Fidelity (Vernost) is a 2019 Russian erotic drama film by Nigina Sayfullaeva. This film marks her entry into the world of psychological storytelling. It centers around modern urban life where intimacy is hard to find. The narrative focuses on desire, betrayal, self-worth and autonomy, making for an engaging watch.
Driven by a compelling and fearless performance by Evgeniya Gromova, Fidelity defies social norms by exploring the depths of a longing woman.
Plot Overview:
Lena is a 30-year-old gynecologist living on the coast of a Russian city. She works alongside her husband, Sergey, who is an actor. On the surface, their lives seem to be perfect. However, she feels trapped in the marriage. Lenas’ emotional detachment combined with physical intimacy issues leads to her developing negative suspicions regarding her husband.
Instead of tackling the issue head-on, Lena opts for a bunch of passive aggressive routes. In this case, she begins to sleep with strangers as an alternative to seeking out revenge. What starts as a form of escape turns into obsessive thrill-seeking. This leads to a double life that mixes secrecy with self-motivation.
As for now, the question remains: In what way does Lena indulge herself in self-care, and in what way is she using escapism to conceal the truth about what she desires the most?
Character Descriptions
Lena (Evgeniya Gromova): A quiet person who is highly intelligent. While academically inclined, she is emotionally repressed. Beneath her calm demeanor lies a tumultuous world filled with intense feelings of longing, deep insecurity, and even intense curiosity. It is clear that even the surface of Lena hints at a degree of yearning which requires some independent exploration – her journey is not just sexual; it is a rebellion against numbness.
Sergey (Aleksandr Pal): Lena’s cold and aloof husband, completely consumed in his acting. Whether he’s cuckolding her is unclear; what is more significant is what his emotional isolation means to Lena’s perception of his distance.
Ivan (Aleksey Agranovich): A colleague, whom adds to Lena’s already existent psychological chaos with the emotional support she requires and clashes of flirtation, which evermore contort her view on reality.
Random Strangers: Many of Lena’s lovers are nameless; their emblems, too, suggest a detachment from intimate relationships which underlines the dehumanization and impersonality nature of her escapist lifestyle.
Themes and Style
Female Sexual Agency: The lens of sexual expression as well is eroticism is pivoted towards the woman eye, exemplified through the lens of women – Lena’s actions transcend mere enjoyment, they are acts of self-possession.
Infidelity as Identity Crisis: Existentially searching for feelings to make her life less still, Lena seems to escape through her affairs, which rather than serving as a reaction to betrayal, grant her the liberty, even if not physically, to indulge in escape through life-sapping illusions.
Desire vs. Intimacy: Fidelity deeply erases the dividing border of emotional starvation and the physical form of satisfaction.
Silence and Stillness: The film captures Lena’s internal silence through its muted aesthetic and slow pacing, only to be disrupted by fleeting moments of extravagant sensuality.
Director Sayfullaeva remains contemplative and sparse with dialogue, combining enduring stares with intimate touch that borders on voyeurism. The erotic scenes are bold yet tender, portraying Lena’s life in the most humane manner possible.
Conclusion
Fidelity is not defined by sex; rather, it describes what sex becomes when love is absent and how a female figure relinquishes control over her mind and body within the constraints of her life.