If Liv Ullman were a rock album she’d be Exile on Main St; she’s perfect. Liv Ullman has the ability to express an essay’s worth of emotion with one twitch of her lip. Her performance here is just about the greatest film performance I have ever seen. Full stop. To answer a question — yes, I did watch the full 5 hour version. No, I did not do it in one go (it was intended to be seen in six episodes, six scenes if you will) over a period of time. Plus, it would’ve been too painful to do it all in one go. This is a microscopic epic. Basically a two person play on a bland set, it is remarkable that not once does this get dull. During the 2004 election, some wonks kept repeating that John Kerry “understood nuance.” This is all about nuance. No one is all good, no one is all bad. Throughout much of the story (glimpses over years of a troubled relationship) your allegiance is with Ms. Ullman. . .but then she’ll go and do something so exasperating you just throw up your arms. I recommend this movie to anyone secure in their own relationship; it is said to have been responsible for a tremendous rise in divorce all through Scandinavia.