ATT BLI SJÄLSLIGT ALFABETISERAD – INGMAR BERGMANS SCENER UR ETT ÄKTENSKAP SOM EN VÄG TILL SJÄLVKÄNNEDOM (BERGMANS BERÄTTELSER I)

Abstract

Scenes from a Marriage (1973) marked a breakthrough for Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007), reaching a wide audience both nationally and internationally. Scenes from a Marriage is also Bergman's first television series and today his most performed play in theatre around the world. Productions of Scenes from a Marriage in different media, such as television series, feature films, a book and in the theatre, has made it Bergman's most widespread work. Scenes from a Marriage was also of great importance to many individuals, influencing them to make crucial changes in their lives and relationships. Bergman's story of the marriage of two people, a marriage in crisis, divorce and reconciliation has obviously something to say to many of us who have watched, listened to, or read the story. What then does it tell us, and in what way is the story told? This question is addressed in an analysis of the work's composition, with particular emphasis on narrative techniques, motifs and the underlying theme, based on the Swedish book version. The six scenes in the book all take a dramatic form and present the same basic literary motif in different ways: a relationship based on love between two people in a very difficult situation. This motif, in turn, unfolds within the overall theme of the work: the human search for truth. This transforms the scenes into something more than just a story about a marriage crisis, becoming a story about two people's search for meaning in life. This aspect of the story is perhaps the main reason why Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage has reached out and touched so many people and still does. There is also a critical dimension to the search for truth, questioning the conventions and traditions of marriage and society. This analysis is the first in a series of analyses of Ingmar Bergman's written works.