BATHORY : COUNTESS OF BLOOD
Year : 2008
Director : Juraj Jakubisko
Genre : Horror
Rating : ****
Please bear in mind, that prior to watching this movie, I had to endure 'Stay Alive' (see previous review), which also had a strong Elizabeth Bathory plotline. After the dreadfulness of the movie, I was really hoping that 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood' would improve my bad mood. It did, but it really didn't have a lot to compete with in the first place.
For those who don't know, Elizabeth Bathory was a Hungarian countess, who to keep her youthful good looks, bathed in the blood of virgins. In her lifetime, she is said to have murdered over 650 women, and The Guinness Book Of World Records holds her as the most bloodthirsty woman in human history. After hearing this, I was on the lookout for a movie which would depict this in as a realistic light as possible. I was hoping for a film which would show both her evil and her humane side, and give a valid reason why she slaughtered so many women. Does 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood' succeed in this? Well, unfortunately yes and no.
My main problem with the film is the same problem I have with many English speaking films which are set in a foreign country. If a film is set in a country in which the main characters don't speak the language, then don't make the cast speak in English with a hint of a foreign accent. It makes the dialogue seem stilted and sometimes hard to understand, and makes you realise you are just watching actors pretending to be foreign. Either make the film in the country's mother tongue, or just read the lines as you normally would. Now I know that some of the cast are East European, so their accents are genuine. But when the lead actress is English, doing a not very convincing Hungarian accent, it makes the various accents sound uneven and raggedy.
Another problem is the way the story tries to be scary, but sometimes comically funny. This is especially true when talking about the characters of the 2 monks. At one point, they are talking about the terrible crimes that the characters are committing, and the next, they are going steep hills in metallic, make shift roller skates having a laugh! They are also seen to be caught in compromising situations with ladies throughout various stages of the film. Now I love horror comedies, but I don't think that 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood' is meant to be one. These little vignettes of comedy really disrupt the tone of the movie which actually very dark and foreboding and ultimately, tragic.
Despite all of these problems, there is an awful lot of the movie which is stellar filmaking. First and foremost, the cast is universally superb. 'Pushing Daisies' actress Anna Friel plays Elizabeth Bathory and is electrifying in her portrayal of the murderous Countess. In a film which has a predominately male cast, Friel shines through as the jewel in the crown. This is because, not only she is the main character, but because of the way she plays Bathory as a tragic, almost Shakespearean character. There are scenes where you feel genuine fear for her victims, but also a great sense of sadness for her. This is especially true in the scene where her abusive husband rapes her, and kills her unborn, developing child. These dichotomic scenes really show the true range of Friel's acting ability, and I really hope as a result of 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood', she will rewarded more interesting and challenging parts. The rest of the cast are also brilliant; Karl Roden, Vincent Regan, Hans Matheson, Franco Nero all give first class performances.
The direction of the movie is some of the best I have seen in a long time. The director, Juraj Jakubisko obviously has an eye for riveting visuals and every scene is bathed in gorgeous cinematography and mise en scene. Even the scenes of horrific violence have a perverse beauty about them, and this is the key to why you should watch 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood'. It is a proper film, largely led by it's imagery, colour, lighting and framing. The film is shot in an almost Kubrick style where every little detail of the film is so finely tuned, that you get the feeling that the cast were just standing around waiting for the director to decide on the perfect look of the film. Like great auteurs like Hitchcock, Kubrick and to a lesser extent, Tim Burton, 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood' is directed to within an inch of it's life and it shows throughout.
This film will not be for everyone. There are scenes of bloody violence including beheadings, stabbings and graphic injury, scenes of a graphic sexual nature and also distressing scenes of sexual abuse. There are good reasons why the movie is rated as a 15 certificate. It is also a very long film, and at nearly two and a half hours, it is about 45 minutes too long. However, if you bear with it till the end, you will find an engrossing, sometimes disturbing and very well made film. It may also make you think differently about the legend of Elizabeth Bathory, and whether she was as evil as history depicts her. It's just a shame about the 'comedy' and the extended running time. If it wasn't for that, 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood' would be a brilliant horror epic, and one of the best I would have ever seen.
