nice." "Listen, I have something to tell you." "That's right." "How did you guess?" "Why?" "I'd like to spend Sunday with Johan and the girls." "No, we're not going anywhere." "We just don't feel like coming over for dinner, that's all." "I don't believe for one second that Dad's been looking forward to it." "Really, Mother, it should be a pleasure and not a duty." "I see." "I see." "You hadn't told me that." "To be honest, not entirely thrilled." "No, forget it, Mother." "We'll show up, like we said we would." "That'll be just fne." "Excellent." "Yes, we're looking forward to it." "Bye-bye, Mother dear." "Bye." "The revolution was smothered at birth." "Aunt Elsa is coming to town." "She hasn't visited in six months." "She was looking forward to seeing us, and she has a gift for you." "And Mrs. Danielsson was coming over to cook." "And your Dad was so looking forward to seeing us." "I still think you were brave to try." "We'll cancel another time." "Don't be upset." "Will you be home for dinner?" "I'll meet you at the theater at 7:20." "Don't you like coming home anymore?" "Things are certainly complicated today, aren't they?" "I wish we could spend a whole week in bed just cuddling." "And both of us could cry." "That's not the life we chose to lead." "I wish I could be certain our mothers didn't do the choosing." "You suffer from a maternal persecution complex." "Is this the life you wanted?" "Yes." "What if we started cheating on each other?" "Marianne, please." "What would you do?" "Kill you, of course." " Sometimes I wish " " What?" "Nothing." "Wait a second." "I'll go with you." "Wouldn't it be better if you took your own car?" "No, this way we can drive home from the theater together." " What about the girls?" " Mrs. Andersson is coming today." "I'll call her from town and ask if she can cook something." "She makes great pancakes." "I'll go wake the girls." " I'm in a hurry." " It'll only take a minute." "I like riding with you in the morning." "We should do it more often." "Did this put you in a bad mood?" "I don't like winging it." "But I do." "Sometimes I wish that I could go with the flow." "Eat when I'm hungry, sleep when I'm tired, and have sex when I'm in love." "Maybe even work a little, if I felt like it." "Sometimes I long to simply float along, and maybe even sink." " Who doesn't?" " You." "You don't." "What would you know about that?" "I know you pretty well by now." "You're too well-adjusted." "You like things to be tidy." "So do you." "Do I?" "You're a perfectionist." "Really?" "You detest disorder in mind and body." "Really?" "I see." "That's a fact." "I'm not so certain." "Of what?" "I'm not certain I know who I am." "Oh, by the way, please pay your parking tickets." "There's a whole stack of them." "Yes, sir." "See you at the theater." "Yes, it's me." "Oh, hi, Mother." "The line's so bad, I didn't recognize your voice." "I'm fne, thank you." "How are you?" "You're concerned?" "Now why is that?" "Marianne's mother called..." "and she's concerned too?" "Good grief." "No, Marianne and I are getting along fne." "We're healthy, cheerful and insanely happy." "Nothing's wrong, I swear." "Don't worry." "Your intuition?" "Well, it's led you astray." "Marianne and I are happy together." "Tell Marianne's mother she should do something more constructive than gossip about worst-case scenarios." "I'm pretty busy right now, Mother." "I'll see you soon." "We'll stop by on Friday, just like we promised." "Give my best to Dad." "Damn." "Hi." "Am I disturbing you?" "Please do." "I just had to see what you're up to." "There are so many rumors floating around." "What are you doing?" "This does look mysterious." " Shouldn't you be in Lund?" " Yes." "But the students are demonstrating for some deserving cause or another, and the lectures were canceled." "Lucky you." " What's this going to be?" " Take a look." " What am I supposed to do?" " Hold this pen." "When I turn off the lights, you'll see a bright dot on the wall." "Try to touch it with the tip of the pen." "If you miss, draw a line to it." "We'll get it all on camera." " But it's dark." " We're using infrared lighting." "I'll watch you on the monitor." "Lights out." "Be my guest." "Go ahead." "Are you pulling my leg?" "Not at all." "Go on." "Could you " "It keeps moving." "It's not a trick." "Actually, the dot is stationary." "I've had enough of this!" "Turn the lights back on." "My, you're upset." "That was unpleasant." "Yes, it makes you nervous." "Funny, isn't it?" "Look how you drifted, getting more and more irritated by the minute." "So what does it prove?" "That remains to be seen." "This is only the beginning." " I'd like a cigarette." " Go ahead." "Have a seat." "No!" "I gave up smoking six days ago, and it's a pain!" "Having withdrawal symptoms?" "Stefan's away and my friends are avoiding me." "I'll go back to it, but I'll try to stick to my guns a while." "Go on, take a cigarette." "Bromeus left a pack behind when he spied on me yesterday." "Oh, that's heaven." "What a relief." " That's much better." " But your conscience will suffer." "You have to choose your vices with care." "Well?" "Right." "I spent the entire afternoon