Silent Wedding. This Romanian film from 2008 tells the story of 1953. March 5th. Stalin has died. A wedding is taking place. Very quietly. The wedding must happen, but it’s a time when the wedding cannot happen.
How so?
Husband and wife must unite at midnight. They must. Nature’s fierce demand! Their little child sleeps in the same bed. So the act must be performed in such a way that the child’s sleep isn’t disturbed. The deed (lovemaking) will happen, but not the sound. Very carefully, silently. The deed is done. Quite successfully too. But toward the end, at the moment of climax, they become a bit careless. The child’s sleep is broken. What was bound to happen, happens. Joy cannot be had without paying its due price.
Let’s return to the wedding. A large room. Several rectangular tables arranged side by side. The wedding feast enters the room. Very cautiously. Cloth is tied beneath the table legs. Wine bottles and glasses are wrapped in fabric. No sound must be made. Food is arranged. The bride and groom sit on one side of the long table. There’s a band too. Guests fill the table. Children are present as well. Deep silence within the room. Dogs barking outside.
Everyone’s heart holds joy, mouths shut, they look at each other. When uncorking bottles and pouring wine into glasses, instead of pouring from above, they tilt the glasses and pour wine along the glass’s rim. To avoid sound. With mouths closed, everyone raises their wine glasses with smiles and toasts. They wish the bride and groom well, but in muffled tones. Those sitting close touch their cloth-wrapped glasses together—no sound. Time to take food. They’re taking it. The sound of spoons and knives echoes throughout the table. The decision comes: let these be put away. Everyone will pick up food with their hands. Someone carelessly drops their spoon into the plate while returning it. Sound occurs, they’re cautioned.
Everyone is eating. Everyone at the table, everyone outside the table. The band, the children. No sound exists that could escape the room. Suddenly, a tapping noise. Everyone wonders—from where? The girl’s father discovers an old man has absent-mindedly kept a spoon in hand and unconsciously strikes the table leg with it, the way we unknowingly tap our feet! Eating continues. Sound again! Everyone’s gaze turns to one man. He’s making sound. Such sound that’s hard to stop. He composes himself somewhat. A few moments. He can’t manage. Sound is emerging. Everyone looks that way with frightened eyes. Not embarrassed—frightened. This dangerous tune begins continuously emerging. Unstoppable sound. Seeing no other way to stop the sound, the girl’s father uncorks a wine bottle and extends the cork toward the man, hoping to stuff the cork into the sound-emitting orifice and block the sound. The scene is funny, but looking at everyone’s eyes, the moment’s silence rather causes distress.
Dogs are howling outside. The girl’s father peeks out once to see if that sound has gone outside, if anyone has come outside the room. Meanwhile, the man expels all internal wind-sound completely and smiles with satisfaction. He’s not embarrassed—elated. Everyone seems to breathe relief. Eating begins again. The girl’s father gestures for the band to play. One woman in the group mistakenly actually plays her accordion. Everyone looks at her and reminds her—don’t play, pretend to play. There will be joy while playing, hands will move on instruments, but in such a way that no sound emerges. It continues that way.
Suddenly one of them burps and the children laugh aloud. They’re cautioned. Quiet! Eating continues, the band is playing. Joy exists, sound doesn’t. Children’s mouths are tied with handkerchiefs in case they accidentally make sound. People eat, lick fingers. Silently. Meanwhile, the groom lifts the bride’s skirt and slips his left hand into the fold of her leg. As the hand moves slightly up, naturally the bride becomes a bit excited and makes a sound. Everyone looks that way with anxious eyes. Even the band’s eyes show concern. What happened? The groom laughs with his mouth covered. Everyone laughs, the bride laughs too. Someone wants to laugh loudly, breaking that graveyard silence. That absent-minded old man who was making sound with the spoon. He’s stopped. You can laugh heartily, but without sound. Everyone’s doing just that.
Suddenly! A fly! From somewhere it flies in and enters the room. Buzz buzz buzz buzz. Flying overhead. Everyone looks up. The fly flies this way, everyone’s heads turn this way. The fly flies that way, everyone’s heads turn that way. The fly runs, heads full of table run. The fly dances up and down, heads dance in the same rhythm. The fly suddenly lands. On a balding head. The man sitting opposite delivers a smack and finishes off the fly. Having slapped his friend’s head, the man beside him also slapped his own head. The girl’s father handles the situation as usual.
