The Wife: Scenes from a Marriage
This is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite movies.
Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage is an examination of the relationship of Johan and Marianne, a married couple who, after 10 years of a seemingly happy union, sever their marital ties when Johan leaves Marianne. The separation forces them to develop strengths, face weaknesses, and forge an unexpected bond their marriage never offered.
Originally a six-part mini-series that aired on Swedish television, Mr. Bergman edited it for cinematic release. It was one of his more accessible projects, drawing the general public to their television screens, as opposed to the usual art-house crowd. Part of its appeal, of course, is that the subject matter is so relatable and the characters so real and engaging. It was easy for me to lose myself in this three hour film — the acting so amazing and intense, the angles and close-ups punctuating the sheer agony, joy, shock, anger, and heartbreak of this couple.
While there is a lot of raw emotion here, it is, after all, called ‘Scenes from a Marriage.’ It does include all the rote and mundane things that occur, and most times this benign scene is what is on display for the outsider. So fitting then, I think, is The Criterion Collection’s simple and beautiful packaging for the film’s DVD.
The bedroom, as other movies show, is a place without inhibitions; this is where one (or two) can let hair and guard down.
(Note: In Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert’s bedroom scene, their acquaintance is only a few hours old, hence the “wall of Jericho” between them.)
The Criterion packaging captures Johan and Marianne in conversation. Johan is in the middle of reading a book and presumably Marianne, glasses on her face, was in the middle of one herself when she decided to share what looks like, based on Johan’s reaction, just a casual observation. I imagine that this is probably one of the most unexciting aspects of marriage — the random thoughts that couples share with each other in bed — but the very idea of involving someone else in even the meaningless that the mind absorbs is in itself a display of the level of intimacy at work.
The clean type that flows above Johan and Marianne’s heads contrast and complement the colors of their pajamas. As in marriage, the different words in different shades flow into each other, working together to complete the rectangular shape their union creates. Eric Skillman, the designer for this packaging, recounts the creative process involved with this project. His blog shows the earlier treatments of this work, which present the couple in the more heart-wrenching scenes from the movie.
While I think the images Mr. Skillman chose for these versions are powerful, moving and fitting, I very much like the austerity of the final product, which offers a look at the quiet and understated aspects of intimacy and effectively acts as a calm before the storm.
What a cool idea for a blog–I love the idea of following your tangential ideas as far as they’ll take you! I’ll definitely be bookmarking this!
And thanks so much for the kind words!
–Eric
I should be thanking YOU for providing me with such great subject matter! I can’t tell you how often I rave about Criterion’s outstanding design. there will likely be more references in the future. thanks for reading!