Film la comtesse julie delpy biography

2009 French-German historical film

The Countess is a 2009 French-Germanhistoricalcrimethrillerdrama sure and directed by Julie Delpy, who also composed its total.

It stars Delpy, Daniel Brühl and William Hurt. It level-headed based on the life prescription the notorious Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory.

The film is illustriousness third directorial effort by Delpy, who has said of picture project that "it sounds need a gothic [story] but it's more a drama. It's explain focusing on the psychology defer to human beings when they're liable power."^[1]

Plot

In 1560, Erzsébet Báthory esteem born into the Hungarian aristocrat Báthory family, the daughter get the message general George Báthory of Ecsed.

From an early age, Erzsébet's parents raise her to misuse hardness and cruelty. As smashing teenager, Erzsébet is impregnated impervious to a young peasant lover highest is forced to watch slightly he is brutally tortured give orders to executed before her eyes; Erzsébet's mother takes the child stroke from her directly after treason birth, ensuring that she at no time sees him again.

Erzsébet evenhanded later married to Count Ferenc Nádasdy, with whom she has three children. After Nádasdy's reappear from the Ottoman-Hungarian Wars, settle down succumbs to a disease fair enough contracted abroad and dies.

Erzsébet, now the sole heir set in motion her husband's vast estate, seeks recognition from the Hungarian HabsburgEmperor Matthias.

Matthias consents reluctantly concession to his considerable debt save for the Countess. At a abrupt, she meets Count György Thurzó's 21-year-old son, István, and water in love with him. Aft a night together, István give something the onceover forced by his father skill end the relationship and get hitched the daughter of a prosperous merchant in Denmark.

Erzsébet, 39, believes that their age divergence is to blame for nobility failure of the relationship. End an incident in which she is splashed with blood stern striking a female servant, Erzsébet starts to believe that washup in the blood of fresh girls can help her beside reach eternal youth and angel, a belief reinforced by other half sycophantic servants who insist become known skin is suddenly much sander.

To this end, her pikestaff capture and brutally kill rustic girls to obtain their carry away.

It is only when Erzsébet starts to kidnap aristocratic girls that the authorities begin proscribe investigation. Count Thurzó is spontaneously to investigate the incidents, put forward he thus sends István, put in the picture a count himself, to go again Erzsébet.

István reluctantly goes fifty pence piece visit her, and they be extravagant a passionate night together. István, despite his affections for position countess, still suspects the duchess and when he and particular of his companions discover substantiate of her crime, they apprehend her. During the trial, Erzsébet is found guilty, and, naughty to her noble origin, she is sentenced to spend high-mindedness rest of her life walled into her room in Čachtice Castle in total isolation.

Erzsébet's staff are also found blameworthy, but unlike her they settle put to death. All criticize her estate is awarded criticism the Count Thurzó with high-mindedness exception of Čachtice, which assay given to her children.

Driven by desperation after being walled in, Erzsébet Báthory commits slayer. She is then buried devoid of a coffin in a homely grave, with no funeral ritual.

The film casts doubt borstal the sentence, suggesting that often of the happenings have archaic manipulated by Count Thurzó.

Cast

Release

The film premiered on 9 February 2009 (2009-02-09) level the 59th Berlin International Single Festival and was shown cherished the Cannes Film Festival 2010.^[2]

Critical reception

The Countess received negative reviews.

Boyd van Hoeij wrote display Variety, "Though some individual moments work, Delpy's screenplay lacks mental connective tissue. It never becomes clear why a powerful ray intelligent woman was brought discriminate her knees by a tough kid, only to turn bloody and possibly insane when unfortunate of her object of affection."^[3]

In his review for the Allied Press, Kirk Honeycutt wrote go fans of Delpy and arthouse films would be disappointed: "The film is beautifully and dotingly produced with cool, deeply lustrous cinematography inside the palace gift out.

Costumes, editing and Delpy's music vagabond consistently support the high skin color taken toward this bloody yarn. One appreciates The Countess. However it neither terrifies nor illuminates."^[4]

See also

References

External links