Everyone quiet. The wall clock’s bird suddenly pokes its head out and calls. The girl’s father grabs the bird’s beak. No sound. A couple sat directly opposite the bride and groom. The man took out some money from his wife’s bosom fold. That money is a wedding gift. Everyone clapped with joy. Silently. Others also brought out gift money. All money was collected and placed on the bride’s chair, the bride sat on the pile of money. Then she appeared taller than the groom. Money lifts people from low to high.
Another round of cheers! Drinking continues. 3 AM. Sound comes from somewhere. The sound of a door opening. Everyone alert! It’s understood the sound is happening somewhere outside the room. Everyone relaxed. Now a funny incident occurred. The groom stood and gestured toward someone on the other side of the table, saying something. The man didn’t understand. Through gestures he said, whisper to the person beside you, they’ll tell the person beside them. The whisper progresses. Remember that absent-minded old man I mentioned? When his wife whispered in his ear, he half-understood or didn’t understand at all and passed his own version to the next person’s ear. Until the whisper reached the old man’s ear, everyone’s expressions showed it wasn’t a funny matter. Yet going from one ear to another, the original message changed several times and became something that reached the bride’s ear that the groom never said. This is how rumors spread. Those who have heads take rumors through heads; those who have no heads, only ears, take rumors through ears. Whatever the case, silent floods of laughter began flowing around the table again.
Suddenly!! Whistle! The sound of horse hooves. Some people shouting. Everyone’s eyes and ears turn that way. No, they’ve gone. No fear. The band is gestured to—play! They’re playing, singing. No sound. The groom takes the bride’s hand and lifts her. They’re dancing, everyone’s clapping, the band isn’t sitting idle either. Now sound occurs in the room—of shoes. Children stare fixedly, mouths tied with handkerchiefs, their eyes like dead fish eyes, expressionless. At one point during the dance, the bride’s mood somehow turns sad. Freeing herself from the groom’s hand, she sits down heavily on the pile of money with melancholy eyes. Some money falls to the floor. Everyone looks at the bride with anxious eyes.
Lightning flashes in the sky outside. Thunder sounds. A couple fearfully cross themselves. The bride’s mood is bad, everyone’s mood is bad. Rain begins. Heavy rain sounds outside. Sharp calls of lightning. In anger and resentment, the bride’s father strikes the table hard with his broad palm. Breaking the suppressed silence, he shouts, play music, celebrate, this is your night! Music plays, everyone leaves their chairs and stands, the dam of joy bursts, whistles blow, everyone dances in circles, sings, no more restrictions, eat, give, celebrate! Jubilation!
Sudden trembling! Jesus shakes, light shakes. The room’s walls shake. The wall clock falls off. Items on shelves fall one by one. The whole room shakes! Dust falls from the cracking ceiling. The room is collapsing. Soldiers burst through the walls. They’re beating everyone in the room mercilessly, no one spared—young or old. Blood, screams! A gunshot! The bride’s father is shot. Dead within moments. Until death, he tried to wipe away blood stains—they wouldn’t come off, they spread. Money scattered on the floor. Scattered, helpless wealth! Some soldiers loot the food. Except for women and one child, they take everyone. A boy with wings attached to his back was running away. Their leader arranged with one bullet for him to fly in the sky for the rest of his life. Darkness slips away, light emerges, the bride stares motionlessly at the path of the departing truck. No dreams in her chest, only blood.
The above scene is this film’s invaluable treasure. This film is much more a musical drama than cinema. Watching it feels like people dancing on stage with background music. ‘Silent Wedding’ is simultaneously romantic comedy, political drama, and paranormal quest. All the innocence, happiness, dreams of a small village vanished in an instant through a silent wedding. The film’s director is primarily a theater creator and cartoonist. Perhaps that’s why this film has theatrical flavor in full measure, the approach to presenting life in cartoon fantasy is notable. This film gives the taste of light, smears the sorrow of darkness.