Did You Know?
Originally a six-episode TV series: 1. Innocence and Panic; 2. The Art of Covering Up; 3. Paula; 4. Valley of Tears; 5. Illiteracy; 6. In the Middle of the Night in a Dark House Somewhere in the World. A total of 295 minutes were then cut down to 155 minutes.
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According to the interview with Ingmar Bergman, after the original TV mini-series version of the film was broadcast in Sweden, the divorce rate in Sweden increased substantially and the number of married couples who seek marriage consultants also doubled.
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Ingmar Bergman has given options to the actors and crews to choose between receiving salary or percentage share from the TV series profit. Liv Ullmann chose salary since the earlier movie Cries and Whispers of Bergwan was financial failure, while Erland Josephson and other crews chose percentage share. Scenes from a Marriage ended up being internationally popular and financially successful. and according to the interview with Liv Ullmann, this was one of the things she regretted in her life.
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Bergman's original version of this (a six hour TV series) was a huge hit on Swedish television. It was always the director's intent to reach a mass audience but he was staggered by the reaction that it generated. He would find himself frequently accosted in the street by bickering couples, desperate for advice. Eventually, he had to change his phone number to escape from a constant barrage of entreaties.
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Bergman's script for the (shortened) film version has been used for theatrical performances.
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The film was ruled ineligible for Oscar consideration because the longer mini-series version of it had already been telecast in Sweden.
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