yesterday reading your poems." "Very carefully, from start to fnish." "Twice." "They baffled me." " Were they so very strange?" "That's not it." "They weren't strange?" "Well, I might be wrong." "Has Marianne read them?" "No, you're the only one I've shown them to." "Marianne's not interested in poetry." " She ought to be interested in you." " She is, but not in that respect." "She's not?" "Really?" "What's so odd about that?" "You and I've been friends since we were students." "We've never been sexually involved." "You can provide an objective opinion before I try the publishers." "I wouldn't bother." "Are they that bad?" "No, it's not that they're bad." "If only that were the case." "They're mediocre, is that it?" "Insipid, proper and puerile?" "They're too personal, like indulging in spiritual masturbation?" "In our old crowd, many believed you were destined for greatness." "We admired you." "You were way ahead of us." "We admired and even envied you." "What's that got to do with my poetry?" "Nothing." "It was just a thought." "I guess the withdrawal symptoms colored your view." "You appear stressed." "That's possible." "I'm going to show them to others before I scrap them." "Of course you should." "The publishing houses will have to tell me how bad they are." "I've offended you." "You sure have." "I'm sorry." "At least there's one person who appreciates them." " Who would that be?" " Are you curious?" "My dear little Johan." "Pay no attention to me." "It was just my craving talking." " Right." "Well, I've got to go." "I'll leave your poems at the door." "Give my love to Marianne." "You know I'll always be there for you." "That's nice of you." "Bye." "I'll see you around 1 2:30, then." "Bye." "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." "In this frst meeting we usually establish the issues and look at how to solve them." "I want a divorce." "How long have you been married?" "Over 20 years." "Do you have a profession?" "No, I'm a housewife." "Why do you want a divorce?" "There's no love in our marriage." "Is that the reason?" "Yes." "You've been married for a long time." "Was this always the case?" "Yes, always." "And now that your children have left the nest, you want to leave as well." "My husband is a responsible man." "He's kind and conscientious." "I have nothing to complain about." "He's been an excellent father." "We've never quarreled." "We have a nice apartment and a lovely summer cottage we inherited from my mother-in-law." "We're both fond of music." "We belong to a chamber music society and play together." "It all sounds ideal." "Yes, it does." "But there is no love between us." "There never has been any." "Forgive me for asking, but have you met someone?" "No, I haven't." "What about your husband?" "As far as I know, he's never been unfaithful." "Won't you be lonely?" "I guess." "But it's even lonelier living in a loveless marriage." "Have you told your husband you want a divorce?" "Of course." "Fifteen years ago I told him I didn't want to live with him anymore, since there was no love in our marriage." "He was very understanding." "He merely asked me to wait until the children had grown up." "Now all three have grown up and left home." "Now I can have my divorce." "So what does he say?" "He keeps asking me what's wrong with our marriage." "And I tell him I can't go on with a relationship that lacks love." "Then he asks me what love is supposed to involve." "But I tell him I don't know." "How can I describe something that's not there?" "Have you been on good terms with your children?" "Emotionally." "I've never loved my children." "I know that now." "I used to think I did." "You always do." "But I know now that I never loved them." "Still, I've been a good mother." "I've done all I could, even though I never felt anything for them." "I know just what you're thinking." "Really?" ""A spoiled woman with no sense of humor." "She has everything she could possibly want but still she goes on about love." "What about friendship, loyalty, security?"" "Something like that, yes." "Let me tell you something." "I have a mental picture of myself that doesn't correspond to reality." "Pardon me if I ask you a personal question." "Isn't it true that love " "What were you going to ask?" "I'm not sure." "Forgive me." "I tell myself I have the capacity to love." "But it's been... bottled up." "The life I've led has stifled my potential." "The time has come to change all that." "The frst step is divorce." "My husband and I... cancel each other out." "That sounds frightening." "It is frightening." "Something peculiar is happening." "My senses -- sight, hearing, touch -- are starting to fail me." "This table, for instance." "I can see it and touch it." "But the sensation is deadened and dry." "Do you understand?" "I think I do." "It's the same with everything." "Music, scents, faces, voices." "Everything seems puny, gray and undignifed." "I picked up a bunch of brochures." "I fgured we could take a trip abroad." "Aren't we going to be at the cottage?" "We have the spring and the fall." " Where did you think of going?" " I have no idea." "We've never been to Florence." "Or how about the Black