"SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE" "Johan and Marianne have lived together happily for ten years." "They have settled conflicts on the best of terms, suppressing any hostility or menacing truths." "One evening, Johan turns up unexpectedly at the summer cottage where Marianne and the girls are staying." "He curtly tells his wife that he has fallen in love with another woman, Paula, and that they plan to leave for Paris the next morning and stay for at least eight months." "He claims to want a clean break with the past and is brutally honest in his approach." "Utterly unprepared for this, Marianne is devastated." "After a night of emotional upheaval, they pack Johan's bags." "When he is about to leave, Marianne starts to plead with him, but Johan leaves anyway." "After he has left, she calls a family friend and asks him to speak to Johan." "She finds out that several people in their circle knew all about Johan's affair with Paula." "This news comes as an additional shock." "THE VALE OF TEARS" "Please come in." "You look nice." "That's a pretty blouse." "You think so?" "I bought it a few weeks ago, but I'm afraid it's too girlish for me." "You look great." "Take your coat off." "Standing here in the hall makes me nervous." "I feel nervous too." "I haven't been able to get much done today." "It's silly, but it's been more than six months since I've seen you." " How come you suddenly" " Paula's in London for a week." " Would you like a drink?" " Yes, please." "I'd love a whiskey." "Straight." "It settles the stomach." "Calms you down." " You like whiskey nowadays?" " Yes, imagine that." "Cheers." "Aunt Berit's looking after the girls, to everyone's mutual delight." "They're going to the theater, and then to the country tomorrow." "That's convenient." "I mean, it might have been awkward seeing the kids." "How are they doing?" " Don't ask just to be polite." "But please don't forget their birthdays again." "I bought them presents from you, but they weren't fooled." "Couldn't you take them out to dinner or to the movies?" "It's awful the way you never get in touch with them." "They hardly ever mention you anymore." " That's understandable." "Can't Paula let you see us without starting a fght?" "If you're going to start with that, I'd better leave." "You've said yourself that she's insanely jealous." "What am I supposed to do?" "Are you such a coward that you can't stand up to her?" "Yes." "I'm sorry." "That's all right." "I know you fnd the situation absurd, but scolding won't do any good." " Would you like some more whiskey?" " Yes, please." "How are things, Johan?" "Pretty much as usual." "And you?" "I can't complain, I guess." "Could be worse." "It was silly of me to suggest this." "We can't seem to talk without hurting each other." "I have an excellent suggestion:" "Let's have dinner." "We're probably both starving and that's why we're so touchy." "That's an excellent suggestion." "You look funny in that haircut... and you've put on some weight." "You really turn me on." "What should we do about that?" " We'll see after dinner." "Have a seat." "New china?" "I inherited it." "Sweet old Aunt Elsa died six months ago, and she left me a few things." "She thought I was so domestically inclined." "Most of the stuff is useless, but the china is nice." "I made stew, and there's cheese and wine for dessert." "I didn't have time to whip up anything fancy." "But you usually like my cooking." " It sure smells delicious." "Have you heard that Martin's getting married again?" "I ran into them in town, and they were so embarrassed about not having called me." "I almost felt sorry for them." "His new girlfriend is a bit dim, but rich." "I hear her father's company went bankrupt a while back." "So Martin's messed up again." "Isn't he one of your closest friends?" "Not exactly." "Why do you ask?" "You sounded so smug." "A wise man once said that the misfortune of a friend is not entirely unpleasant." "Cheers, Marianne." "This wine is nice." "It's nothing special." "Just an inexpensive claret, but it's good." "I don't mind telling you things are going pretty well for me." "I've been offered a chair at Cleveland University for three years." "Really?" "It's a great opportunity." "Both fnancially and career-wise." "That's where things are happening in my feld." "And I'll be glad to emigrate." "There's nothing to keep me here." "I'm fed up with this academic backwater." "And I have no desire to go on being fleeced by the tax man." "So I'll be leaving this spring, if all goes well." "Congratulations." "And now for the unspoken question:" ""Are you taking Paula with you?"" "And the answer is no." "Call it running away, if you like." "I've had it." "Paula's been good for me." "She's taught me things about myself." "But there's a limit." "To be honest, I'm pretty tired of her." "I suppose you think it's disloyal of me to bad-mouth her." "But she forfeited my loyalty long ago." "I'm fed up with her." "Her emotional fts, her tirades and tears, followed by making up again and endearments." "I'll tell you this, Marianne." "The best thing about Paula was that she taught me how to fght." "Even hitting her wasn't out of bounds." "You wouldn't believe me if I told you everything." "Sometimes it was like some grotesque play in which I was both actor and audience." "Our fghts would last for days on end until we collapsed from sheer exhaustion." "The food is terrifc." "Here I am, going on about myself." "But I'm in such a good mood." "Then perhaps we could discuss our divorce?" "If you're going abroad, we might as well get the ball rolling." "What do you think?" " As you like." "I'd like us to fle for divorce." "You never know." "I might want to remarry, and things would be complicated if you're in the States." "You have someone in mind?" "Maybe I do." "Come on, tell me more." "It'll keep me from rattling on." "Would you like some more?" "No, thanks, and stop being evasive." "How are things?" "Judging by your appearance and your attitude, they must be pretty good." "I'm curious:" "Do you have a lover?" "I'll get the coffee." "You do want coffee, right?" "Yes, please." "You've rearranged the furniture." "Do you mind?" "Of course not." "I've moved into your study." "Where are my things?" "In storage." "I'm paying for it." "I decided I was entitled to a study, so I bought new furniture and put up new curtains." "I also put up my own pictures, the ones you never liked." "Was that tactless?" "Should I have waited until the divorce was fnal?" "Or observed a year of mourning?" "I also changed the phone listing." "It's in my name now." " That's good." " You sound bitter." " No, you did the right thing." " Thank you." "I was tired of working at the writing desk in the bedroom." "It was uncomfortable." "But in the old days, all that mattered was that you had a study." "Come take a look." "I've gotten rid of the double bed." "Why?" "I felt lost, all alone in such a big bed." "So this room has a more chaste air now." "Where do you keep your lover?" "For the time being, it's better for us to meet at his place." " You mean because of the girls?" " No, silly." "They want me to remarry." " I'll be damned." " Would you like something to drink?" " No, thanks." "This is a decent place to live in." "You live out of town, right?" "We live in a crowded concrete hutch on the tenth floor." "With a view of another concrete hutch." "Drunken 1 3-year-olds lurk in the downstairs entrance to mug people." "The building is falling apart, and it's so drafty that our curtains flutter." "For two weeks I had to fetch water from a hydrant, and the toilets didn't work." "People avoid the subway station after 8:00 p.m." "And in the middle of the complex lies what some demented architect called the "piazza."" "I fnd it rather interesting." "It's the way I picture hell." "I didn't know you believed in hell." "Paula actually likes the place." "She says it fts in with her picture of the world." "It's familiar." "I don't really care where I live." "To me, every domicile is only temporary." "Security must come from within." " Does yours?" "I didn't feel that way as long as I lived here." "Material things were so important." "We became dependent on rituals." "I don't know what you mean." "Our sense of security was anchored in externals." "Our possessions, our cottage in the country, our friends, our incomes, our food, our parents, holidays." "I'll describe my take on security." "The way I see it... loneliness is absolute." "Anything else is an illusion." "Never expect anything but trouble." "If something nice happens, all the better." "Just don't imagine you can do away with loneliness." "A sense of togetherness can be created in, say, religion, politics, love, art." "But loneliness is still all-encompassing." "The treacherous part is that every once in a while you're struck by an illusion of togetherness." "Just remember that it is an illusion." "That makes it easier when everything returns to normal." "You have to face the fact that loneliness reigns supreme." "It puts an end to your moaning." "Then you feel safe and secure." "And you learn to accept how pointless it all is with a certain satisfaction." "I don't mean you should be resigned." "You should carry on as best you can, if only because it's better to do your best than to give up." "I wish I were as certain as you." "It's all talk." "You fnd yourself expressing thoughts to fend off the emptiness inside." "It's funny, come to think of it." "Has it ever struck you that emptiness hurts?" "You'd think it would make you dizzy, or queasy in spirit." "But this void inside me is physically painful." "It stings like a burn." "Or like when you were little and you'd been crying, and the whole inside of your body ached." "At times, Paula's tremendous political commitment astonishes me." "She's so sincere, and so very involved within her group." "Her conviction answers her questions and fils the void inside her." "I wish I could live the way she does." "I really mean that, without any sarcasm." "Why are you sneering?" "Do you think I'm talking rubbish?" "So do I... but who cares?