Following two characters, Marianne and Johan, the film, in typical Bergman style, examines ontological questions of love, loneliness, being and what it means to be 'fulfilled'. As with all of Bergman's films, 'Scenes From a Marriage' is not simply a narrative about a married couple and their 'ups and downs'. Bergman successfully probes into what it means and feels like to need the love and/or security, validation of another person and the consequences of life-changing decisions.