Tchaikovsky's Wife (Kirill Serebrennikov)

Mad Love

Amir Siadat

Feminist critics may raise concerns regarding the title 'Tchaikovsky's Wife,' emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the main character's individual identity and name within the context of the film. However, the film persuasively conveys Serebrennikov's deliberate choice of a compelling and attention-grabbing title. After watching it, I kept thinking about the figure of the mad lovers of the cinema one by one, and I found myself pondering which character's narrative was infused with such egregious elements as selfishness, self-deception, and ultimate destruction? Among them, who has endured such profound humiliation and degradation? Right from the opening scene, as the corpse wakes up in the mourning hall, we are instantly transported into a forsaken realm, reminiscent of Hades and the underworld. But the flashbacks that follow show that the decline happened much earlier, and the life of this "couple" - who were cheerful and lively before their union - has taken on a mourning color right from the moment of marriage. Through the use of magnificent long takes, the film endeavors to intimately immerse the audience in Antonia's torments and nightmares, a technique reminiscent of the evocative style found in the works of Serebrennikov's cinematic counterparts, akin only to that of László Nemes's Sunset (as if they have learned Sokurov's lessons). The darkness of the scenes, punctuated only by the subtle hues derived from flickering flames of fire and candlelight, plunges the world of Antonina into an inferno. Reflective of the esteemed tradition of great Russian cinematographers, the film's visual aesthetics draw from the realms of painting, seamlessly blending grandeur with a haunting sense of dread. As a result, the film, while drawing in the audience, also has the potential to repel them. In line with the nature of this tumultuous love, the film possesses the ability to both captivate and repulse its audience. In my view, the poster conveys a misleading message, whether intentionally or inadvertently. Those who expected a romantic narrative depicting the life of the renowned composer of Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty may leave the movie theater feeling disillusioned. In Tchaikovsky's Wife the portrayal of the musician's solitude doesn't delve as deeply as anticipated, and his musical compositions are rarely heard throughout the film. The film intends for us to perceive the world through Antonina's perspective, and Tchaikovsky is always out of her reach, even when physically present beside her. I feel that from now on, Tchaikovsky symphonies and operas, even if they do not have different ring to my ears, will inevitably conjure distinct images in my mind.