I now want a divorce. I’m not even married, nor do I now plan to be. As Johan put it, marriage should only be a five year contract.
Through Igmar Begman, you watch a clear play of sex and power between Johan and Marianne. They’ve been married for ten years and seem like a happily functioning couple on the surface but it quickly becomes clear that they aren’t content when one decides to come clean.
The balance of power shifts dramatically and while one thinks they have the upper hand, it twists, violently at times, into the other’s palm as they try to cling onto what they have left. The monologues that followed question what it means to be with someone and sometimes tried to define love, ticked over in my head long after the film had finished.
There’s no soundtrack and only two characters throughout which added to the confining element of this film. Even though a few other couples made a brief appearance, I get the impression they were just reflections of Johan and Marianne as they strive to make sense of their own marriages.
Ullmann really shined in her role as Marianne which shows just how sharp an actor she is. Keeping her emotions on the very surface, unlike in Persona, it was compelling to watch her every change in expression and the effect it had on the situation.
What upset me the most was the clear passion and love they at times had for each other that only the viewer can see. Simple gestures such as watching the other read or the ever so slight disappointment in a reaction, tell the other half of this film.
Maybe I need to have been married for a good ten years before I fully understand every detail but not once could I spot a weakness in the legitimacy of Johan and Marianne in what was the most convincing portrayal of a relationship I’ve seen.
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