Scenes From a Marriage: Ingmar Bergman's Remake Starring Oscar Isaac & Jessica Chastain

'Scenes From a Marriage' is the American version of Ingmar Bergman's Swedish miniseries of the same name. It's a five-episode show covering ten years of marital life. But not from the beginning, as the couple has a four-year-old daughter, and they are in their early forties.
(Note: Spoilers ahead for the first two episodes.)

Scenes From a Marriage (2021)
Genres: Drama
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Oscar Isaac

Scenes From a Marriage Aesthetic Poster
Image: HBO Max

Innocence and Panic
Our couple is Mira (Jessica Chastain) and Jonathan (Oscar Isaac). Mira is the family breadwinner, and Jonathan mostly takes care of the household after his academic work. The prologue follows a revisit of the last 10 years of their married life and the elements of their successful marriage through an interview by a Ph.D. aspirant (Sunita Mani). Mira seemed ostentatious about their successful marriage, but Jonathan was somewhat self-centered and didn't notice her feelings.

The dinner table scene with the polygamous couple, Peter (Corey Stoll) & Kate (Nicole Beharie), is about to play a significant role in the life of our couple.
The surprise of the pregnancy and the sudden abortion were quite unexpected. It appears that they have lost the spark between them.

Poli
This episode occurs after 8 months of the abortion. That incident seems to have created a deep rift between the two. Then one day, Mira grudgingly confessed that she loves someone else and wants a divorce. After hearing this, Jonathan was completely speechless and didn't know how to react. He looked tranquil, but there was a storm inside him. Yet he was trying his best to stop Mira, but Mira's burden of shame and guilt didn't let her stay. Mira's decision was completely selfish.

Peter and Kate both knew about Mira's affair yet kept Jonathan in the dark. They could have saved Mira and Jonathan's marriage, but they didn't. I think Kate indirectly inspired Mira to do so, as Mira gave an absurd excuse of not having "passion" in their married life.

The argument scene was relatable. If you have been in a relationship or are married, then that scene strikes deep. The pilot episode was uneventful, but this episode is tear-jerking. Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain are a perfect duo to justify Bergman's remake.

Scenes From a Marriage (2021) Official Trailer 

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