Scenes from Marriage - Family therapy session and perfect remake of Bergman's film

Slow plot and timeless themes

Spouses Jonathan and Mira (Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain) have been living together for 10 years and raising a child. It gradually becomes clear that many problems have accumulated in their relationship. The couple decides to break up, but soon their feelings flare up with renewed vigor, although the difficulties do not completely disappear.

To say that there are not too many events in the series is to say nothing. These few phrases fit not only the plot, but almost the entire plot of the story. However, fans of Bergman's original know that the beauty and depth of Scenes from Married Life is not in unexpected turns, but in the emotions and conversations of the characters.

Therefore, in Levy's series, a third of the first episode is taken up by a journalist interviewing Jonathan and Mira. By the way, Bergman came up with an excellent in his arrogance way to acquaint the viewer with the characters: they just talk about themselves. Then the heroes witness the quarrel of their friends, discuss important news and end up in the hospital. This is where the series ends.

Shot from the series "Scenes from Married Life - 2021"

In the future, the action will not accelerate. The characters will have a long dinner or discuss any pressing problems. But if the author of the remake had moved away from the slowness that Bergman once showed in his mini-series, then the new "Scenes" would have turned into another drama. Perhaps successful, but completely independent.

After all, it is easy to see that most of the stories about the quarrels of a married couple in one way or another refer to the work of Bergman. You can take at least the famous "Annie Hall" by Woody Allen, at least "The Marriage Story" by Noah Baumbak - the parallels are obvious.

But if Levy simply copied the plot and dialogues from the classics, it would also turn out stupid. After all, it is in superhero cinema and horror that special effects and costumes become obsolete, and chamber dramas are almost eternal. However, the adaptation, in keeping with the spirit of the original, changes several important details. And this allows her to become both an excellent addition to the classics and an important independent work.

Time adjustments and hot topics

For Bergman, the balance of power in the pair was felt literally from the first scene - the very interview where Johan (Erland Jozefson) gave out a long self-praising tirade, and his wife Marianne (Liv Ullman) could only say: "I am married, I have two daughters." This was where her self-identification ended. But the problems of typically patriarchal families have been discussed dozens of times over the years. Therefore, HBO at certain times swaps the heroes.

Now Mira becomes a top manager, and Jonathan is more likely to sit with his daughter, since he can work from home. And the journalist comes to them to find out about the life of couples in which a woman gets more. In the further plot, the actions that Bergman's husband did in Hagai Levi's version will be transferred to his wife.

But in this case, even the most ardent haters of trends will not be able to attract changes to the feminization of society. On the contrary, the two versions of Scenes from Married Life show that there has never been a difference between the actions of men and women: treason remains treason, no matter who committed it. And even someone who is formally at a lower social level can suppress a partner by being fixated on himself and wanting to be responsible for two.

At the same time, the series touches on new topics not too intrusively, allowing the viewer to form his own attitude to events. The characters themselves will be confused when they are asked to name "their pronouns" at the beginning of the conversation.

Friends of Jonathan and Mira (Corey Stoll and Nicole Bahari) now talk about their open marriage. By the way, they also reveal that there are too many problems in such a relationship. Even the past of the main characters is changing.

But all this is only good for the story. Bergman's series was relevant and important for its time. There were even rumors that after its release in Sweden, the number of divorces doubled. Although, according to more believable versions of Scenes from a Marriage / Time Out, the author simply caught the trend and transferred the burning topic to the screen. Likewise, the 2021 version has every chance of becoming a reflection of the problems in modern marriages. Due to some changes in the characters and the plot, the story again allows you to see a piece of yourself in each of the characters.

Immersion in the atmosphere

Almost the entire action of the Ingmar Bergman series took place literally in several rooms, where the heroes indulged in their endless conversations. Deliberately simple shooting, restrained colors and the complete absence of a soundtrack only emphasized the realism of what was happening. The viewer seemed to spy on the life of his acquaintances.

Levy, of course, shoots in a more modern way: soft yellowish light and interesting camera angles make the picture richer. The director turns even everyday moments into an artistic device. For example, the heroes take too long to straighten various bottles in the bathroom, and this already creates a feeling of discomfort.

Still, the new version doesn't stray too far from the restraint of the original. Music is played here very rarely, and the characters regularly return to the same locations. And this again emphasizes that the main thing in this story is not movement and not even a picture, but dialogues and, oddly enough, sound in general.

