One may believe that Hagai Levi’s remake of Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 classic Scenes from a Marriage might have fallen flat in addressing the complexities in marital relationships – unlike the original masterpiece – but the five-episode drama has most certainly complicated the relationship between the two leading casting members.
We are of course talking about the two protagonists, played by Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac. The former, in her interview with Vanity Fair, admitted how playing an emotionally volatile character in the series made it hard for her to maintain her friendship with her co-star and close friend.
“I mean, Scenes From a Marriage was very tough. And I love Oscar, but the reality is, our friendship has never quite been the same. We’re going to be okay, but after that, I was like, I need a little bit of a breather. There was so much “I love you, I hate you” in that series. But there’s so much joy in what I get to do. There’s a lot of catharsis. I feel like I have the best job in the world because I get to have these experiences. They’re so out of this world and feel like they’re mine. But then I live a very quiet life. I don’t have to have these tortured things in my life. I play them and I experience them, and then I come home and I live quietly and peacefully.”
In the show, Chastain plays Mira, who after admitting to her unhappiness (and infidelity) to Jonathan (Oscar Isaac), causes a rift in their marriage.
The series attempted to address weighty themes like marital troubles, the fragility of monogamy, infidelities, and emotional complications, and devoted a substantial amount of screentime to Isaac and Chastain. Throughout the run, we see the couple engage in intense disagreements and bitter arguments.
Even with an engaging storyline, and outstanding performances, the broader themes and plot beats are bound to induce strong reactions, and one only needs to be in Chastain’s shoes to understand what she was going through.
