The Devil's Bride

Lithuanian director Ar?nas Žebri?nas's cult 1974 rock opera is a mashup of TOMMY, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and THE WICKER MAN

Imagine a wildly surreal early 1970s Lithuanian rock opera directed by Ken Russell circa TOMMY that is equal parts JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (wailing guitar-heavy ballads, religious theme), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (rural village setting) and THE WICKER MAN / BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW (folklore / folk magic), and you have some idea of the elemental strangeness and beauty of director Ar?nas Žebri?nas' THE DEVIL'S BRIDE. The film opens with one of our favorite musical sequences ever: a long-haired flower child God sits on his throne in the truly heavenly mountains, adored by angelic hosts. Suddenly the guitars kick in, the angels throw off their robes revealing orange Mod dresses and bowler hats, and the party descends into a choreographed pansexual orgy like nothing you've ever seen. An incredibly ambitious sung-through musical ala THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (where the entire story is performed in song without traditional dialogue), the story revolves around a devil named Pin?iukas (Gediminas Girdvainis) who is booted out of Heaven and drops into a frog pond owned by farmer Baltaragis (Vasilijus Sim?i?ius). Quick as you can say "The Devil and Daniel Webster," Pin?iukas promises him the hand of his beautiful blonde love Marcel? (Vaiva Mainelyt?) in exchange for their as-yet unborn daughter Jurga (also played by Mainelyt?), and wicked complications ensue. The film is interlaced with Lithuanian folklore and surreal images: legions of female devils riding bareback on horses; a black carriage drawn by a team of devils disappearing into the waters of a lake; rituals of mistletoe roots and rowan berries and straw men. In a wild twist, the devil Pin?iukas winds up being one of the most sympathetic characters, doomed to live on earth while he longs to return to Heaven. A beloved cult hit in Lithuania and a major rediscovery for fans of film musicals, THE DEVIL'S BRIDE has been beautifully restored by the Lithuanian Film Centre for its first-ever U.S. release by Deaf Crocodile.

Bonus Materials

• New video interview with Monika Edgar, director Ar?nas Žebri?nas’ daughter, about her father’s career and the making of THE DEVIL’S BRIDE
• New video interview with Lithuanian film critic Ieva Šukyt? about the history of Lithuanian cinema and THE DEVIL’S BRIDE
• New visual essay by Dr. Will Dodson and Ryan Verrill of Someone's Favorite Productions
• 1st ever U.S. Blu-ray release, newly restored by the Lithuanian Film Centre
• Blu-ray authoring by David Mackenzie of Fidelity In Motion.

Cast & Crew

Actors:

• Vaiva Mainelyt?
• Vasilijus Sim?i?ius
• Gediminas Girdvainis

Director: Ar?nas Žebri?nas