Sea?" "And there are some amazingly cheap trips to Africa." "OrJapan." "We could seeJapan." "Why this sudden urge to travel?" "Don't you think it would be fun?" "I don't know." "Well, then, that's that." "Are you disappointed?" "When you're in a bad mood, you make the strangest accusations." "You claim I don't care about our marriage." "Isn't that what you say?" "Well, I'm trying to show I care." " How thoughtful of you." " Why so sarcastic?" " I mean it." "I'm just not keen on traipsing around the world in the blistering heat." "Not when I could be fshing." " Then everything will be the same as usual." "Could life be so treacherous that it could go wrong just like that?" "Almost imperceptibly?" "Do you mean us?" "Is it a matter of making the wrong choice?" "Or do we jog along in the same rut without thinking until we end up on the garbage heap?" "Has something happened, Johan?" "Nothing." "I swear." "We're honest with each other, aren't we?" "I think so." "It's not good to bottle things up." "No matter how silly it is, it's better to get it off your chest." "Of course it is." "What time is it?" " 1 :1 5." " My watch keeps on stopping." "Where were we?" "Oh, yes." "Honesty." "I suppose you mean about sex?" " Sometimes I think" "You can't expect constant intimacy." "It would be too tiring." "Yes, that's the big question." "I'm so very fond of you." "Do you know that?" "I'm so scared of losing you." "I don't say nice things often enough, even though I know they mean a lot." "I'm not very talented in that department, but I'll try to improve." "You're so sweet." "And I'm very, very fond of you." "I'll try to remember that." "But right now I have to go." "I'm going for a walk." "Karin needs some new slacks." " You bought her a pair last week." " Those were for Eva." "Can't Karin wear hand-me-downs?" "That's just not done nowadays." "Now for some food and drink." "And to get out of these clothes." "Getting through Ibsen on nothing but a hot dog was an ordeal." "Nora was good." "But the play is damned dated." "Even Strindberg thought so." " Out of envy." "Things have changed in a hundred years, though not in the way Ibsen expected." "Like what?" "Feminism is a tired subject." "Women nowadays can do whatever they want." "Only they can't be bothered." " Oh, that's interesting." "There's something pathetic about women's libbers, especially when they're trying to galvanize their sisters, that provincial, moronic mob of deluded females." "Just you wait and see." "I'll never see anything." "These two women at work have shared the same cubicle for ages, but they still address each other as Miss Schoultz and Mrs. Palmgren, and each seizes every opportunity to sabotage or bad-mouth the other." "What a convincing argument." "Have you ever heard of a female symphony orchestra?" "Picture 1 1 0 women with menstrual problems trying to play Rossini's Overture to The Thieving Magpie." "Lucky no one can hear you." "Women are crazy." "Just picture a carcass of a man, a rotten drunkard, ft for the grave." "Wonderful women will hover over this wreck of a man like big white birds." "His carcass stinks, he abuses them, but it makes no difference." "It's a combination of greedily sparkling eyes, rosy cheeks, and an air of martyrdom." "Some silly champion of women's rights, a progressive bishop, claimed that women have been tyrannized for so long that they accept being degraded." "Now that was extremely stupid." "Women snagged the best bit:" "the role of the martyr." "Now that they play it to perfection, they're not about to give it up." "They've achieved their objective -- the collective guilt of men -- which provides them with certain favors." " Would you like a blanket?" " Yes." "Did you order heating oil?" "Females in public offce would be forced to share responsibilities." "They would lose their comfortable role as the underdog and have to give up their pet vices -- rearing children and being oppressed." "What moving words." "I once heard this lady say," ""But don't we women have an aptitude for tenderness?"" "I was too polite to laugh, but I wanted to ask her," ""Don't you women have an aptitude for cruelty, vulgarity and ruthlessness?"" "By the way, I don't mean a word of this." "Cheers." "Remember when our parents almost threw us out because we joined the May Day parade?" "You were more zealous about politics." "And you accused me of neglecting our home." "That was the year we came down with the Asian flu." "We thought the future was bright." "It's nice to have faith in things." "And we had the pleasure of annoying our parents at the same time." "You were such a hothead back then." "Not as bad as your dad." "No, you were worse." "Pretty and hotheaded." "You were awfully attractive as a socialist." " Aren't I now?" " What?" " Awfully attractive?" " Of course." "But married couples aren't as hot for each other after a while." "That's not true in our case, though." "We're just too busy." "When evening rolls around, we're exhausted." "That wasn't meant as a reproach." "I swear." "We like each other in every way." "Not in that way." "Not very much, anyway." "Oh, yes, we do." "Our life is full of little evasions and restrictions." "I