Gertrud

In a frank confrontation, Gertrud tells her husband that he has become more in love with his career and status than with her. She reveals that she has met a man who loves her more than anything and that she wants a divorce to pursue that love. The moment sets the direction of the story and shows her willingness to break with convention.

Gertrud encounters the young pianist Erland Jansson in a park and they share a powerful, immediate affinity. They talk about devotion and the possibility of a life together. The meeting marks the start of a new romantic path for Gertrud.

The two lovers depart the park and go to Jansson's house, where Gertrud expresses unwavering devotion to him. She envisions a life defined by love rather than social standing. This visit solidifies her commitment to leaving her husband behind.

Gustav goes to the opera to fetch Gertrud, but she has vanished and he cannot locate her. The inability to find her heightens the sense of an impending separation. The moment foreshadows the long estrangement to come.

Gustav and Gertrud attend a dinner hosted by the poet Gabriel Lidman, where past relationships and social ambitions surface beneath polite conversation. The party becomes a backdrop for exposing Gertrud's exit from marriage. Tensions simmer as old loyalties clash with new desires.

At the gathering, Gustav confronts Gertrud about the opera and insists on spending one final night with her before their separation. He clings to the possibility of reconciliation despite mounting cultural and personal obstacles. The moment intensifies their emotional stake in the impending split.

Lidman recounts that he once met Jansson at a party and boasted about Gertrud as his latest conquest. The admission exposes cynical undercurrents in their social circle. It underscores how Gertrud's choices are weighed within old power dynamics.

The next day, Gertrud meets with Jansson again and tells him she wants to leave everything behind and run away with him. Her resolve is clear despite the obstacles ahead. The plan signals a radical break from marriage and societal expectations.

Jansson explains that he cannot leave because he is expecting a child with another woman. The revelation ends Gertrud's immediate escape plan and forces her to reconsider her future. It marks a pivotal turn toward solitary independence.

Lidman makes a final attempt to persuade Gertrud to leave with him, suggesting she could keep her lover as part of the arrangement. The idea reveals the compromises of the era and Gertrud's refusal to settle for a convenient compromise. The moment deepens the sense of personal integrity in her choice.

Kanning makes a last plea for Gertrud to remain with him, even indicating that he would tolerate her relationship with Jansson. Gertrud's stance remains firm, and she refuses to compromise on love. The tension builds toward her ultimate departure.

After the failed attempts to reconcile, Gertrud leaves Stockholm and moves alone to Paris to study psychology. The relocation marks a new chapter focused on self-discovery rather than romance. The distance signals both loss and independence as she chooses her own path.

Three decades later, Gertrud, now with Nygren, looks back on her life and the outcomes of her choices. The reflection reframes the story as a meditation on the primacy of love. The pairing with Nygren provides companionship in contrast to earlier isolation.

In her final moment of reflection, Gertrud states that love is the only thing that means anything in life. She acknowledges being alone as a consequence of her refusal to compromise, but she does not regret her path. The film ends with a quiet affirmation of personal fidelity to love as the ultimate measure of a life well lived.