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 Arūnas Žebriūnas’ 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 heavenly mountains, adored by angelic hosts in white robes and wings. 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 Pinčiukas (Gediminas Girdvainis) who is booted out of Heaven and drops into a frog pond owned by farmer Baltaragis (Vasilijus Simčičius). Quick as you can say “The Devil and Daniel Webster,” Pinčiukas promises him the hand of his beautiful blonde love Marcelė (Vaiva Mainelytė) in exchange for their as-yet unborn daughter Jurga (also played by Mainelytė as an adult), and wicked complications ensue over the years. Based on the book Whitehorn’s Windmill by Kazys Boruta with music by Viačeslavas Ganelinas and utterly stunning, crystal-pure cinematography by Algimantas Mockus, 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 Pinčiukas 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. In Lithuanian with English subtitles.

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Video Quality

The Devil’s Bride debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a restoration by the Lithuanian Film Centre. Deaf Crocodile has set a high standard with their releases, and this title does not break the streak. The sumptuous photography captures the locations with great care in high definition as natural grain remains intact and flawlessly resolved. There is a stunning amount of detail present with exceptional textures on the costumes, within the landscapes, and throughout the rustic production design. The new transfer reveals a great amount of depth in the environment. Colors are naturally saturated for a beautiful viewing experience. Black levels are deep with no signs of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is balanced without blooming, and there is no print damage of note thanks to the restoration efforts. Deaf Crocodile has come through for fans on this one.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a strong DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track in the original Lithuanian (with optional English subtitles). When you are dealing with a rock opera, the sound quality is of the utmost importance, and Deaf Crocodile has ensured that there are no obvious shortcomings. Every tune radiates from the speakers with a confident fidelity. There is no traditional dialogue, but the lyrics come through clearly without the music dominating everything in its path. The film employs some unique sound effects, such as the splashing of water, that are given the appropriate presence to thrive within the mix. This track presents everything convincingly with exquisite fidelity and without damage or other unwanted issues. Deaf Crocodile has treated this very well.

Special Features

The Deluxe Edition Blu-Ray of The Devil’s Bride arrives in a hard slipcase package that is a beauty in person. The release also includes a 60-page bound book featuring new essays by film critic and author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and film critic and author Walter Chaw, along with rare production artwork and photos. All of this provides great insight into the film, the themes, the creatives, and the behind-the-scenes details in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Film historian Michael Brooke provides an engaging and informative commentary track in which he provides rich context and analysis to help understand the film on a deeper level. There are great details about the likeliest reason why the main character has red hair, the odd flourishes of production design, how this fits into Lithuanian cinema, and much more.

The One Who Carries A Tune – Rock ‘n Roll Sessions and The Devil’s Bride: A 14-minute visual essay from Dr. Will Dodson and Ryan Verrill of Someone’s Favorite Productions that delves into literary censorship, the relationship between Lithuanian cinema and Soviet ideals, how this film compares to other works from Arūnas Žebriūnas, the themes of the narrative, and more.

Interview with Director Arūnas Žebriūnas’ Daughter Monika Edgar: A new 55-minute interview with the daughter of the filmmaker in which she discusses the background of her father, his career as a whole, the impact of Soviet censorship, the collaborative process of creating a musical, the legacy of the film, and more.

Interview with Lithuanian Film Critic Ieva Šukytė: A new 54-minute interview with the film critic and film programmer in which she discusses her background, impactful films on her life, how Lithuanian cinema fared during Soviet times, the work of Arūnas Žebriūnas, the enduring popularity of the film, and more.

Final Thoughts

The Devil’s Bride is a cinematic experience that is unquestionably unique from the opening spiritual rejoicing to the closing notes of the journey. The music does not stop flowing as you tumble deeper down the rabbit hole filled with folklore, longing, redemption, and more. The attention to craft and storytelling is rewarding as you attempt to soak up everything this movie has to offer on your first viewing. That is not entirely realistic, though, as this is a movie that has a lot to reveal with repeat viewings. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray which boasts a knockout A/V presentation and a valuable assortment of special features. If you have an adventurous spirit and want something that feels fresh and alive on your screen, give this a shot. Recommended

The Devil’s Bride is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Deluxe Edition Slipcase exclusively through Deaf Crocodile and DiabolikDVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.