Since about 1970 (without much variance), half of the marriages in the U.S. have ended in divorce. It comes as no surprise, then, that filmmakers routinely return to explore the fundamental dynamics that make marriages work; or, as in so many cases, fail. Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story (2019) is a recent example that explores the raw emotions and deep tensions of a couple bound for divorce. Chris Hansen’s new release Seven Short Films About (Our) Marriage operates in this same space, exploring in seven snapshots the subtle dynamics at work in the relationship between Madison (“Maddie”) and Noah, a young inter-racial couple who meet in college and marry shortly after graduation.
From the opening frame, Hansen doesn’t let the viewer fall back on the “happily ever after” marital narrative, introducing “imperfection” and racial tension into the moments before the wedding. As the building sign in the opening shot indicates, we are on “uncommon grounds,” indeed. Our lovers, however, overcome these obstacles in a forthright and beautifully construed scene that grasps the subtle combination of profound commitment and naïveté essential to young love.
As we move through successive “short films,” Maddie and Noah face common struggles of married couples in the modern world – tight budgets, balancing work and marriage, finding a balance between mutuality and personal ambition, and the always vital but risky need for emotional honestly – along with extraordinary suffering that would shake the foundation of any marriage. As Hansen weaves this emotionally complex story we are moved through cycles of intimacy and abandonment. The height of intimacy comes in a brilliantly edited and gorgeously filmed scene where Maddie and Noah simultaneously tell their story to different people. It is the cycle of abandonment, however, that is the overture of this narrative, as our lovers alienate themselves from one another subtly over time, and then more overtly – a common theme in so many marriages, and divorces.
The final scene of the film brings us back around to the beginning as the viewers and the characters hope for one final kindling of the flame that brought them together. It is only in the safety of signed documents that the characters can put long and deeply held resentments into words in honest, loving ways that once again unveils the genuine affection they have for one another. The film leaves the viewer to wonder about our lovers, but more importantly, invites introspection and adds to the broader cultural conversation about marriage in modern society.
As a filmmaker, Hansen has a unique ability to guide his audiences into difficult emotional territory and then unwaveringly sustain. His previous films, Where We Started (2013) and Blur Circle (2016) each follow his characters into scenarios where they are forced to confront their deepest inner realities. By cautiously meditating on the internal worlds of his characters, Hansen gives his characters and his viewers time and space to peel away their protective layers to arrive at a point of personal honesty and, ultimately, wholeness. Seven Short Films does not disappoint in this regard, as we pursue Madison and Noah on a journey into the deepest places in our hearts and souls, baring forth both light and darkness when it comes to our most intimate human relationships.
Seven Short Films is a superb piece of filmmaking that one should not approach lightly and be committed to staying with no matter how tough the emotional road becomes – which is not unlike the calling, joy, and challenge of marriage.