Story Structure — 3 Plot Phases
Cracks in the Facade
The marriage between Anna and Andrew begins to show signs of strain as Anna starts her secret affair with Ellis.
Key Events
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Marital Tension — Anna and Andrew's marriage shows signs of strain Characters: Anna Firth, Andrew Firth
Location: Home
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Secret Meeting — Anna meets Ellis secretly Characters: Anna Firth, Ellis Anderson
Location: Café
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Confession to Friend — Andrew confides in Katherine about marital problems Characters: Andrew Firth, Katherine
Location: Garden
Truth Revealed
The affair is discovered, leading to confrontations and forcing the characters to face the consequences of their actions.
Key Events
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Affair Discovered — Katherine discovers Anna and Ellis's affair Characters: Katherine, Ellis Anderson
Location: Town
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Confrontation — Andrew confronts Anna about the affair Characters: Andrew Firth, Anna Firth
Location: Home
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Family Intervention — Anna's father tries to mediate the conflict Characters: Anna's father, Anna Firth, Andrew Firth
Location: Father's House
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Decision Point — Anna must choose between Andrew and Ellis Characters: Anna Firth, Ellis Anderson
Location: Park
Crossroads
Anna must make a life-altering decision that will affect everyone involved, leading to the film's resolution.
Key Events
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Final Confrontation — All three characters face the truth together Characters: Andrew Firth, Anna Firth, Ellis Anderson
Location: Home
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Resolution — Anna and Andrew decide their future Characters: Anna Firth, Andrew Firth
Location: Home
Ingmar Bergman play looking at the cool and brittle relationship between a successful architect (Frank Finlay) and his academic wife (Gemma Jones). Commissioned by the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation on behalf of European members participating in ‘The Largest Theatre in the World’. This, the Radio Times explained, was ‘a project which enabled a play to be broadcast simultaneously in several languages across Europe.’ This UK Play For Today version was directed by Alan Bridges, whilst an American version was put out on CBS, directed by Alex Segal
