Hi
on another post on this board, I learned that the title "Trolösa" really means "Faithless", not "Unfaithful" (which would be the swedish "Otrogen, or a variation, like otrogenhet").
but the story of the movie is about unfaithful people.
Faith is not mentioned anywhere...
So, can anybody answer the question of why could this title be "Faithless"?
Thank you!
SPOILERS WARNING
The title "Faithless" is apt because the characters did not have faith in themselves and in their relationships.
Marianne, despite the fact that she loves her daughter Isabelle and her husband Markus with whom she enjoys a good sex life, lacks the faith to remain committed to her family and follows David to Paris to start a love affair. When David leaves her, she doesn't have enough faith in herself to survive and drowns.
Markus, who has not been faithful to Marianne, loses the faith in himself when he is abandoned and commits suicide.
David seeks solace in Marianne when he is miserable after his second marriage fails, but he neither does have faith in her nor in the relationship and soon leaves her.
Also, although the three of them love the child Isabelle, they lack the faith that would give them the strength and courage to transcend their emotional entanglements and turmoil to be a true parent to her.
Thank you for such a thoughtful reply.
I do see your line of reasoning, and it makes sense, and I'm sure what you see is there in the movie, at least partially, at least in some sense.
But I must say the movie never seems to be using that narrative... there is no talk about self-confidence, confidence in relationships... either it's just entirely muted out of the dialogue, or "Faithless" might mean something else...
I have, of course, wondered about religious faith, about whether Bergman is just trying to show that these people acted in a "Faithless" way, irreligious way. It seems they act without any sort of expectation of retribution of good or evil in the afterlife. But this is also muted in the dialogue, there is no talk of God...
I am impressed by this answer in Roger Ebert's interview to Liv Ullman:
Ebert: When I saw this film I was reminded of the sacrament of confession.
Ullmann: I'm sure that's what Ingmar wanted although he would never say those words. But I would say those words. This time we are living in doesn't have many values. It's easy to do short little steps in other directions, because who cares?
Notice how strongly she states it: "I'm sure that's what Ingmar wanted". It may be clear to her, but it's not clear to me! :-)
Whatever it is, it's quite subtle. Bergman-subtle.
PS - one of your sentences I will keep for my analysis of this movie: "the three of them love the child Isabelle". That's very well spotted. Usually we don't see the adulterous lover relationship with the couple's kids; at least not until after the divorce. Here Bergman wants to show it, and show it as a positive thing. Everybody loves the kid, but everybody mistreats her just the same...