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Show SIS fey jtss( ptatt continue on that path until it becomes a prison. Finally the husband is driven to infidelity and finds the change exciting until he must break with his wife. And the wife suddenly finds that life without her mate is lonely, but not so terrible that she cannot manage. As years pass, both, however, how-ever, fall into the conventions conven-tions again. They marry their lovers and begin a new cycle of roles. After six years of these roles, they suddenly find each other very exciting once again and renew their relationship re-lationship not as husband and wife, but as lovers. . Through the separations and emotional purges, they find that they really can and do love one another. But as mature, rational adults, we know that they will return to their mates and continue in their new roles, but that they will have found SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE MAR-RIAGE is Igmar Bergman's latest film release here in the United States. Made for television in Sweden, the film has been edited down to a three hour release. Upon seeing the film, I wondered how our country, which has been a pioneer in the development of the electronics end of television, tele-vision, could be so far behind be-hind artistically. I do not believe that it is because our viewing audience aud-ience is less sophisticated, but that our television executives ex-ecutives are faint of heart and mind. The film deals with ten years in the marriage of sobs, while Bergman often uses the basic physical gestures. ges-tures. Therefore whenLivUlman clings to her partner until he must tear her arms off him, we see the true emotion of a wife who is losing the husband she loves. How many of us have wanted want-ed to do that same action, or have done it, and later felt ashamed? These two people feel little shame for affection. They are starkly realistic in their actions. Bergman does not clutter his dialogue and direction with sentimentality. sentimen-tality. He gives us truth until we realize that this film could almost be a documentary release through each other. Perhaps they will meet again, and perhaps they will not, for their love has lost the possessiveness that limited lim-ited them. They now love freely with no feelings of responsibility they have no ties now. Bergman has once again given us a close look at reality and the psychological and material hang-ups that result inpeople's interaction with one another. Through various scenes uncluttered with story line, unfettered by unnecessary details, Bergman Berg-man has given us a clean understanding of marriage. He even uses time in a realistic real-istic manner, never throwing in action to give excitement, for this marriage is without such actions. His slice of life film making mak-ing creates a world of incisive observation that that compels us to evaluate n.nr own relationships. Few film makers can accomplish that. Technically, the film suffers suf-fers filmically because it was shot for television. We find ourselves viewing close-ups where film would have moved into another shot. It makes the film move much more slowly on the large screen. But pans and action are limited in television films, for the screen is so tiny that details are lost. Also, the film moves slowly slow-ly because scenes have been edited together into one long film, whereas they were filmed as weekly sequences. But the distributors were realisitic enough to realize that American television would never show such material. mat-erial. We will have to waitalong time before our television will have a director of world renown direct his own script, so we must content ourselves by seeing it in a movie theatre. In spite of all the obvious limitations because of differences dif-ferences in the mediums, we are glad that we at least have the opportunity to view this work. about a couple. It is the precise realism that makes this film a masterpiece in human relations. Bergman gets to the essence and skips the frill, bringing us a touching touch-ing and brutal look at marriage mar-riage and at two people's problems. This couple has the common com-mon problem in marriage they married partly for love and partly for security, and think they are contented merely because they meet all the socially accepted norms. Like many couples, however, how-ever, their attentions cannot be directed to the same goals. After many years, sex begins to become flat, for they have little imagination towards their love making, until the wife considers it a duty. Although they o f t e n comment com-ment on how tired they are of meeting the expectations of family and friends, they "the perfect couple." That is, in the beginning they are a financially and socially secure pair, often commenting comment-ing on how well they are matched. But as the film moves through various scenes from their relationship, the cracks appear and the marriage mar-riage crumbles This film is not your run of the mill soap opera, dealing deal-ing with crisis through melodrama. melo-drama. These are educated, wealthy, intelligent people who must come to terms with their differences. Liv Ulman Was nominated for Best Actress in the Academy Ac-ademy Awards, but the , Awards refused the nomination nomina-tion because the film had been viewed on television first. That is indeed unfortunate, as she has once again proven prov-en herself an actress of subtle rationality and emotional em-otional complexity. She manages to project her feelings with such complete assurance that we feel that she really is reacting as a true person rather than an -actress. Bergman has a gift of digging out the real feelings of a female his sympathies lie profoundly with this sex until the film becomes her film often. I felt very uncomfortable in the theatre as various members of the audience found extremely emotional parts funny. We are not used to viewing -such raw emotions on film. Sorrow is conventionally related through tears and |