“Wedding Night Blues” Review: A Daring Take on  Marital Travail

Love, trust, and communication are proven qualities of a durable marriage. When these are compromised, it is only a matter of time before a union hits the rock. Wedding Night Blues, a romantic drama produced by Diche Enunwa and directed by Temitope Bolade-Akinbode, dramatizes the importance of these qualities through the push and pull between newlyweds, Nosa Ezekiel (Uzor Arukwe) and Wonuola (Uche Montana).

Nosa and Wonuola have just married after dating for two years without having sex. Days into their marriage, their union is threatened by new secrets. Nosa remains sexually attached to Vera (Chy Nwakanma), a lady with whom he has been cheating on his fiancee-turned-wife and satisfying his sadomasochistic fantasies. Wonuola discovers she is pregnant with her ex-boyfriend, Fred (Tochi Akparanta), who had raped her shortly before she got married to Nosa. As their love is tested, the couple must decide between saving their marriage or parting ways. Fortunately for them, with the help of a counselor(Okey Uzoeshi), and with support from friends Kunle (Kamil Audu) and Chioma (Dirichi Bright), they settle their differences.

The film proves love alone cannot keep a relationship alive. This is where trust and communication come in, as Wedding Night Blues does a decent job of rationalizing and amplifying this belief. Despite their genuine affection for each other, Nosa and Wonuola find it difficult to trust each other after their secrets are known. This feeling of mistrust deteriorates into a breakdown in communication as Nosa leaves his matrimonial home and avoids talking to his wife for a while. Nosa himself is probably more guilty than his wife, yet, until the intervention of the counselor, he is reluctant to listen to her rape story which caused the pregnancy. But then, a more open attitude towards communication is the key to rediscovery and revitalization as the couple realizes where they erred and gets a real chance to fight to protect their marriage. 

Forbes observes there is a constant decrease in divorce rates, with the average length of marriage before divorce pegged at eight years. But then, in patriarchal societies like Nigeria, there is an imbalance in how males and females are judged and how they would react to marital infidelity. We see this when Wonuola takes the first step to make up with her husband. Meanwhile, Nosa struggles to accept his wife’s pregnancy for another man and physically assaults the counselor, mistaking him for his wife’s lover. 

During a counseling session, Nosa opens up about his sexual history as a sadomasochist. Nosa recalls that his mother’s friend, a dominatrix, had sexually assaulted him when he was a minor. A similar detail is evident in the American erotic fantasy drama, 50 Shades of Grey, where Anastasia, who likes to play dominatrix, sometimes endures the discomfort of Christian’s pain-inducing BDSM obsession. Nosa’s abuse sends him on a path of sadomasochistic relationships. And it’s why he doubts that conventional copulation with his wife will be satisfying. One thing the film achieves in its flip through Nosa’s past and insecurities is the oft-trivialized reality of male-targeted sexual abuse.

Wedding Night Blues focuses on its simple story without appearing to be concerned about any unique style or lasting impression. Scenes unfold with no more actions and characters than are required. While the dialogues are not impressive, they are supported with non-verbal cues that corroborate the mostly pensive atmosphere. Uche Montana makes her character desirable with the constant worrisome visage, while Uzor Arukwe often incorporates bottled-up anger and masculine ego in his character. But the film is so indiscreet from the start that the audience can second-guess what happens next. For instance, the couple’s reluctance to copulate after their wedding already tells us all isn’t well. Perhaps, in a society like Nigeria where dysfunctional relationships are rife but underreported, the film serves as a provisional cinematic manual for spouses and other couples in such tumultuous relationships.