Scenes from a Marriage

A dialogue between Johann and Marianne, from Ingmar Bergman's 'Scenes from a Marriage'(1973)

Johann: I don’t really care where I live. To me every domicile is temporary. Security must come from within.

Marianne: Does yours?

Johann: I didn’t feel that way as long as I lived here. Material things were more important. We became dependant on rituals.

Marianne: I don’t know what you mean

Johann: Our sense of security was anchored in externals. Our possessions, our cottage in the country, our friends, our incomes, our food, our parents, holidays.
I’ll describe my take on security. The way I see it…loneliness is absolute. Anything else is illusion. Never expect anything but trouble. If something nice happens, all the better. Just don’t imagine you can do away with loneliness. A sense of togetherness can be created in say, religion, politics, love, art. But loneliness is still all-encompassing. The treacherous part is that every once in a while you’re struck by an illusion of togetherness, just remember that it is an illusion. That makes it easier when everything returns to normal. You have to face the fact that loneliness reigns supreme. It puts an end to your moaning. Then you feel safe and secure. And you learn to accept how pointless it all is, with a certain satisfaction. I don’t mean you should be resigned. You should carry on as best as you can, if only because it is better to do your best than to give up.

Marianne: I wish I were as certain as you.

Johann: It’s all talk. You find yourselves expressing thoughts to fend off the emptiness inside. It’s funny, come to think of it. Has it ever struck to you that emptiness hurts?
You’d think that it would make you dizzy, or queasy in spirit. But this void inside me is physically painful. It stings like a burn. Or like when you were little and you’d been crying, and the whole inside of your body ached.
At times, Paula’s tremendous political commitment astonishes me. She’s so sincere, and so very involved in her political group. Her conviction answers her questions and fills the void inside her. I wish I could live the way she does. I really mean that, without any sarcasm.
Why are you sneering? Do you think I’m talking rubbish? So do I…but who cares?