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "It seems so theoretical." "I don't know why." "I rarely talk about such huge matters." "I guess I move on another plane." "A superior plane, I suppose?" "A special plane reserved for women with a privileged emotional life, and a happier, more down-to-earth approach to the mysteries of life." "Perhaps." "Paula gives herself airs like that." "Particularly when she's read the latest Women's Lib gospel." "Sounds like you're disappointed." "That's just your imagination." "You should know I think about you all the time." "Wondering if you're all right, or if you're afraid or lonely." "Every day, several times a day," "I wonder what I did to cause the breach between us." "I know it's a childish way of thinking, but there you are." "What did I do wrong?" "Why not ask a psychiatrist?" "I see one several times a week." "Sometimes we meet in private." "Is he your lover?" "We did have sex a few times, but it was no good." "So we stopped that and devoted ourselves to my soul instead." "What have you learned?" "Nothing." "Basically, I'm learning to talk." "And I threw your things out of the study and moved mine in." "It left me feeling guilty, but awfully bold." "Well, it led to something, then." "What an enormous yawn." "Sorry, it's the wine." "And I haven't slept well." "I've been so tense." "If you'd like to go, feel free." "Don't make a big deal out of it." "You can take a nap if you like." "I'll wake you in an hour." "So much fuss about a yawn." "I don't want to sleep." "I want to hear about your inner quest." "That's much more interesting, I promise you." "There's not much to tell." "Though something funny did strike me, but I haven't told my therapist yet." "That sounds exciting." "My therapist told me to jot down everything that pops into my head." "No matter how irrelevant." "Thoughts, memories, dreams." "I haven't written much so far." "I'm not used to writing." "It generally turns out stilted and kind of silly." "Why don't you read me what you wrote last night?" "I'd really like to hear it." "Would you really like to hear it?" "Are you sure?" "I'll just go get my notebook." "I wrote for hours on end, you know." "I was up until 3:00, so I looked like the dickens this morning." "It fgures that would happen the night before I see you." "You look so pretty." "So terribly pretty, Marianne." "No compliments, please." "Take an interest in my soul instead." "Go sit down." "Go sit down." "Don't." "No." "Please." "Let me read to you instead." "One good thing needn't exclude the other." "I've been thinking about this all this time." "About having sex with you." "I've been longing for you." "But after you leave," "I'd be left with my longing, and I don't want that." "Don't you realize I'm in love with you?" "Sometimes I hate you for what you did to me." "Sometimes I don't think of you for hours, and it's heaven." "I have everything I could want." "I have my friends, even lovers." "There's the kids and my job that I enjoy and am good at." "Yet I'm bound to you." "I don't know why." "Maybe I'm a masochist, or the kind of woman who can only ever love one man." "I don't know." "It's so hard, Johan." "I don't want to live with anyone but you." "Other men bore me." "I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, or blackmail you emotionally." "I'm just telling you how I feel." "That's why I can't bear you kissing me and making love to me." "I can't explain it any other way." "Because you'll walk away, and I'll be left longing for you." "I've sort of enjoyed having you at a distance." "So let's keep our hands to ourselves." "You'll just leave me devastated." "I'm still in love with you." "Why say that when it isn't true?" "Don't you think I've longed for you?" "I have." "We were good together." "We were friends." "We had fun." "If we feel like having sex, why shouldn't we?" "It only shows we still long for each other." "Why have all these reservations?" "Why worry about tomorrow?" "No, Johan." "Johan, I don't want to." "I want you to stop it!" "I don't want to pine and weep and long for you." "Please understand." "This is really how it is." "It's no good." "If you're going to persist, you might as well leave." "I don't want to sleep with you." "Please try to understand." "I'm trying to understand, but I can't." "Look, I'll just sit here." "I'll sit here and you can read to me." "Then I'll go home and call Paula and say I've been to the theater." "May I have some more coffee?" "I feel terribly foolish." "I just want to hide somewhere and cry." "Well... if you like, I could leave now." "We could have dinner tomorrow." "Perhaps that would be better." "No, stay after all." "I'm busy tomorrow." " Hi there." " Hi." "I really, really like you." "And I'm acting like a child." "Everything's all right." "The situation's under control." "We've pulled through the crisis." "I can barely read my own writing." "The beginning isn't important." ""Yesterday I was seized by a reckless gaiety." "For the frst time this year, I felt a zest for life, eager to know what the day might bring."" "And so on." "Right." "Here it is." ""Suddenly I turned and looked at an old school picture from back when I was 1 0." "I seemed to detect something that had eluded me up to then." "To my surprise I must admit that I don't know who I am." "I haven't the vaguest idea." "I've always done as I was told." "As far as I can remember" "I've been obedient, well-adjusted, almost meek." "I did assert myself once or twice as a girl, but Mother punished any lapses from convention with exemplary severity." "My entire upbringing, and that of my sisters, was aimed at making us agreeable." "I was ugly and awkward, a fact I was constantly reminded of." "I later realized that if I kept my thoughts to myself and was ingratiating and predictable, my behavior yielded rewards." "The most momentous deception began at puberty." "All my thoughts, feelings and actions revolved around sex." "But this I never told my parents." "Or anyone at all, for that matter." "Being deceitful and secretive" "My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps and become a lawyer." "I dropped hints that I wanted to be an actress, or do something else in the world of theater." "But they laughed at me." "Since then I go on pretending." "Faking my relationships with others, with men." "Always putting on an act in a desperate attempt to please." "I've never considered what I want, but only," "'What does he want me to want?" "'" "It's not unselfishness, as I used to believe." "It's sheer cowardice." "Even worse, it stems from my being ignorant of who I am." "I've never led a dramatic life." "I have no gift for that sort of thing." "But for the frst time I feel excited by the prospect of fnding out exactly what I want to do in life." "In the snug world Johan and I lived in, taking everything for granted, there is an implied cruelty and brutality that frightens me more and more when I think back on it." "The trappings of security come at a high price:" "the constant erosion of your personality." "It's so easy right at the outset to thwart a small child's cautious attempts to assert itself." "In my case, it was performed with injections of a poison that is 1 00 % effective." "Guilt." "At first, it was directed towards my mother." "Later, towards others." "And finally, towards Jesus and God." "In a flash I see what kind of person I would have been had I never allowed myself to be brainwashed." "And I wonder whether I'm hopelessly lost." "Whether the potential for joy that was innate in me is dead, or whether it merely lies dormant and can be awakened." "I wonder what kind of wife and woman I would have become if I'd been able to use my resources as they were intended." "Would Johan and I ever have gotten married in that case?" "I'm sure we would have, because if I analyze it honestly, we were genuinely in love in a devoted and passionate way." "Our mistake was that we never broke free from our families to create something worthwhile on our own terms."" "You weren't going to call me tonight." "You