can't help the fact I don't enjoy it as much as I used to." "There's a perfectly natural explanation." "Don't lay this guilt on me." "Don't get so upset." "I think we have it nice." "Things are not as passionate as they once were, but we could be worse off." "Without a doubt." "Sex isn't everything, after all." "If you're not satisfed, go fnd yourself a mistress who's more imaginative and exciting." "I do my best, I assure you." "There we have it." " You've got that look again." " I haven't got any look." "That look and that tone of voice." "Instead of brooding,just spit it out." "You'll just lose your temper." "No, I'm listening --with an open mind." "Sometimes I wonder why we complicate this problem so awfully." "Making love is pretty basic." "It shouldn't be a huge, overshadowing issue." "It's your mother's fault, if you ask me, though you don't like my saying so." " What a superfcial analysis." " Don't be a sourpuss." "I'm being nice." "You think it's my fault we don't enjoy it anymore." " You just said you do your best." " I really do." "Can't you hear how preposterous that sounds?" "Are you calling me a liar?" "No, for Christ's sake." "Then I don't understand." "Let's drop this and go to bed." "It's late." "It's just like you to start a discussion to get me all riled up only to yawn and say it's bedtime." "You suffer from devastatingly high standards." "We've often joked and argued about it." "But can't our poor sex life be spared your ambitions?" "Why won't you cut me some slack?" "First you attack me for not trying and then for making the effort." "What a mess I've made." "Yes, you sure have." "It would be more helpful if you were kind." "There, there, sweetheart." "I shouldn't have brought it up." "It's possible to talk too much about these things, you know." "Yes, it is." "I know you should discuss everything and not keep secrets." "But in this case I think it's wrong." "I think you're right." "Some matters should be protected from prying eyes." "You think so?" "I'm sure of it." "We hurt each other for no reason, and the barbs are still there when we go to bed." "It's like lying on a bed of nails." "What are you laughing at?" "The bed of nails bit." " Go on and laugh, then." " Let's go to bed." "Only if you admit that you've been tactless." "I apologize." "Don't I give you enough affection?" "Affection takes time." "Then you don't get enough." "We don't get enough." "Or give enough." "That's why I wanted us to go away this summer." "Affection shouldn't be kept just for vacations." "You're nice... for a moron." "It's lucky I'm married to you, then." "You have moments of greatness, interspersed with sheer mediocrity." "I'm sure that's true." "At our age, tens of thousands of brain cells burn out every day, and they're never replaced." "Well, a fool like you must lose a million a day." "You're adorable, even if you do scold and fuss." "Right." "I'm nearly asleep anyway." "I'll just go check on the children." "Don't worry." "I'm practically asleep." " Aren't you going to set the alarm?" " I've got it in my hand." "If you like, you can make love to me." "Thanks for the offer, but I'm too tired." "Good night." "This was the second episode of Scenes From A Marriage called "The Art of Sweeping Things Under the Rug. "" "While you look at this footage of Fårö, here are the credits." "The actors, Liv Ullman, Erland Josephson and Gunnel Lindblom." "Sven Nyqvist and his assistant Lars Karlsson manned the cameras." "Wardrobe, Inger Pehrsson." "Props, Gunilla Hagberg." "Makeup supervisor, Cecilia Drott." "Audio and mix, Owe Svensson and his assistant Arne Carlsson." "Editing, Siv Lundgren." "Script supervisor, Ulla Stattin." "Other contributors were Anders Bergkvist, Stefan Gustafsson," "Lars Hagberg, Adolf Karlström," "Kent Nyström, Bo-Erik Olsson and Siri Werkelin." "Lars-Owe Carlberg was the production supervisor, and the lab was Film Teknik." "Nils Melander designed the lighting effects on Eastman Color film." "The series was produced on Fårö by Cinematograph." "The year is 1973." "SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE" "Johan and Marianne have been happily married for ten years." "They lead a comfortable life with their two daughters." "One day Marianne declares that she wants to back out of Sunday dinner with the folks." "This spark of defiance is snuffed out." "Eva, a colleague, comes to see Johan in the lab." "She has read Johan's poems, poems he has kept secret." "She pans his poems as kindly as possible, but Johan is devastated." "A woman, Mrs.Jacobi, comes to see Marianne." "She wants to file for divorce after 20 years of marriage." "She feels her marriage has been devoid oflove and that this has caused her emotions to atrophy." "Listening to her tale, Marianne feels inexplicably disturbed." "Marianne and Johan meet for lunch." "They try to reach out to each other but fail." "That evening they begin to discuss their deteriorating sex life." "However, confused and worried about the consequences, they decide to sweep matters under the rug instead." "Just look at this!" "What a mess!" "No, you clean it up yourselves." "Lights out in fve minutes." "Good night." "It