Overview
A deep exploration of love and existential questions unfolds as a couple navigates their tumultuous relationship.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- austere
- intimate
- melancholic
- quiet evening
- serious film discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Bergman's intimate marital drama as a deeply intelligent and emotionally devastating examination of love, alienation, and human dependence.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Marianne and Johan's relationship is used to examine being, fulfillment, love, and the need for validation.
The film's extended conversations and emotional confrontations rely on Bergman's concentrated attention to Marianne and Johan's faces.
The central conflicts unfold through intimate discussions, humiliations, revelations, and negotiations between the couple.
The ex-husband and ex-wife relationship continues to shape both characters after divorce and life-changing decisions.
Films like Scenes from a Marriage, and why
Scenes from a Marriage
intimate marital drama examining emotional estrangement, communication, and the endurance of attachment
A Woman Under the Influence
psychologically probing relationship drama centered on love, loneliness, and shifting intimacy
Two for the Road
minimalist chamber drama about romantic disconnection and the painful limits of communication
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
philosophical European relationship drama exploring desire, alienation, and unstable identity
The Worst Person in the World
Bergmanesque emotional intensity and close examination of marriage, betrayal, and existential loneliness
Movie Details
- Director
- Ingmar Bergman
- Release Date
- 1974-09-15
- Runtime
- 169 min
- Rating
- 8.0 / 10 (411)
Cast
- Liv Ullmann
- Erland Josephson
- Bibi Andersson
- Jan Malmsjö
- Gunnel Lindblom
- Wenche Foss
- Bertil Norström
- Anita Wall
- Rossana Mariano
- Lena Bergman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Scenes from a Marriage about?
- An austere, emotionally searching portrait of a marriage transformed by betrayal, separation, and the stubborn persistence of love.
- What is Scenes from a Marriage like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Scenes from a Marriage as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Scenes from a Marriage violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Scenes from a Marriage.
- What did critics think of Scenes from a Marriage?
- Critics broadly regard Bergman's intimate marital drama as a deeply intelligent and emotionally devastating examination of love, alienation, and human dependence.
- Which films are like Scenes from a Marriage?
- Films with a similar feel include Scenes from a Marriage, A Woman Under the Influence, Two for the Road, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and The Worst Person in the World.
- How long is Scenes from a Marriage?
- Scenes from a Marriage runs 169 minutes.
- Where can I watch Scenes from a Marriage?
- In United States, Scenes from a Marriage streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