They usually think that a good audio system or at least headphones are needed to watch blockbusters with cool effects, and computer speakers will do for drama. But it is the background noise that will help you to feel the atmosphere of the new Scenes from Married Life much more strongly.

When the characters start arguing in the kitchen, they not only speak louder themselves. The clinking of glasses, the clatter of dishes and other sounds will annoy even the viewer. And that's their whole point. Rustle of paper in the hospital, running water in the bathroom, even smacking too loudly when eating pasta. How often in life it is these little things that become the last straw. And they are, if not triggers, then an addition to the alarming state of the heroes.

Dialogues that you want to continue

But, of course, all this is just a background. Levy's main talent is in writing dialogues and the ability to notice important moments in life. The author very carefully lets each character speak out, exposing their feelings so that it is impossible not to sympathize with the heroes. Even if they behave meanly.

Moreover, for the entire series, not a single dialogue will sound that would seem far-fetched. On the contrary, they are sometimes too real, and therefore discordant. The characters speak as in real life: abruptly, interrupting, with too long awkward pauses and inappropriate remarks.

Jonathan and Mira in a difficult situation ask each other: "How do you feel?" - just so as not to admit misunderstanding of their own emotions. It would seem that the joyful conversation is interrupted by a coughing fit that destroys the beauty of the scene. And it's hard to believe that some of the frank words on the screen can sound more doomed than even in "The Marriage Story."

In Baumbaka's film, Adam Driver's character screamed that he dreamed of the death of his wife. Here the heroine Chastain almost whispers, speaking of self-contempt, and the word "pathetic" as a definition of her own feelings sounds more often than others. Spouses regularly break down on manipulations, then accusing the partner of not noticing the betrayal of a loved one, then shifting responsibility for their decision to the other.

But after a quarrel destroying all feelings, the couple will fall asleep embracing. All of this looks frighteningly true, as if not written by professional screenwriters, but taken from the darkest moments of a real relationship.

If you watch “Scenes from Married Life” with a loved one, you will inevitably want to pause the next episode and talk about how the events on the screen resonate with your own thoughts. In this regard, the project can become an unusual therapy that will help to discuss problems and become a little more open.

After all, one should not forget that the whole story, with all its complexities and tragedy, is dedicated not to enemies, but to people who love each other. And her finale, not leaning towards an unnatural happy ending, still makes one believe that sincerity and the ability to speak will help to solve a lot.

Isaac and Chastain's magnificent play

Filming a chamber story entirely based on dialogue and emotion, the author relies on the talent of the actors. Here you cannot hide the flaws behind the dynamics of the plot, special effects and even jokes. Ingmar Bergman had no problems with this: he chose the long-proven favorites Liv Ullman and Erland Jozefson for the main roles.

Hagai Levy did not copy the characters that were shown in the original, and invited Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. These actors are not only familiar from their youth, but also played a married couple in the thriller "The Cruellest Year". Their participation is the real success of the new Scenes from Married Life.

Now the performers of the main roles have slightly different statuses. Projects with Isaac come out one after another: only in September 2021, the films "Cold Settlement" and "Dune" are expected. Chastain, on the contrary, flickers on the screens less and less, and "Dark Phoenix" and "Agent Eve" with her participation and completely failed. But the HBO series confirms that they are both at their peak. Oscar Isaac has not lost his dramatic talents, acting in action films and science fiction, and the best images of Jessica Chastain are not yet a thing of the past.

The chemistry between their characters is felt in every shot. And here it is not even scenes of tense dialogues that are more important, but small everyday moments: silence, light touches and glances, really characteristic of a couple who have been together for many years.

Moreover, the author uses a very unusual move: at the beginning of the first episodes, he shows the actors before diving into the role. The viewer sees not Jonathan and Mira, but Oscar and Jessica, who walk around the set, read the script and prepare for filming. But surprisingly, this does not destroy the magic of the story itself. On the contrary, after clicking the clapperboard, the actors instantly reincarnate, as if becoming lonely among the crowd of people scurrying off-screen. Just like their characters feel abandoned even next to each other.

The moment from the premiere of the series at the Venice Film Festival also helps to make sure how well the couple worked together. After that, rumors even spread about a romance between the stars. But this is just another proof of their skill.

HBO's Marriage Scenes isn't just a successful remake of a great classic. This is a completely independent work that is worth looking at very carefully. Great actors make the unhurried everyday plot lively and incredibly touching.

Surely almost everyone will find in this story at least echoes of their life. Perhaps a look from the outside will even help someone understand themselves. And this is the greatest benefit that can be expected from a dramatic work.