Scenes From a Marriage Early Review

On April 11th, 1973, Ingmar Bergman’s foray into television premiered in Sweden to outstanding reception. It was later edited and re-released as a feature length film. Regardless of the version, Scenes from a Marriage is widely considered one of Bergman’s best projects. The film delivered a psychological study of romantic relationships spanning a period of ten years, examining the difference stages of a marriage. From there, the film had a significant impact on cinematic culture, influencing future films such as Kramer vs. Kramer and Marriage Story.

Nearly 50 years later, HBO and show-runner Hagai Levi have attempted the daunting task of developing a remake of Bergman’s classic miniseries for the modern era. Remakes of beloved content are generally cause for concern, but the fact that Scenes from a Marriage was a miniseries that was way ahead of its time and is still very much relevant today will surely lead many to question, and rightfully so, if a remake was truly necessary.

The modern adaptation of Scenes from a Marriage follows a similar structure as the original, but instead focuses on two completely different characters and examines modern relationships and the success rate of monogamy within our current world. Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac take on the roles of Jonathan & Mira, a loving couple, who at first glance seem to have it all. Mira is working at a high level at a successful tech company, while Jonathan is the primary caregiver to their child Ava and works as a University professor. They live in a beautiful home in a nice neighborhood and have a far more healthy relationship than many of their friends. However following certain life-changing events, their seemingly stable marriage begins to fall apart.

Bergman’s miniseries has such a certain reputation and legacy that it’s unclear where this version of Scenes from a Marriage will end up. However, it is certainly a worthy remake that does the original justice. Most of the episodes take place in one location and are heavily-driven by dialogue and its performances, but are completely captivating. The script is both sharp and elevating, perfectly capturing how words can cut deep and how the wrong choice of them can be detrimental to a relationship.

Liv Ulman and Erland Josephson each have left quite the impression, creating some big shoes to fill, as their performances in Bergman’s original are subdued and powerful. However, if there’s any modern actors up to the task, it’s certainly Chastain and Isaac. They are both absolutely phenomenal in their roles, possibly giving their best performances to date. They have impeccable chemistry create the impression that these characters posses a storied history.

Scenes from a Marriage is a consistent and thoroughly engaging miniseries from start to finish though not without its issues. There are often two sides of the coin when it comes to marriage and relationships and both parties are almost to blame in some respect. In this case, Mira is almost entirely in the wrong, as she makes one manic decision after another. Jonathan on the other hand is treated as a saint-like figure and is one that the miniseries seemingly wants audiences to empathize with. This makes things almost completely one-sided and took away a lot of the complexity and nuance that the source material was known for.

Despite its issues, Scenes from a Marriage is still a very well acted and written miniseries that delivers a thoroughly engaging watch from start to finish.

still courtesy of HBO

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Tristan French