have no reason to be jealous, I assure you." "What?" "I sound funny?" "No, I just don't want to wake Johan." "No, he's sitting." "Sitting in the living room, sleeping like a little child." "My conversation bored him." "No, you shouldn't come over." "Don't be silly, David." "We can have dinner and see a movie tomorrow." "Doesn't that sound good?" "Call me tomorrow morning as usual." "Of course I sound strange." "I can't very well coo sweet nothings." "Johan might be awake." "Precisely." "I'll go wake my beau and send him packing." "You can call me back in an hour." "Isn't that a fne idea?" "Bye for now." "No, he hasn't even tried to kiss me." "I promise, the evening was hardly passionate." "Oh, darn, I fell asleep." "And your words were so interesting, too." "Forgive me." "Could you go on?" "That is, if I haven't offended you?" "I think you should go home and get some sleep." "I'm not offended." "Really." "Yeah, I guess I should go." "Please keep in touch, if only for the children's sake." "Of course." "You're always welcome here." "If only Paula wasn't so jealous." "But I guess she feels justifed." "It's hard on her too." "When will you know about the US?" "In a month or so." "Let me know how it goes." "I'll call or write." "We need to decide about the divorce." " Do you want to marry again?" " I don't know." "I'd rather wait." "What do you think?" "I'm not sure what I think." "You will stay tonight, won't you?" "Yes, I'll stay." "How do you feel?" "Frightened." "How about mustering up some courage?" "Some courage?" "You know... we don't have to have sex." "We could just hold hands." "And sleep." " It's nice being close to you." "I've got your favorite pajamas in there." "You're very pretty." "I'm fat." "No one could tell you've had two kids." "Don't look at me." "It makes me self-conscious." "Hi there." "Never mind the phone." "It's not important." "It might be your lover." "What could he want at this hour?" "Does he know I'm here?" " Sure." "Damn, he's persistent." "I better pick up." "Hello." "I can't talk right now." "Yes, Johan is still here." "We've gone to bed, if you really want to know." "So I can imagine." "What do you expect me to say?" "Yes, I'm sorry, it's true." "I don't know." "I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me again." "Ever again." "Try to behave like an adult, for once." "Yes, it is a shame, but I really don't want to talk right now." "So long, David." "Take care." "Your lover, I gather." "My former lover." "You didn't have to say I was here." "Maybe I should have invited him to join us?" "Are you in love with him?" "Sometimes you ask such goddamn silly questions." "Sorry." "Shall we talk about my love life?" "Are you angry with me?" "I'm not angry, but I'm on the verge of tears." "The trouble with me is that I can't get angry." "I wish that for once in my life I could really lose my temper, as I sometimes feel I have every right to." "I think it would change my life." "But that's not the point." "You spoke earlier about loneliness." "That bit about being strong on your own." "I don't believe in your gospel of isolation." "I think it's a sign of weakness." "What's wrong, Marianne?" "It's so humiliating." "What's humiliating?" "I think about you... and I think about myself and about the future." "I can't see how you're going to cope without me." "Sometimes I think in desperation, "I must look after Johan." "He's my responsibility." "It's up to me to make sure he's all right." "That's the only way my life will be worthwhile."" "I don't believe people are strong all on their own." "You have to have someone's hand to hold." "Johan." "I think we're making a mistake." "We ought to work on our relationship." "Our relationship is our greatest opportunity here in life." "We're wasting our chance." "You can't go away for several years without me." "You won't make it." "You'll be so frightened and unsure of yourself without me." "Forgive me for crying." "I don't mean to." "What is it?" "Can't you sleep?" "Not a chance." "I feel miserable." "I'd better go home." "Forgive me." " That's Paula's handwriting." " She wrote to me." " What's she up to now?" " She sent this before she left." "You should read it." "Read it here." ""Dear Marianne, I suspect you're surprised to get a letter from me." "I assure you there's no ulterior motive behind this letter." "I took this job in London to get away for a week and thereby break a vicious cycle of jealousy and suspicion." "I know Johan will contact you the minute I've gone." "I only have myself to blame, as I've kept him from seeing you and the children." "If only it were possible to put things right."" "Isn't that typical of Paula." "She wants us to be friends." "She can't stand this hostility." "How touching -- particularly the fact that you believe her." ""Johan is the gentlest, kindest, most affectionate person I've ever met." "He has no self-confidence at all, though he tries to put up a brave and cheerful front."" "You can say anything about anyone." "It always fits in some respect." "This was the fourth episode of Scenes From A Marriage." "It was called "The Vale Of Tears. "" "And while you look at this footage from Fårö, I'll give you the credits." "Liv Ullman and Erland Josephson were the actors." "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 had a good life surrounded by family and friends." "One day, like a bolt from the blue," "Johan tells his wife he has fallen in love with Paula, that he plans to go abroad with her for eight months, and that their marriage is over." "Since then, a year has passed and Marianne has recovered a little." "One day, Johan calls her." "She asks him over for dinner." "They both act a bit reserved when they meet." "After a while, Johan begins to tell Marianne about a job he's been offered in the States," "an offer he feels honored to receive." "It's also an excellent opportunity to get rid of Paula, who is too histrionic and demanding." "Marianne tries to tell Johan about her baby steps towards a new outlook on life, a more honest approach." "Both of them are apprehensive and vulnerable." "They decide to go to bed together." "However, they fail to achieve any real intimacy, and Johan leaves." "Once more, Marianne is left all alone." "THE I LLITERATES" "Come on in." "Sorry I'm late." "Dad called right when I was leaving, and he went on and on even though I told him I was busy." "So how are you doing?" " I have a cold." " You look pretty sick." "It started with a sore throat I thought would pass and progressed into a sneezy chest cold that keeps me coughing all night long." "I'm running a temperature, too." "I wanted to postpone this meeting, but since you're going abroad," "I guess we'd better fle these papers before you leave, right?" "Poor Johan." "I hope Paula takes good care of you." "She's come down with a stomach flu." "It's all terribly romantic." "You'll pull through." " You're certainly in a good mood." " Maybe I am." " Any special reason?" " I'm always excited before a trip." "And it's spring, and I bought a new skirt." "What do you think?" "Isn't it nice?" "Though the light in here doesn't do the color justice." "What do you think?" " It's nice." "I'm glad we could meet here at your offce." "Saves us some time." "It's not exactly cozy." "But it's fne for divorce matters." "Look at this." "Here's the agreement, word for word as we decided." " Then I don't need to read it." " Never sign what you haven't read." "Don't look so grumpy." " I'm not grumpy." "You're as grumpy as can be." "Here's a list of our common property and its distribution." "It's just a list." "It doesn't require a signature." "You get Granny's clock?" "That must be a mistake." "Your grandmother gave it to me." "We've already discussed this." "I don't recall discussing Granny's clock." "If you're so attached to it, keep it, but it happens to be mine." "You're always right, aren't you?" "Take the clock." "I'm not going to squabble over trifles." "Make sure I haven't fleeced you out of anything else." "Your sarcasm is wasted on me." "I have such a miserable cold." "How about a glass of fne old brandy?" "Sounds good." "Egerman gave me a bottle." "Some grateful Parisian colleagues gave him a whole case." "Cheers." "Not bad, huh?" "I like it." "I don't care for brandy as a rule, but this is very nice." "I feel better already." " It's hard." " What's hard?" " Getting divorced." " It's just paperwork." "I still think it's hard." "We've been living apart for ages, we rarely see each other, we've both agreed to it, but I still feel guilty." "It's strange." "It's strange." "So it is." "On my way over, I was in a good mood." "I was determined not to cry or be affected by it all." "You said you felt guilty." "Let's go sit over on the couch instead." "And put the lights out." "The glare is ghastly." "How can you work in such a bleak room?" "The couch isn't comfortable either." "It's fne if you put your feet up." " More brandy?" " Yes, please." " Comfy?" " Yes." "Is this building empty tonight?" " There's a night watchman." " How nice." "What's nice about it?" "I don't know." "It's