BasedonanunknownSchönbergoperafrom1929,FromTodayUntilTomorrowexploresonenightinanot-quitelovelessmarriage.Ahusbandandwifereturnfromapartywhereshehasflirtedwithanotherman,whilehehascastanappraisingeyetowardanattractive,fashionablydressedacquaintanceofhiswife’s.Thougheachdreams,briefly,ofleavingthemarriagefortheexcitementandmysteryofanewlover,intheendtheydecidestabilityandcomfortaremoreimportantthanthefleetingthrillofnewromance.DirectorsJean-MarieStraubandDanièleHuillet,whopreviouslycollaboratedontwootherfilmsaboutmusic(TheChronicleofAnnaMagdalenaBach,1968,andMosesandAaron,1975),relyonlongfixedshotsinaustereblack-and-whitesothatthefocusremainsonthemusicalbrillianceofSchönberg’satonalscore,performedhereby70musicians.ThatSchönbergwouldchoosesucharelativelylightheartedmessageforhisnewlydiscoveredmusicallanguageremainsamystery,especiallysincetheconclusionreachedbythehusbandandwife—tostickwiththetriedandtrue—seemsdirectlyatoddswithSchönberg’sownphilosophyofcomposing.Itisjustthisjuxtaposition,however,coupledwithStraubandHuillet’sfaithfulpresentation,thatmakestheoperaacompellingadditiontotheSchönbergcanon—andthefilmsuchachallengingandintriguingexperience.