can't be!" "You're here already?" "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow." "What a lovely surprise!" "Are you hungry?" "How sweet of you to get here sooner." "The girls are asleep." "We all went to bed early." "There was nothing on TV, so we turned in early." "The girls and I have been dieting today." "Would you like a sandwich?" "That sounds nice." "Or should I fry some ham and eggs?" "Or heat up some soup?" "Sandwiches and beer will be just fne." "By the way, Peter and Katarina are going to call you on Monday." "It's quite an ordeal they're going through." "Are they getting divorced?" "They don't seem to know what they want." "Is that so strange?" "I advised them to get separate lawyers, but they refused." "Listen, change into your pajamas and I'll bring a tray up to the bedroom." "Sounds good." "And here I was worried you might be angry with me." " Why should I be angry?" " I was nasty on the phone last night." "Oh, that." "That was nothing." "I called back, but you must have unplugged the phone." "I was pretty tired." "I'd spent the day with that zombie from the ministry." "It makes you wonder about the idiots in charge of our well-being." "I still think I behaved badly." "Let's drop it." "You never want to fnish discussions, do you?" "But this won't take long, dear." "All I wanted to say was that you were right, but so was I." "If you don't want to wear a tuxedo, that's your business." "I agree." "But if I think you should get a new tux, then I have a right to say so." "I don't like tuxedos." "I hate wearing a tuxedo." "It's a ridiculous getup." "I feel like a dressed-up chimpanzee." "Yes, you told me that." "Let's not quarrel." "I love you, even if you won't wear a tux." "It's hardly essential to our marriage." " It sure seemed that way last night." " I told you I was wrong." "I'm getting hungry just watching you eat." "I can't help it -- I've got to have a sandwich." "I'm so hungry, I'm dizzy." "I've lost almost fve pounds this week." "Does it show?" " No." "I can feel a difference, though." "But it seems so pointless at times." "I mean, why should we deny ourselves the good things in life?" "Why can't we be fat and cheerful?" "Remember Aunt Miriam and Uncle David?" "They were big, fat and cheerful." "They slept in that creaky double bed of theirs, holding hands, content with each other, fat and happy." "Why can't we be like them?" "Brimming with contentment?" "What's the matter?" "Are you upset?" "Has something happened?" "What's wrong?" "Tell me." "I came here to tell you something." "I've gone and fallen in love." "It's absurd, and probably a big mistake." "Most probably a big mistake." "I met her at that convention in June." "She was the interpreter and secretary." "Actually, she's studying for her degree." "She's going to teach Slavic languages." "She's nothing much to look at." "You would probably think she's ugly." "I have no idea what this will lead to." "I have no idea about anything." "I'm utterly bewildered." "Of course, I'm happy in one way." "But I do feel damn guilty about you and the children." "We've always gotten along so well." "Things have been no better and no worse than for the average family." "Say something, for Christ's sake." "I don't know what to say." "You probably think it was wrong of me not to tell you sooner." "I didn't know how it would turn out." "I fgured I'd get over it." "I didn't want to worry you." "It's funny." "What's funny?" "That I didn't notice anything." "I didn't suspect a thing." "Everything's been just like usual." "Better, in fact." "You've been so sweet." "I've been a silly, blind fool." "I didn't even notice." "Christ." "No, you never noticed." "But you've never been particularly observant." "Where do we go from here?" "I don't know." "Do you want a divorce?" "Are you going to marry her?" "Why tell me tonight of all times?" "What's the sudden rush?" "We're leaving for Paris tomorrow." "I want to get away." "At least for a while." "I was going this fall anyway, to see Grandin and his assistant." "Paula has this study grant and wants to use it this fall." "I want to be with her." "I can't make it without her." "So we're leaving tomorrow." "Now that I'm here, talking to you," "I feel like scrapping the whole thing." "I just feel frightened and tired." "Nothing could be more absurd or cliché." "I know just what you're thinking." "I have no excuse." "How can you know what I'm thinking?" "I'm trying not to feel guilty." "That would just be an act." "This is how it is, and nothing can be done about it." "Let's go to bed." "It's late." "I guess you'll be leaving early tomorrow." "I have an appointment at 9:00." "Then I suggest we go to bed." "Aren't you going to change?" " You have marks on your chest." " I know." "How tactless of you both." "Do you know if my gray suit is here or in town?" " It's at the dry cleaners." " What a nuisance." " Did you want to take it with you?" " Of course." "I have the receipt, if you'd like to pick it up." "I won't have time." "I'll be busy until 3:00." "And then we leave." "If you like, I could pick it up." "I'll do your packing, too." "You're not very good at it." "No, thank you." "Now you're being