just nice, that's all." "Nothing's nice when you're sick." "Stop feeling sorry for yourself." "It's not like it's terminal." "This gets better and better." "You really are in a good mood." "Yes, I am." "To be honest, I'm in love." "With that David person?" " No, that's over." " Really?" "Don't worry about that." "Give me a kiss." "I've got a cold." "I never catch your germs, so give me a kiss." "I want you to." "Was it what you expected?" "Much better." "Now put your hand on my breast." " Are you seducing me?" " That's right." "Right here on the carpet, right now." "Doesn't that sound like fun?" "You look suspicious." "Afraid of the night watchman?" "After all, we're still married." "Come lie on top of me." "People should make love on the floor more often." "Lock the door." " No one will walk in on us." "You never know." "I'm kind of a prude." "Lock the door." "Just in case the watchman comes." " Right." "Hurry up." "He might be eavesdropping." " No, it's time for his rounds." "Is it wise to take your slacks off with a cold like that?" " You can keep me warm." " So you don't freeze your thing off." "Poor baby, you're so miserable." "Kiss me." "I enjoy being kissed by you." "Close your eyes or I'll feel self-conscious." "Now put your hands on my hips." "Good." "That's nice." "What if the watchman walked in now?" "He could join us." "We're liberated." "Let's stay here all night... and just drink and make love." "We'll fle our divorce papers tomorrow." " A penny for your thoughts." " My thoughts?" "Wouldn't you like to know." " Are you hungry?" " Always." "What about some steak tartare and beer?" "You shouldn't be taking me out." "I'm in Uppsala with my students." "Poor Paula." "In that case, I'd love to have dinner with you." "Where's the bathroom?" "Down the hall and to the left." "Let's sign these papers and go out and celebrate." "Pay tribute to a long and happy marriage." "I think I'll take them home and study them in peace and quiet." "Why the about-face now after all our talks?" "You told me yourself I should read them." "Then by all means, let's read through the whole thing." "Make sure I haven't cheated you." "Why are you so upset?" "I'm not." "Let's start reading." "You look pissed off to me." "I am, but I'll control myself." "Like I always do when subjected to your whims." "Let's get off this tedious subject." "It's late, and tomorrow's a working day." " Don't you want to have dinner?" " No, thank you." "I'm grateful for the favors already bestowed upon me." " Talk about whims." " Now look here, Johan!" "It's pointless even trying to discuss this now." "Let's stuff these into an envelope." "Then you can take them home, and you and Paula can pore over the wording to make sure I haven't screwed you over." " What's going on?" " Nothing." " We were good friends a minute ago." " Right." "By the way, don't forget Eva's birthday." "Do I usually forget the children's birthdays?" "No, because I always remind you." "Could you pay for her trip to France?" "I can't afford it." " How much is it?" " Two thousand kronor." "Are you out of your mind?" "Out of the question!" "Ask your mother to foot the bill." "I've borrowed too much from her as it is." "Well, I can't afford it." "I just paid Karin's orthodontist." " Doesn't she have free dental care?" " She refuses to go to that clinic." "Eva will have to cancel her trip." "I don't have any money." "It won't do her harm to learn she can't have everything." "She's too goddamn spoiled." "And she has no manners." "Last week she visited my mother and her behavior was appalling." "Your mother told you that?" "Well, Eva's at a diffcult age." "You'll have to discipline them." "Don't let the girls rule the roost." "What kind of talk is that?" "They trust me." "We talk about everything, and for that I'm grateful." "I could care less about petty details like manners." "Tell her I can't afford the trip." "Tell her yourself." "Why?" "You have custody." "All I do is fork out huge sums in child support, which I'm taxed on, leaving me high and dry." "Why do I have to take on more idiotic expenses?" "There's nothing to that effect in these papers, is there?" "It's not the kids' fault we're worse off because you ran off with another woman." "I never expected that remark from you." "Sorry." "It was a stupid thing to say." "I guess I'll have to speak to our daughter." "The problem is, we don't communicate." "When she comes to visit, she just reads comic books or sprawls in the best easy chair and watches TV." "She talks in monosyllables as if she was a moron." "Paula can't get a word out of her." "The only thing that elicits a response is money or a ticket to the movies." "But she'll chat for hours on the phone with her friends." "I don't feel much paternal affection." "You sound ridiculous when you talk about the children that way." "Ridiculous and childish." "Well, I'm not amused." "I accidentally brought them into the world, and I've paid a small fortune to raise them." "I've reached my limit." "I refuse to play at being father." "I reserve the right to dislike them as much as they dislike me." "Why are you silent?" "Are you mad?" " I was just thinking." " Thinking?" "You used to be different." "Your attitude towards the girls, I mean." "Do you remember?" "You were so pleased when my stomach grew big, and so eager for Eva to have a baby brother or sister." "Do you remember how involved you were?" "How you helped me care for them?" "We did everything together." "The nanny Mother hired fnally gave notice out of sheer desperation." "You spent all your time with the girls." "You read to them and played with them." "You were so gentle and patient." "Much more patient than I was." "Do you remember how worried you were over every little illness?" "You dealt with them better than I did." "And they loved you." "You remember our Saturday nights together?" "What happened?" "Where did we go wrong?" "When did the children grow indifferent towards you?" "When did you grow indifferent towards them?" "Where did all that love go?" "And all that joy." "No use crying over spilt milk." "Children grow up, relationships are broken off, love runs out." "And so does affection, friendship and closeness." "That's the way it is." "You and I were born with silver spoons in our mouths." "We've squandered our resources, leaving us poor, bitter and angry." "However trite, it's the truth." "We're emotional illiterates." "We've been taught about anatomy and farming methods in Africa." "We've learned mathematical formulas by heart." "But we haven't been taught a thing about our souls." "We're tremendously ignorant about what makes people tick." "That signals the end of my lecture." "I had nothing more to say anyway." "How about some more brandy?" "Then we can decide about dinner." "I don't agree with you, but no matter." "By the way, that job in the US went down the tubes." "Not that it matters." " That's a shame!" "Well, I was pretty disappointed." "There was the usual wheeling and dealing." "First things were postponed, then there was no money, and then they sent someone else." "That's life." "Cheers!" "When was this?" "Back in May." "I had to request a new leave of absence." "Then Öberg suggested I apply directly to the chancellor, and they informed me Åkerman was going instead." "Granted, he's done more research lately, but there's something's fshy nonetheless." "Poor Johan." "I'm sorry." "I don't understand their mind-set." "A few weeks ago we were supposed to go to a conference in Oslo, and suddenly the department tells us we're not allowed to go." "That there isn't any money, and that we need to get to work." "That's no way to talk to us, damn it!" "It's not like we're kids playing hooky." "That's the way they treat you nowadays." "Like you're worth nothing." "People like me have become inconvenient." "Our politics are all wrong too." "Not progressive." "Not to the left of left." "I'm overage, out of the race " "I could die laughing." "I'll be 45 this summer." "I can expect to live another 30 years." "Viewed objectively, I'm dead weight." "I'll spend the next 20 years being a damn nuisance." "I'm an expensive, unproductive unit that ought to be eliminated." "And I'm supposed to be in my prime, brimming with experience." "But it's, "Throw the loser out." "Let him rot!"" "I'm so goddamn tired." "If I had the courage, I'd pack it all in and move to the country." "Or apply for a position as a teacher in a small town." "Sometimes I wish I could " "Well, that's my story." "Paula has a very ambivalent attitude toward the situation." "Sometimes she says she loves me come what may, and at other times she calls me a useless parasite." "Sometimes she just packs her bags." "I don't know which alternative would be the most satisfying." "By the way..." "I think she's cheating on me." "Not that I care." "My jealousy has passed." "Actually, everything has passed." "I hardly know who I am." "Someone spat on me and now I'm drowning in the spittle." "Am I boring you?" " It's funny." " What's funny?" "I wanted to have sex with you today to see if I felt anything." "All I felt was