PragueBuzz!

Should I or shouldn’t I? I objected watching this movie because my damaged-from-childhood-by-grandma-ghost-story brain could not tolerate horror scenes where some murderess bludgeons helpless girls to death, sliced them up to draw out blood. “How about Kungfu Panda?” I offered the alternative. Ignoring my plea, my boyfriend blabbed on, “It’s the most expensive Czech film ever, costing 300 millions Czech crowns.” “So it’s not another Hollywood box-office wannabe?” I asked. “No. The event happened in Slovakia when it belonged to Hungary.” We spent another fifteen minute to debate our Saturday evening’s fate: laughing-off-the-chair, noodle-maker-aspire, Jackie-Chan cartoon or scared-off-the-seat, sophisticate, historical Hungarian/Slovak epic. I opted for the latter.

Elizabeth or Erzsebet (in Hungarian) Bathory, a Hungarian countess from a powerful noble family in the 16th century, makes the Geniuses for murdering 600 virgins to bath in their blood, believing that it would made her eternally young. Her arranged marriage at 11 to a Ferenc Nadasdy, another noble breed, multiplies the wealth and status of her name. Throughout the first part of the film, Elizabeth is seen innocently harmless with no shred of evil in words, manner or intention. She wonders in her wedding night how she and her husband can make a baby boy to further their family line. To that, her husband replies, “My uncle taught me all.” Far from the image of a murderess, Elizabeth is a mother of two young daughters; a benevolent ruler who heals many peasant girls with her herbs and a lonely wife whose husband being away from home most of the time, commanding the Hungarian troops to fight off the Turks. One of his gift to his young wife is a talent Italian painter, Merisi captured by the Turks on his way to Vienna and then later by Ferenc’ army. Merisi later reveals to be Caravaggio, a famous Italian painter at the time. Elizabeth and Merisi carries on their master-slave and artist-model relationship for a while until pained by her husband indiscreet behavior with her maids, she commits adultery with the young painter. Ferenc returns and gets madly jealous by rumors about her alleged affair; he offers Merisi a cup of poison-spiked wine which Elizabeth unknowingly take and drank herself.

This incident leads to the second part of the movie, “Darvulia”, named after a healer who nurses Elizabeth back to life with secret portions and herbs. Darvulia claims to know the cure to the countess’ pale complexion. The blood, her own, Elizabeth dabs on her face seems to signal the beginning of an evil mystery with her bathing in red, blood-like water and her stabbing a maid to death. At the same time,bodies of murdered peasant girls found along with Bathory family seal. A humorous, good-hearted, mismatched duo is sent to a village by the Cardinal to investigate the accusation rumored about Elizabeth. Elizabeth plunges more into madness and paranoia as she jails her once trusted confidante Darvulia after Darvulia admits that Elizabeth killed her hair dresser.

Elizabeth, now a widow, faces challenges from Thurzio (title of the third part), her husband trusted ally who demands a share of her family property which Ferenc allegedly promised him while they fought together. Again and again she shrugs him off and publically humiliates him. Despite his love and lust for the Elizabeth, Thurzio plots revenge with the the most unexpected people.

140 minute is too long for any movie to remain interesting to the audience. Additionally, the film’s plot is not well-connected; some events happens too quickly without any explanation making it difficult to follow the story. But I find “Bathory” worth every crowns. Directed by Slovak’s best, Juraj Jakubisko, who favors a strong visual quality (*), the film impresses me with vivid colorful costumes and design and the simple yet breath-taking rural depiction of Slovakia. And of course, kudos to Anna Friel’s performance of the murderous scountess.

(*) Juraj started his prestigious career as a painter and a photography teacher.