silly." "I'm quite conventional." "Besides the suit, I think you have everything you'll need." "There are clean shirts and underwear, so you can take those with you." "Why don't you travel in your jacket and flannels?" "They make you look youthful." " Whatever you say." "How long will you be gone?" "It all depends." "What do you mean?" "I've been granted a leave of absence for six months, and I'm bringing a month's worth of work with me." "So I guess I'll be away for at least seven or eight months." "I want to make a clean break." " And if I'm not here when " " I don't give a damn." "Do you know how long I've had this in mind?" "Not the affair with Paula, but how long I've wanted to leave?" "Don't say it." "I've wanted to be rid of you for four years." " No more." " You're right." "Words don't mean much." "What are you going to live on?" "I mean, during your leave of absence." "You'll have to pay child support." "Don't worry." "I'll manage." "You must have assets I'm not aware of." "Indeed I do." "How is that possible?" "Shut up and listen!" "Even though it's none of your damn business." "I've sold the boat and taken out a loan." "The bank will pay you and the girls 1 ,600 kronor a month." "We'll make other arrangements when I get back." "I suggest you ask one of your lawyer colleagues for advice." "I don't give a damn." "You can name your price!" "I'm not taking a thing, apart from my books, if that's all right with you." "I'll vanish." "I'll dematerialize." "I'll pay all I can to support you and the children." "My needs are minimal." "All that interests me is to end this." "Guess what I'm fed up with most of all." "All this harping about what we're expected to do and what we must take into consideration." ""What will your mother think?" "What will the children say?"" ""How shall we arrange the dinner party, and shouldn't we invite my father?"" ""We must go to the coast, to the mountains, to St. Moritz."" ""We must celebrate Christmas, Easter, birthdays, name days --"" "Every single goddamn occasion!" "I know I'm being unfair." "I know I'm way out of line." "I know we've had a good life together." "And I think I still love you." "In fact, I think I love you more now that I've met Paula." "Can you understand this bitterness?" "I can't think of a better word than bitterness." "No one can explain it to me, since I have no one to talk to, except Erik Bromeus, and he's an intellectual illiterate with little to offer beyond his money, though that does come in handy." "I don't understand any of this." "I don't understand this bitterness that just keeps on growing." "I don't understand." "How come you haven't said anything?" "How can you discuss what you can't fnd words for?" "How do you say that sex is boring even when, technically, everything's fne?" "I feel like hitting you, looking all prim while eating your breakfast." "And the girls acting all silly and pretentious." "Why have we turned them into spoiled brats?" "It's not your fault, Marianne." "Everything's gone down the tubes, and no one knows why." " I must have done something wrong." " Would you stop it?" "Blaming yourself is an easy way out!" "Lets you feel noble and humble." "Neither of us is to blame." "There's no point in wallowing in guilt." "Though God knows I feel so guilty I can barely breathe." "It's the luck of the draw." "A cruel fluke." "Why should we be exempt from humiliation and disaster?" "It's perfectly logical, so why cloud the issue?" " My poor darling " " I don't want your sympathy!" "All these words I'm spouting are just empty talk." "I don't imagine for one minute that I've touched on the truth about us." "I don't think there is such a thing as the truth." "No matter what we say or do, it will hurt." "Don't go." "That's impossible." " What if I beg?" " It's no use, and it's embarrassing." "Couldn't you postpone your trip for a month or two?" "I believe we can save our marriage." "We could make a fresh start." "Allow me that much." "Maybe Paula would understand me." "Maybe I should meet her and talk to her." "Let's face this together." "You're presenting me with a fait accompli." "You're putting me in a ridiculous and intolerable situation." "I know exactly what you mean." "What will our parents say?" "What will your sister think?" "What will our friends think?" "Lord, think of all the gossip!" "How will it affect the girls, and their friends' mothers?" "What about the dinner parties we're already scheduled to attend?" "And what will you tell Peter and Katarina?" "To hell with all that!" "It feels good to act like a cad." " That wasn't what I meant." " Then what did you mean?" "Nothing." "I forgot to set the alarm." "When do you need to leave?" "Please set it for 5:30." "I need to pack, and I have to be at work by 9:00." "I've been meaning to get a new alarm clock." "This one is so noisy." "And it's not very reliable, either." "There." "It's set for 5:30." "I'll wake up on my own anyway, so you don't have to worry." " Tell me about Paula." " For the love of" "What's the point?" " I want you to." "Why torment yourself?" "It's not self-torment." "I want to know what she's like." "It's much worse to try to picture someone