lukewarm affection." "You know what?" "I think I'm breaking free at last." "It's taken a long time and it's been very painful, but I'm free of you now to start living my own life, and that feels absolutely wonderful." "Allow me to congratulate you." "I don't know why I told you." "It's callous of me to say it when you're having such a rough time." "But oddly enough, I don't care." "I've taken your feelings into account far too often." "Being considerate killed our love." "If I hadn't let myself get sidetracked by guilt," "I'd have known everything we did was wrong." "Remember after Karin was born?" "When sex became impossible?" "How we put the blame on my two pregnancies." "We concocted so many reasons why making love gave us no pleasure." "Warning lights were flashing all around us, but we ignored them." "These postmortems are so pointless." "Your idiotic sarcasm drives me crazy!" "What gives you the right to tell me what to think and feel?" "Lord, how I hate you." "I used to think that quite often." ""Lord, how I hate her."" "Especially when we made love and I felt your indifference." "And when I saw you naked at the bidet afterwards, washing out the nasty stuff I'd deposited inside you." "I'd think, "I hate her body, the way she moves."" "I should have beaten you." "I wanted to smash that hard white resistance that emanated from you." "But we chatted away and talked about how well we got along." "Tell me, why do I enjoy sex now?" "I do everything he asks." "Just you wait." "When you're married to him, everything will repeat itself." "Just you wait and see." "Your behavior's deeply rooted." "Then you'll look for a new lover to free you from your loathing." "You're wrong." "There is such a thing as simple affection." "To say nothing of sensuousness." "And physical desire." "In your case, that's all blocked." "Do you really think I wasn't miserable too?" "I'd think, "Is this how it's supposed to be?"" "We'd console ourselves with the thought that sex wasn't everything, that in other respects we were happy." "Talk about deluding ourselves." "You're forgetting certain unpleasant details." "Be so kind as to refresh my memory." "You know what you did?" "You cashed in on your sex organs." "They were a bargaining chip." "A night of sex for a night of peace." "Good behavior earned me a lay." "Bad behavior or criticism made you withdraw." "It was grotesque the way you carried on." "You were worse than any whore!" " You would never face the truth!" " What goddamned truth?" "Some sort of female truth, or your truth?" "You're completely out of your mind!" "Am I supposed to be a doormat?" "Am I a substitute for your mother?" "All that carping about how I neglected our home!" " That's not true!" " Yes, it is." "That's all I ever heard!" "You piled the guilt on, you and your parents!" "I felt inadequate at work and at home, and I was a washout in bed too." "I was hedged in by all the griping and endless demands!" "Goddamn you!" "Was it so strange that I used sex for leverage?" "I was outnumbered, having to fght you, both sets of parents and society!" "When I think about what I endured, I could scream!" "I tell you this: never again!" "You sit there whining about conspiracies." "Well, it serves you right!" "I hope you'll have it rammed down your throat that you're a useless parasite." "You're being utterly grotesque!" "So what?" "That's what I've become!" "The difference between your grotesqueness and mine is that I won't give in!" "I intend to face reality the way it is." "If there's one thing I truly appreciate, it's being alive." "I enjoy overcoming diffculties." "I don't ask for any favors " "Great!" "Then we don't have to feel sorry for each other." "We can chuck our guilt out the window." "We're almost human." "It's a pity we ever met in the frst place and decided to live together." "What a glorious fasco." "The sooner we sign the papers, the better." "We'll divide our worldly goods and go our separate ways, thank you." "Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?" "You don't want a divorce!" "That's preposterous!" "Is it?" "Then prove it by signing the papers right now!" "All right, I will." "Johan, be honest now." "Look at me!" "You've changed your mind." "You don't want a divorce, do you?" "You were going to tell me today, right?" "Would that be such a crime?" "You want to hear me admit that I give up?" "Well, I do!" "I'm sick of Paula!" "I want to come home!" "Don't look at me like that." "I'm a failure." "I'm going downhill." "I'm scared and I have no home." "This isn't the right time to ask you to resume our marriage." "If you think pity will help " "You asked me, and I'm giving you a straight answer." "I was tied to you more profoundly than I realized." "I needed our home and family... and a regular life to lead." "I'm tired of being alone." " Alone?" "Loneliness with Paula is worse than being all alone." "I can't stand either." "I can't talk about this." "Now you know everything." "I wonder how it would turn out." "I know it would be better than ever." "We would be more earnest." "Don't you think so?" "Don't you think so, Marianne?" "After a week or so, we'd slip back into our old patterns." "The same old complaints, the same old aggression." "All our good intentions would be forgotten." "We wouldn't have learned a thing." "Everything would be the same or worse." "It would be a mistake." "How can you be so sure?" "How many times do I have to repeat that all I feel for you is simple pity?" "I don't want you to beg me." "I'm not certain I could cope." "Nothing could be worse than that." "Couldn't we give it a try?" "Have you forgotten how I begged you to come back?" "Have you forgotten how I groveled and wept and pleaded?" "I even turned to religion for a while and prayed to get you back." "Have you forgotten the occasions we met, and all your half-truths and evasions" "that merely showed your complete indifference to me?" "I didn't know any better back then." "You can't reproach me for that now." "Reproach?" "Now there's a fantastic word!" "You know what I think?" "I think you are foolishly naive." "Do you think I've made it this far, started a new life, for which I'm thankful every day, only to ditch it and save you from your pitiful self?" "If I didn't think you were so deplorable, I'd laugh at you!" "When I think of how you've treated me, I feel sick with fury!" "Go on, glare as much as you like." "I'm immune to it." "If you only knew how many times I've dreamed that I've killed you, stabbed you, murdered you, beaten you to death." "If you only knew what a goddamn relief it is to fnally say this to your face!" "You know, you're beautiful when you get angry." "That's nice to know." "You, on the other hand, look silly." "And you have lipstick on your cheek." "If I understand you correctly, you'd prefer to see the divorce through." "That's exactly how I'd like to sum up what I've already said." " Some more brandy?" " Yes, please." "Heavens, we've almost polished off the entire bottle!" "No wonder I feel so emancipated and cocky." " How do you feel?" " Fine, thanks." "Feels like my cold is gone." "I haven't coughed in a while." " Let's be sensible." " So you weren't being sensible?" "No, it wasn't sensible, but it was wise and reasonable, which you should comprehend." "I'm trying my best to comprehend." "If I may say something sensible and reasonable, you should be glad I've fnally been able to break free." "That I want to live my own life." "You should follow my example." "Free yourself from the past, and then make a fresh start on different terms." "This moment is your opportunity." "I'd like you to answer a question." "Now you sound all pathetic again." "What's the point?" "Why make a fresh start?" "I have no such desire." "What do you mean?" "I've told you this several times now, but you just won't listen." "I don't want to start over." "I have no curiosity about what lies ahead." "That's your depression talking." "You're looking for sympathy." "You hit the nail on the head." "When I think of who I used to be, that person is like a stranger." "When we made love earlier, it was like sleeping with a stranger." "Isn't that funny?" "To be honest, it was rather exciting." "Perhaps one day we'll be very good friends, and in time we'll learn to know each other as we really are, without those horrible " " Horrible what?" " Those horrible masks." "Masks?" "If only we could meet as the people we were meant to be, and not as people trying to play the parts others have assigned us." "That's impossible." "We start putting on those masks as infants." "No one ever really fnds themselves." "That's not true." "I live a much more honest life now than I ever did." "And happier?" "All that talk about happiness is nonsense." "Happiness for me is enjoying a good meal." "I'm not like you." "Can't you see this situation frightens me?" "I feel so tempted to just tear up the divorce papers." "Time and again I think," ""Why should I be entitled to a life on my own?" "Do I actually believe I have a mission apart from you and the children?"" "I feel so tempted to make a fresh