[Fantasia ’25] ‘The Devil’s Bride’: Bat shit crazy Soviet rock opera

Gorgeously restored by the Lithuanian Film Centre, 1974’s The Devil’s Bride made its North American premiere at Fantasia. Mixing the Bible and Baltic folklore, the Soviet rock opera is a classic story of a farmer trying to make a deal with the devil. After the death of the wife he was given as part of the deal, the farmer realizes his mistake. Can the arrival of a handsome rogue nullify the lustful pact? Or will the farmer’s scheme to outwit the devil prevent him from losing his only daughter?

It is easy to understand when you read it, but it is almost impossible to gather much of this from just watching The Devil’s Bride. The opening makes the most sense. Some angels get too caught up in their revelry and God casts them from Heaven. From there, the film becomes an overpowering mish mash of beautiful imagery, catchy tunes, and a frenetic pace that dares you to try to keep up with it.

The majority of the time spent experiencing The Devil’s Bride is trying to figure out what exactly is going on. The moments involving the farmer’s plan to renege on his agreement are particularly confusing. This is due to the writing which does not fully explain what is going on and the editing which does not allow time for the audience to process what they are seeing.  

It all adds up to a confounding watch. There are some funny moments, but none of it is intentional. It is also not a case of it being a product of its time. The writing and editing seem to be keeping audiences at arm’s length intentionally. The Devil’s Bride is just too erratic to be enjoyable.