you know nothing about." "Do you have a picture of her?" "Could we not do this?" "Please do it for me." "You asked for it." "Now, where did I put my wallet?" "I guess it's in my coat pocket." "Here are two pictures of her." "That one was taken two years ago, when she was on vacation." "The passport picture was taken two weeks ago." "It's a good likeness." "She has a lovely fgure." "And lovely breasts." "Right?" "Yes, she has lovely breasts." " Does she dye her hair?" " It's possible." " What a nice smile." "How old is she?" " Twenty-three." "She hasn't been very lucky in love." "She's been engaged twice." "In that respect, I think she's made a muddle of her life with all kinds of men." "Does that bother you?" "It sure does." "Her frankness can be quite unpleasant." "I would prefer not to know anything, but she insists on giving me the details of her erotic past." "Which is trying, since I suffer from retrospective jealousy." "She has no illusions." "She says she has no great hopes for the two of us." "She's convinced I'll go back to you, that she doesn't have a chance against you." "Sometimes it sounds like lines from some old hackneyed melodrama." "She tries to protect herself from every kind of failure, a somehow rather touching trait." "There's something childlike about her, in spite of her intelligence and general competence." "She's insanely jealous, but then again, so am I." "She's terribly afraid of you, and I can understand that." "But she's also afraid of my secretary and of other women I associate with." "She's unsure of herself, but I do help her as much as I can." "It's all pretty strange and bewildering." "Are you good together in bed?" "Yes, we are, actually." "At frst it was awful." "I wasn't used to it." "Being with other women, I mean." "I guess you and I have spoiled each other." "We took a trip together." "You went away together?" "I gave some lectures in Copenhagen in April, remember?" "Back in April " "We fought so much that they asked us to check out." "I told you I changed my hotel because the traffc was so noisy." "We ended up in a squalid place on a back street, and suddenly we clicked." "We made love around the clock." "It was better than anything she'd ever experienced before, she said... which was extremely flattering." "I know what you're thinking, and it's true." "Things between the two of us improved after Copenhagen, too." "Did you tell Paula that?" "I didn't dare." "I told her you and I had stopped sleeping together long ago." "I said I was impotent." "Since I had been impotent with her, I claimed it happened with you too." "The problem with Paula is that she's so damn intuitive." "Or maybe I'm just a lousy liar." "She can tell when I'm lying." "She can see straight through me." "But that'll probably do me good." "It keeps me on my toes." "I've always been so gullible." "Not just gullible." "You and I have taken refuge in a hermetically sealed existence." "Everything's been orderly, and it's all gone like clockwork." "But the lack of oxygen has smothered us." "And now your little Paula will revive you?" "I don't possess much self-knowledge, and I know very little about reality, in spite of all the books I've read." "But I believe that this catastrophe is the chance of a lifetime." "Has Paula filed your head with garbage like that?" "How naïïve can you get?" "This conversation can do without your taunts and sarcastic remarks." "You're right." "I'm sorry." "I'm trying." "I'm trying to be as honest as I can, and it's not exactly easy." "We've never talked like this before." "Is it any wonder we're naïïve, insecure and childish?" "What else could we expect?" "This affair with Paula is a disaster for you and me both." "I've tried to break free over and over again, but it's impossible." "She won't let me go." "And I'm obsessed with her somehow." "It sounds so damn melodramatic to say you're obsessed by anyone, but it's the only word that fts the bill." "At frst I resisted, but now I've let everything go straight to hell." "And that suits me just fne." "You're in a tight spot." "I just don't know." "I don't know anything." "Come and lie beside me." "Please." "I want you to make love to me." "Please?" "For old times' sake." "Lie here in my arms." "We'll fall asleep together." "I don't think I can sleep." "The best thing would be to pack my things and leave." "Lie down and close your eyes." "You'll doze off." "We need rest." "Tomorrow will be a tough day." "I'm so goddamn ashamed of myself." "We'll talk about that later." "Right now it's just you and me." "We have a few hours left together." "Would you like to pack or have breakfast frst?" "You decide." " Tea or coffee?" " Tea, please." "Could you help me with this fngernail?" "It's split." "Go over to the window." "Have you started biting your nails again?" "Have you seen my book of Speer's memoirs?" "I'm sure I put it on the nightstand." "I thought you were done, so I lent it to Mother." "Nice of you." "Christ!" "It's split, so I have to trim it down." "I'll put a bandage on it." "What do you do to your nails?" " That's fne, thank you." "Should I pack this shaver, or will you take the one from town?" "I've got to go to