start with you." "I'm so much stronger and more independent now." "I could really be supportive now when you're having a rough time." "I feel such tenderness for you." "I must be out of my mind!" "I know we have to get a divorce." "I know it's the right thing." "It's terrible." "I understand..." "I think." "Listen, let's not talk about this anymore." "How about that supper?" "I think I'm too drunk." "Can't we sit here a while longer?" "If you don't make me sentimental." "We'll sit over here on the couch." "And I won't cry." "Don't say things that will make me cry." "Sit down." "How about going home?" " You mean my place?" " Of course I mean your place." " We can't." " Why not?" "Because there's a man there waiting for me." "And he'll be pretty upset that I've been out late, that I reek of brandy, and that the papers aren't signed." "Is he the jealous type?" "Not really." "But he knows about my masochistic tendencies." "Guess what he said as I was leaving." ""You and your husband will have sex, and you'll come home with a guilty conscience." "And the papers won't be signed, and you'll break up with me."" "Are you going to tell him we made love?" "No, I don't think I will." "I'm tired." "It's late, and we've been drinking." "I think we should take a brisk walk and go home to our respective mates." "You're amazing." "No, I'm just a health nut." "Come on, dear." " What about the papers?" "The papers." "When I came here, I was determined to go through with the divorce." "I'm not so sure anymore." " That's generous of you." " Not in the way you think." " How, then?" " I've been considering getting married." " Really?" "I'm not sure, but I think so." "My boyfriend suits me in every way, and the girls like him." "We get along well, and he's been through a divorce too." "When he suggested we get married, I felt tempted." "Tear up those papers, Johan." "Do whatever you like." "They're not really important." "It's all the same to me if I bear your name or someone else's." "What a sermon." " Shall we go?" " Damn it, I'll gladly sign the papers." " Do as you please." "I don't care." " Don't go." "It's late." "Could I call a cab?" "Dial zero for an outside line." "Please send a cab to Malmrosgatan 45." "Thank you." "Want a lift?" "You really shouldn't drive." "I'll stay here a while longer." "Please don't brood." " It's none of your business." " Come on." " I want you to stay." " I don't want to." "You're tired and drunk." "Let me go!" "I don't want you to go." " Don't be ridiculous." " Don't be ridiculous yourself." "We never behaved like this in our marriage." "Let's not start now." "Give me the key." "I don't give a damn what you say!" "Now I can see your well-ordered brain whirling away." ""What do I do now?" "Has he gone crazy?" "Is he going to hit me?"" "If you really want to know, I think you're a riot." "If I'm such a riot, why aren't you laughing?" "You look scared to me." "Let me cancel my cab " "What for?" "They only wait around for ten minutes or so." "Just take it easy." "This will take quite a while." "Fine." "So what do you want to say?" " Nothing." "I just want to look at you." "Go ahead." "I might have expected this from someone like you." "I constantly warn women in the process of a divorce against being alone with their aggrieved husbands." "I never thought it would happen to me." "Shut your mouth." "I'm not afraid." "I couldn't care less what you do." " Shut up!" " You're crazy!" "Give me the key." "I'll go wash off this blood." "I'm not letting you out." "You asshole!" "You bitch!" "I'll show you!" "I could kill you!" "I could kill you!" "Marianne, are you " "Hey, are you all right?" "I guess I've only got myself to blame." "How about that key?" " You want me to help you?" " No, please don't." "This was the fifth episode of Scenes From A Marriage, called "The Illiterates. "" "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." "SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE" "Johan and Marianne have been married for ten years." "Since they never quarreled, they both believed they were happy." "One day, Johan tells his wife he has met another woman and that their marriage is over." "When several years have passed, they plan to finalize their divorce." "One summer evening, they meet at Johan's office to sign the papers." "However, this task turns out to be easier said than done." "During the preceding year," "Marianne has succeeded in finding herself." "She feels assured ofherself and enjoys life once more, while the opposite applies for Johan." "His grand plans for the future have gone down the drain, and the authorities that fund his research have humiliated him." "He feels hostile, crushed and insecure." "He is still involved in a demanding and draining relationship with Paula." "Suddenly he balks at getting divorced." "This triggers a brawl between Johan and Marianne." "The brawl turns into an altercation that leaves them drained." "Long-suppressed aggressions surface, and the atmosphere is hostile when they sign the papers." "IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN A DARK HOUSE SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD" " Hello, dear." " Hi, Mom." "I seem to have dozed off." "How's your foot?" "The pain is gone, but I feel a bit handicapped." "When can you go back to work?" "Not for another week." " Do you get any sleep at night?" "Just a little, but I mustn't complain." "Would you like some tea?" "Miss Alm brought out the tray 30 minutes ago, so I've already had mine." "Sorry I'm late." "I had a client I couldn't get rid of, and sometimes I must make time to listen." "Certainly." "I understand." " The tea's still nice and hot." " Would you like some toast?" " No, thank you." " How about some crackers?" "No, I'm on a diet." "How ridiculous." "I work out daily, and Henrik and I play tennis twice a week." "It's good for me." "By the way, there's something I'd like to know." "Are you coming to the interment of the ashes?" " What's the date?" " The 1 8th." "Let me see if I'm available." "Sorry, I can't make it." "I'll probably be in court all day." "Will it be in Uppsala?" "That was your father's wish." "Your brothers and sisters will be there." "Please, Mother." "The interment is merely a formality." "That's a matter of opinion." "Could we change the date?" "The others can make it." "And it's our wedding anniversary, but perhaps you've forgotten that." " Won't that be needlessly upsetting?" " Not for me." "In any case, I can't be there." "Well, then, that's that." "By the way, the girls send their love." "They plan to drop by tomorrow." "Now isn't that nice." "Eva and her boyfriend came to see me." "She was wearing a dress and was quite ladylike." "Her boyfriend looked nice too." "They stayed and talked for an hour." "Karin's more diffcult." "She's the image of her grandfather." "Poor Dad." "I didn't mean to slight your father." "I didn't think you had." "I've thought quite a bit about our marriage." "I've had time to reflect on things, with my bad foot and all." "What conclusions have you reached?" "None at all, surprisingly enough." "What do you mean?" "We had a good life." "We had our disagreements, but we never quarreled." "We never stooped to insults." "We kept silent instead." "It was better that way." "The hostility would fade, and we'd forget our differences." "We never nursed grievances, Fredrik and I." "I miss him, but I don't really feel any more alone than when he was alive." " I'm sorry to hear that." " Why?" "Both of us were always busy, he with his pursuits, I with mine." "Mother." "May I ask you something?" "Ask whatever you like." "Please don't think I'm tactless." "I don't think you are." "How did the two of you get along in bed?" "Your father was more interested than I was." "What more would you like to know?" "He took what he wanted, and I never refused him." "I considered it my duty to be at his disposal." "He had other women as well." "What about you?" " Me?" " Did you have other men?" "During our engagement, I fell in love with another man and wanted to break things off." "But my parents told me not to do anything rash, and that was that." "Did you ever hate Dad?" "What do you mean, hate him?" "When you married, you entered a contract entirely in his favor." "Didn't you ever hate him for it?" "I liked him." "And we were as blind as kittens." "We had no idea what we were getting into." "That's not possible." "That's not what I meant." "What do you mean?" "I wonder how it would have been if we had confded in each other." "If we had spoken freely." "You didn't?" "No, our parents taught us a rule." ""Cope with your own problems."" "And you never regretted it?" "Not exactly regretted." "But I can't help thinking about our heroic silences." "It must have been hard on your dad." "He was such a lively person." "Much more vibrant than me." "Do you reproach yourself for it?" "I don't know." "But it's ghastly." "I guess ghastly is far too dramatic a word, but it's extraordinary that you can spend a life together without " "Without really touching?" "Yes, perhaps that's what I mean." "So now you think