For those who don't know, Elizabeth Bathory was a Hungarian countess, who to keep her youthful good looks, bathed in the blood of virgins. In her lifetime, she is said to have murdered over 650 women, and The Guinness Book Of World Records holds her as the most bloodthirsty woman in human history. After hearing this, I was on the lookout for a movie which would depict this in as a realistic light as possible. I was hoping for a film which would show both her evil and her humane side, and give a valid reason why she slaughtered so many women. Does 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood' succeed in this? Well, unfortunately yes and no.
My main problem with the film is the same problem I have with many English speaking films which are set in a foreign country. If a film is set in a country in which the main characters don't speak the language, then don't make the cast speak in English with a hint of a foreign accent. It makes the dialogue seem stilted and sometimes hard to understand, and makes you realise you are just watching actors pretending to be foreign. Either make the film in the country's mother tongue, or just read the lines as you normally would. Now I know that some of the cast are East European, so their accents are genuine. But when the lead actress is English, doing a not very convincing Hungarian accent, it makes the various accents sound uneven and raggedy.
Another problem is the way the story tries to be scary, but sometimes comically funny. This is especially true when talking about the characters of the 2 monks. At one point, they are talking about the terrible crimes that the characters are committing, and the next, they are going steep hills in metallic, make shift roller skates having a laugh! They are also seen to be caught in compromising situations with ladies throughout various stages of the film. Now I love horror comedies, but I don't think that 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood' is meant to be one. These little vignettes of comedy really disrupt the tone of the movie which actually very dark and foreboding and ultimately, tragic.
Despite all of these problems, there is an awful lot of the movie which is stellar filmaking. First and foremost, the cast is universally superb. 'Pushing Daisies' actress Anna Friel plays Elizabeth Bathory and is electrifying in her portrayal of the murderous Countess. In a film which has a predominately male cast, Friel shines through as the jewel in the crown. This is because, not only she is the main character, but because of the way she plays Bathory as a tragic, almost Shakespearean character. There are scenes where you feel genuine fear for her victims, but also a great sense of sadness for her. This is especially true in the scene where her abusive husband rapes her, and kills her unborn, developing child. These dichotomic scenes really show the true range of Friel's acting ability, and I really hope as a result of 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood', she will rewarded more interesting and challenging parts. The rest of the cast are also brilliant; Karl Roden, Vincent Regan, Hans Matheson, Franco Nero all give first class performances.
The direction of the movie is some of the best I have seen in a long time. The director, Juraj Jakubisko obviously has an eye for riveting visuals and every scene is bathed in gorgeous cinematography and mise en scene. Even the scenes of horrific violence have a perverse beauty about them, and this is the key to why you should watch 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood'. It is a proper film, largely led by it's imagery, colour, lighting and framing. The film is shot in an almost Kubrick style where every little detail of the film is so finely tuned, that you get the feeling that the cast were just standing around waiting for the director to decide on the perfect look of the film. Like great auteurs like Hitchcock, Kubrick and to a lesser extent, Tim Burton, 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood' is directed to within an inch of it's life and it shows throughout.
This film will not be for everyone. There are scenes of bloody violence including beheadings, stabbings and graphic injury, scenes of a graphic sexual nature and also distressing scenes of sexual abuse. There are good reasons why the movie is rated as a 15 certificate. It is also a very long film, and at nearly two and a half hours, it is about 45 minutes too long. However, if you bear with it till the end, you will find an engrossing, sometimes disturbing and very well made film. It may also make you think differently about the legend of Elizabeth Bathory, and whether she was as evil as history depicts her. It's just a shame about the 'comedy' and the extended running time. If it wasn't for that, 'Bathory : Countess Of Blood' would be a brilliant horror epic, and one of the best I would have ever seen.
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