the apartment anyway, so leave this one and I'll grab the other." "Do you want the dry-cleaning receipt?" "Yes, I might make it after all." "Where is it located?" "In Storgatan, across from the church." "I know the one." "I don't want to bring these." "They'll come in handy in winter." "Which pajamas are you taking?" "Go make breakfast while I fnish packing." " Does this bother you?" " Yes." "It seems indecent somehow." "I don't know why." " What are you staring at?" " Nothing." "What about your mail?" "I'll send you my address." "You can forward the important letters and pay the bills in the usual way." "The plumber was supposed to repair the bathroom in town." "Have you called him, or should I do it?" "I fgured it might have slipped your mind." "Should I take care of it so we get it done?" "The guy is never in when I call." "I hadn't forgotten about it." "What about your car?" "Will you leave it in the garage?" "I've asked Paula's sister to take care of it." "No point letting it sit around, and she's just moved out of town." "I understand." "Could you please cancel my dentist's appointment?" "What are we going to do about your father's birthday dinner?" "Please call him and explain." "Would you, please?" "That's almost the worst part." "Maybe I could write him a letter?" "Do whatever you like." "Just don't forget." "Dealing with our parents will be rough." "What should I tell Miss Andersson?" "I don't give a damn what the cleaning lady thinks!" "Why are you so angry?" "She's been with us for ten years." "She's loyal and we can't do without her." "Well, I might as well tell you." "She caught me and Paula red-handed one morning." "I didn't know you had changed her day, and she walked in on us." "It was awfully embarrassing." "That was about a month ago." "My car had broken down and we'd had dinner at a restaurant nearby, and I fgured it wouldn't matter if we spent the night there." "I asked the old girl to keep her mouth shut." "But she was nearly rabid with indignation and loyalty to you." "Then she made us breakfast and was her usual bossy self." "She treated Paula as if she was an innocent victim of my brutal lusts." "Why don't you say anything?" "What a relief that I won't have to tell Miss Andersson." "What is it, Marianne?" "Oh, it'll pass." " What should I tell the girls?" " Say whatever you like." "That you fell in love with someone else and walked out on us?" "That about covers it." "It also has the advantage of being true." "I don't expect them to understand." "I have to leave now to avoid traffc." "Good-bye, Marianne." "Take care." " Good-bye." " I might be back in a week." " If only you were!" "We'd make a fresh start." "We'd throw out our stale old routines." "We'd talk about the past." "Figure out where we went wrong." "You'd hear no accusations from me." "Johan... this all seems so unreal." "I don't know what to do." "You're shutting me out." "Any solution would be better than this." "Couldn't you promise to come back?" "That would tide me over." "Then you wouldn't be leaving me without hope." "Even if you have no intention of returning, you could say you do." "I have to go now." "Fredrik?" "It's me, Marianne." "Sorry to wake you." "Is Birgit there?" "No, let her sleep." "So, how are things?" "Oh, so you like quiet mornings on your own." "Well, I won't keep you." "It's cloudy here." "How nice for you." "Fredrik, there's something I need to talk to you about." "I really need to talk." "You and Birgit are our friends." "I have to " "It's all so unreal, Fredrik." "You see " "I'm about to burst into tears, but crying only makes things worse." "You see..." "Johan has fallen in love with another woman." "Her name is Paula, and they're leaving for Paris today." "Couldn't you talk to him and ask him to wait a bit?" "Tell him he shouldn't rush off like this." "What?" "You have talked to him?" "I see." "I see." "So, the two of you have known all along." "You knew, but you never told me?" "And you call yourselves friends?" "How could you be so goddamned disloyal to me?" "I don't care what you say!" "All those times we've gotten together, and neither of you said a word!" "Damn you!" "What kind of friends are you anyway?" "To hell with your reasons!" "How many others already know?" "I'd really like to know that!" "Lots of people." "I see." "That's good to know!" "This was the third episode of Scenes From A Marriage." "It was called "Paula. "" "And while you look at this footage of Fårö, here are the credits." "The actors were Liv Ullman and Erland Josephson." "Sven Nyqvist and his assistant Lars Karlsson manned the cameras." "Wardrobe, Inger Pehrsson." "Props, Gunilla Hagberg." "Makeup supervisor, Cecilia Drott." "Audio and mix, Owe Svensson and his assistant Arne Carlsson." "Editing, Siv Lundgren." "Script supervisor, Ulla Stattin." "Other contributors were Anders Bergkvist, Stefan Gustafsson," "Lars Hagberg, Adolf Karlström," "Kent Nyström, Bo-Erik Olsson and Siri Werkelin." "Lars-Owe Carlberg was the production supervisor, and the lab was Film Teknik." "Nils Melander designed the lighting effects on Eastman Color film." "The series was produced on Fårö by Cinematograph." "The year is 1973."