it's your fault?" "You mean I should be sitting here with a guilty conscience?" "Well, I'm not." "We did our best." "But then again " "It sounds stilted if you put it into words." "He's vanished into the darkness, taking his life along with him." "The funny thing is that he's taken my life as well." "I guess this is what's called facing the truth, isn't it?" "May I ask one more question?" "I guess I can't get out of it." "Why were you so angry with me when Johan and I divorced?" "He was the one who walked out on me." "I wasn't angry." "I was sad." " You criticized me so." " I did?" "I thought you might side with me." "You could have helped me out, but you didn't." "Why was that?" "It was the other way around." "I know I told your father that we shouldn't interfere, and that we should behave as usual." "Your dad was furious, not me." "It just goes to show " "Heavens, I have to run." "Do you really have to?" "I'll be here on Monday around 5:00." "Then we can have dinner." "I'm afraid I have dinner plans." "But I can stay until 6:30." "Can't you bring your dress so you can get ready here?" "We'll see." "It was so nice talking with each other." "Let's do it more often, Mother." "Pop into the kitchen and say hello to Miss Alm, or she'll be upset." "Oh, my goodness." "I will." "Good-bye, Mother." "Give my love to Henrik and the children." "Henrik's away and won't be back until Monday." "Bye, dear." "Come in." "Hi." "Am I disturbing you?" "Please do." "What are you and your wife doing this evening?" "We're busy." "What a pity." "I'm throwing a little party at my place." "You're welcome to drop in for a while." "There'll be seven or eight guests." "I'm sorry, it's impossible." " Well, have a nice weekend." " Likewise." "Couldn't we get together sometime?" "I'm too busy." " Are you tired of me?" " Come now, Eva." "Just tell me if you want out, instead of making excuses." "Fine." "It's over between us." "Well, isn't that dandy?" "I had to pry it out of you." "I didn't want to hurt you." "Oh, that's right." "I'm sorry, but I really have to fnish this damned report." "Why of course, my dear." "I won't disturb you." "Well, thanks for everything." "You were an awfully sweet lover." "Even if you're a tad absent-minded." " Thank you." "You earn a high score yourself." "Is there someone else?" " To be honest, yes." " Who?" " I'm not telling." " Someone I know?" " Possibly." " I bet it's Lena..." "It is Lena." "It certainly isn't Lena." "Oh, well." "She's good-looking." "But isn't she too young and flighty for you?" "I'm telling you, it's not Lena." "I don't care anyway." "Bye, darling." "Bye-bye." "Yes?" " Hi there." " Hi." " Have a nice weekend." " Likewise." "These long weekends with the family are a damn pain." "I heard you were assigned to a survey." "Should I congratulate you?" " I don't see why." " I suspected as much." "For the next two years I'll be out of the loop." " What a bore." " Anyway, the survey's idiotic." "When it's fnished in two years, it will be completely worthless." "It's nothing more than a political smoke screen." "Get a load of this." "Why don't you ask to get out of it?" " I have." "Our supervisor is the biggest clown in the Swedish civil service." "Before we know it, he'll be a member of the government." "What did he say?" "He spoke in riddles that I had to interpret as best I could." "It wasn't all that encouraging." " Well, see you." " My newspaper." "Sorry." "Have you screwed Lena?" " Honestly, no." " But you have the hots for her?" " How about you?" " Well, yes." "I don't think I'd dare." "Have you given up?" "Call it what you like." "Well, I keep in shape." "Exercise, tennis, swimming." "I watch my weight, too." "Just in case things get up close and personal." "The bare facts, you know." "Bye!" "You're such a bastard!" "Not because you don't care for me, though." "It was fun while it lasted, and we both knew it wasn't for life." "But you're a jerk for not telling me that you'd had enough." "Do you know what's wrong with you?" "You're so fucking spoiled and stuck-up that everything bores you." "You'll be so bored, you'll fade away and blend into your bookcase." "You're cocky, smug and spoiled!" "You're lazy to the bone!" "You want everyone else to live for you." "Remember when you had that checkup and found out you'd shrunk an inch or so?" "Talk about the truth!" "Why don't you fght back?" "Raise hell?" "Why pretend to be humble when you're always so proud?" "This is so interesting " "You're so pompous, so spoiled that " "That what?" "I'm fond of you, silly man." "That's why I'm hard on you." "And I feel a bit sorry for you." " How kind." "Thank you." " You're welcome." "Let me know when you tire of Lena's frm young breasts and long for my flatter but more maternal charms." "It's not Lena." "Well, she's a great secretary." "And I'm sure she's very sweet." "But she's too young." "You'll get hurt." "I've told you, it's not Lena." " I've got my intuition." " Yes, you do." " I can tell you're deeply involved." " Maybe I am." "And it can't be anyone but Lena." "Good-bye." "Hi there." "Are you ready to go?" "Then I'll pick you up." "That's not a good idea?" "How about Karlaplan, over by Narvavägen?" "What do you say?" "I'll be there in two minutes." "Bye." "What fun this is!" "I went out to the summer cottage yesterday and turned on the heat, and I cleaned and stocked up on food." "Just like old times." "When was I there last?" "Seven years ago." " What about you?" " I don't spend much time there." "Henrik's not fond of the seaside." "The girls and I go out there occasionally, but they have their own lives nowadays." "How's your husband?" "Overworked." "He suffers from high blood pressure." "How's your wife?" "She's in Italy for a rest cure." "Isn't it amazing they're both abroad at the same time?" "It's practically indecent." "That's what's so nice." "The place hasn't changed much." "It's a bit dilapidated." "It needs fxing up, but we can't afford it." "Put the car away or Erik will see it and come over." "Imagine the gossip if he saw you." " I will, dear." "Aren't you going to do it now?" "I'll do it later." "This does feel kind of strange." "Why don't we lie down on the bed?" "Come on." "This is silly... but I'm as nervous as if it were the frst time." "But it's not." "Come on." "It's been nearly a year now." "It was the day before my birthday." "And today's August 28." "You seduced me." "I did." " Did you ever go see the last act?" " No." "We must have looked funny sneaking out of the theater." " What made you decide to do it?" " I don't know." "The second I entered the theater, I saw you sitting there all alone." "You looked so lonely." "It seemed natural to pounce on you." "I was terribly pleased." "So was I." "You said, "Let's go."" "And you blushed." "No wonder." "I had such a hard-on." "You got me pretty hot too." "We hadn't seen each other for two whole years." "That's right." "Two years." "And now it's our frst anniversary." "No." "What do you mean?" "It's not our frst anniversary." "It's our 20th." "We got married 20 years ago." "That's right." "Twenty years." "An entire lifetime." "We've spent a whole grown-up life together." "Isn't that strange?" "My darling... my sweetheart." "It feels strange to be in this wretched old bed together." "Our hotel rooms were better." "More anonymous." "It was wrong of us to come here." "We should have gone to Denmark." "There wasn't time." "This is fne." "It isn't fne at all." "I know --we'll call Fredrik." "He has a cottage nearby." "How will we get in?" " I expect a neighbor has a key." " This'll never work." "There's no harm in trying." "Fredrik?" "Johan here." "How are you?" "I've never been better." "Listen, this is a delicate matter." "Are you alone?" "Could I possibly borrow your cottage for the weekend?" "Exactly, but it's not what you think." "Very pretty." "Young?" "Almost too young." "It's a sticky situation." "Thanks!" "That's great." "I owe you one." "Don't say a word to Birgit." "Women don't understand things like this." "Right then." "The key's under the stone step." "Fine." "Yes, blonde." "With a fabulous fgure." "I'll call you." "I really appreciate this." "Thanks." "Give my love to Birgit." "No, better scratch that." "Bye." " Here it is." " Nice place." "Here's the stone step." "It must be here." " Let's clean up." " Yes, let's." "What's wrong?" "Are you crying?" "You're so touching." "I'm being silly." "Touching?" "Well, I'll be damned." "It's the truth." "My dear, beloved Johan." "You've grown so small." " You think I've shrunk too?" "You're better this way." "Soft and gentle." "You used to look so tense and guarded." "You don't say." "Are people mean to you?" "I don't know." "I've stopped being on the defensive." "Someone said I'd gone slack and gave in too easily." "It's not true." "But I've accepted my true dimensions with a certain sense of humility." "It makes me kind..." "and a bit mournful." "You had such great expectations." "No, you're wrong." "Those were my family's expectations." "I really wanted to live up to them, though." "So I tried to fulfil other people's expectations." "When