Genre

A sequel to Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 classic Scenes from a Marriage, Saraband reintroduces us to Marianne (Liv Ullman) and Johan (Erland Josephson) after 32 years apart, when Marianne decides it’s time to pay her ex-husband a visit. Upon arrival, she becomes involved in strained family relations between Johan, his son Henrik (Borje Ahlstedt), and Henrik’s daughter Karin (Julia Dufvenius). There are implications that Henrik and daughter share an incestuous relationship, highlighted by a scene where they lie...in bed together, and another where they share an open-mouthed kiss. This tension and madness is complicated by the death of Anna, Karin’s mother and Henrik’s wife, who had been the functioning glue holding them together and preventing the likelihood of a three-way steel cage death match. With her out of the picture, these three are allowed to let their dysfunctional lights shine. Marianne – for whatever reason, perhaps an unknown feeling of obligation to Anna – gets involved in the proceedings, but soon finds out that people will die the way they live, and there is just no getting through to anyone in the long-term – especially in the moments of their lives depicted here. “Too set in their ways,” is understatement with regards to Johan, Henrik, and Karin. And as is often the case when a well-liked loved one dies, Anna’s absence brings out the worst in everyone.

While film is a visual medium, Saraband does not treat it as such. Its problem has nothing to do with incompetence from Bergman’s direction, nor does it involve inadequate performances from the actors. The central issue at hand is the script’s poor use of dialogue. The words are well-written, but their overall function goes against what film is designed to be, and are better suited for the stage than the screen. I would venture a guess there are more words of speech in this film’s two-hour running time than in a novelist’s entire manuscript. Accompanying the wordiness is the urge for exposition. I understand budget restraints may have prevented the film from showing all it wants to show, but that still doesn’t make the extensive expository dialogue interesting. While this film could be a fantastic play, as a movie, it’s a sluggish viewing experience. Still, I do get the feeling from Bergman this is a deep, personal film, which was made for his own benefit rather than the pleasure of any audience. As such, it succeeds in tackling the issues and emotions Bergman feels at this point in his life, as he draws the curtain on a long, glorious career. But that also illuminates what is, perhaps, the film’s greatest weakness – it’s simply too personal to be interesting.