I was little, I had modest aspirations for the future." " What did you want to do?" " Haven't I told you?" " You might have, but I've forgotten." " It happens." "My poor knees." "You're getting old." "So tell me." "You might remember that I had this old uncle." "He had a shop that sold toys and stationery." "I often went to visit him, since I was a sickly child and needed quiet surroundings and fresh air." "Sometimes I got to help my aunt and uncle out in the shop." "I loved it." "My dream was to have a shop like that." "There you have my ambitions." "We should have had a little shop." "How content we would have been." "We'd have grown fat and comfortable, had a lot of kids, slept well at night, and been respected, and we never would have quarreled." "It's strange talking about everything that never came to pass." "You wouldn't have liked living in a small town." "No, probably not." "My dream was to fght for oppressed people." "There were no limits to my ambition." "And I ended up being a divorce lawyer." "Let's clean this place up." "Cheers." "Do you think people who live together can ever be completely honest?" " We couldn't." " Is it even necessary?" "Do you mean if we had always told the truth and never kept any secrets?" "Were we even aware that we kept secrets?" "Of course we lied." "I did, anyway." "You did?" "At the beginning of our marriage, I was unfaithful to you." " Really?" " Does that come as a shock?" "I don't know." "Yes, I think so." "It was nothing serious." "I felt crushed by the demands of marriage and motherhood, so I jumped ship for a while." "I'll be damned." "If you wonder about my conscience, it never said a word." "Well, what do you know." "And if we'd told the truth?" "If I had told the truth back in the spring of 1 95 5, it would have smashed our marriage to smithereens." "I would have broken from my parents, sold our daughters and killed you." "Although, in fact, I loved you." "Do you apply this experience in your new marriage as well?" "Why, of course." "I lie all the time." " So do I." " There, you see?" "Does it bother you?" "Sure." "But what can I do?" "Does it bother you?" "I don't know." "My wife Anna isn't interested in those problems." "She has tailored our relationship to our mutual convenience." "Do you love your wife?" "The question all women ask." "I enjoy having breakfast with her." "And she likes taking care of you." "She says she's fond of me and feels safe with me." "I'm the one she wants, amazingly enough." "It sounds like you've been lucky." "Would I be cheating on her with you if that were the case?" "Maybe you love us both." "You wanted to know how things are with my husband?" "Getting married was a big mistake." "We looked on it as a joke." "When did you meet?" "A few years ago." "To be frank, it was a sexual affair." "I see." "Henrik is very-- how should I put this?" " convincing in that respect." "He truly enjoys sex." "And he made me realize that I felt the same way." "I wasn't all that keen on it before." "So I remember." " You don't like this subject, do you?" " No, I don't." "But it can't be helped." "I was obsessed by this new sensation." "I felt insatiable." "How nice." "For you, I mean." "I became very attached to Henrik, and he was pretty fond of me." "But it wasn't long before I caught him with other women." "What do you know." "I was hurt and humiliated." "Even jealous." "Jealous, you?" " Can you imagine?" "There was this violent scene, and I told him to go to hell." " Well, did he?" " Yes." "He did." "He said I was too histrionic, and then he left." "Later I begged him to come back." "Then we took a trip and got married." "Since then, we've had our ups and downs." "Mostly downs." " I'd like to ask you something." " I know what it is." "You once said I used sex to get even." "I tried that with Henrik, but he didn't pay the slightest attention." "He said my antics bored him, and he would go shower affection on some other woman." "So much for getting revenge." "I stopped acting like that." "I've broken the pattern." "We get along just fne nowadays, don't we?" "Yes, of course." "Johan, you look so thoughtful." "I was just thinking how everything's fne, that's all." "Fantastic." "Couldn't be better." "Only I can't take it!" "I knew you didn't want to hear the truth." "Do you really think I care about your orgasms with that workaholic?" "I applaud your emancipation." "Most impressive." "You should write a novel." "The Women's Lib movement would rejoice." "I hope you're not as stupid as you sound." "I don't give a damn!" "Suddenly it matters terribly." "No, not really." "It's just a taste of the marvelous things life has to offer." "Think of the awareness we've gained." "It's magnifcent." "Almost fantastic." "We've discovered ourselves." "It's unbelievable." "One faces up to his insignifcance, the other, to her greatness." "Here we are, bad-mouthing our spouses." "They're almost right here in this room with us." "It's mental group sex to the max!" "It's like a textbook on life." "It's fabulously clever, but I can't stand it." "I know what you mean, but I don't fnd it terrible." "I can't abide this cold light directed on my every endeavor." "How I battle with futility." "I console myself with the thought that life is what you make of it." "But it's of no comfort." "I want something to long for." "I don't feel the same way." "I realize that." "I persevere." "I enjoy myself." "I rely on common sense and my gut feeling." "They work in tandem." "I'm content with my direction." "Time has given me a third partner:" "experience." "You should be a politician." " Maybe you're right." " Good Lord." "I like people." "I enjoy negotiation, prudence, compromise." "Rehearsing your campaign speech?" "Am I so impossible?" "Only when you preach." "I won't say another word." "Promise me:" "no more intimate truths tonight." "I promise." "Promise me you won't mention that orgasmic athlete again." "Not a word." "Promise to rein in your awful levelheadedness." "That will be diffcult, but I'll try." "Could you possibly" "I say possibly-- use your boundless feminine powers sparingly?" "I see that I'll have to." "All right, then." "Let's go to bed." "What is it?" "There, there." "Come, sit here beside me." "There, there." "What brings on nightmares?" "What do you think causes them?" " Maybe it's something you ate." " You think so?" "Unless there's something in your well-ordered world you can't get at." "Hold me." "I'm shivering, even though I'm hot." "I might be coming down with something." "The girls have been sick." "You'll feel better soon." "Pull the covers up." "That's nice." " What were you dreaming about?" "We were crossing a dangerous road." "I wanted you and the girls to hold on to me." "But my hands were missing." "All I had left were stumps." "I'm sliding around in soft sand." "I can't get a hold of you." "You're all up there on the road, and I can't reach you." "What a horrible dream." " Johan?" " Yes, my dear." " Are we living in utter confusion?" " You and I?" " No, all of us." " What do you mean?" "I'm talking about fear, uncertainty and ignorance." "Do you think that secretly we're afraid we're slipping downhill and don't know what to do?" "Yes, I think so." "Is it too late?" "Yes." "But we shouldn't say things like that." "Only think them." "Have we missed something important?" " All of us?" " No, you and I." "What would that be?" "At times I can read your mind, and I feel such tenderness that I forget myself." "Without having to efface myself." "It's a new sensation." "Do you understand?" "I understand." "Sometimes it grieves me that I've never loved anyone." "I don't think I've ever been loved either." "That distresses me." "Now you're being dramatic." " Am I?" " I know what I feel." "I love you in my selfish way." "And I think you love me in your fussy, pestering way." "We love each other in an earthly and imperfect way." "But you're so demanding." "I am." "But here I am, in the middle of the night, without much fanfare, in a dark house somewhere in the world," "sitting with my arms around you." "And your arms are around me." "I'm not the most compassionate of men." "No, you're not." "I don't seem to have the imagination for it." "No, you're rather unimaginative." "I don't know what my love looks like, and I can't describe it." "Most of the time I can't feel it." "And you really think I love you too?" "Yes, I do." "But if we harp on it, our love will evaporate." "Let's sit like this all night." "Oh, no, let's not." "No?" "One leg's gone to sleep, my left arm's practically dislocated," "I'm sleepy, and my back's cold." "Then let's snuggle down." "Yes, let's." "Good night, my darling." "It was good talking to you." "Sleep well." "Thanks." "Same to you." "This was the final episode of Scenes From A Marriage, called "In The Middle Of The Night in a Dark House Somewhere in the World. "" "And while you look at this footage of Fårö, here are the credits." "The actors were Liv Ullman, Erland Josephson," "Gunnel Lindblom, Wenche Foss and Bertil Norström." "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."