REVIEW: THE COUNTESS
THE COUNTESS
D: Julie Delpy
Julie Delpy, Daniel Brühl, William Hurt
A 17th century Hungarian countess embarks on a murderous undertaking, with the belief that bathing in the blood of virgins will preserve her beauty. (imdb)
After reading that description, you'd think you're in for a tale of blood and murder in the name of God-knows what. What you really get is an apology of Countess Bathory's life. This isn't a movie about the murderer, is about the woman behind that, in a very romantic view of her life and motivations for doing what history tells us she did.
It is written and directed by Julie Delpy, and I can see her being very much in love with this powerful woman, who lived alone in a world of men; the problem is that the power in the historical figure doesn't really come across on screen. She's just another widow who lost her mind because her young lover left her for a 17-year-old girl (it was an arrenged marriage, and he didn't go willing), so she has virgins killed to bathe in their blood and be young forever.
I haven't read an awful lot about Countess Bathory, but what I have read it's all about her liking for young girls and blood. She's either named as a real-life vampire or a serial killer. You don't see that here. What you see is a woman who falls in love, at first sight, with a younger man and is willing to do anything to get him back, to still feel adored and to be young and beautiful forever.
I wrote down some other tiny things that bothered me here:
1. It's a very 'acted' movie. I don't know if it's the dubbing, it probably is, but all the dialogue feels very 'performed' and it's distracting. It doesn't feel real, although the looks and expressions do.
2. It is also strange to hear all the characters speaking in slightly French accented English. Although some words are still always British. Huh.
3. I find it very strange watching any movie where the main actor is also the director. I know every decision is theirs, as well as casting, so it's strange watching them -as characters- fall in love with someone who's basically working for them because they chose them in the first place.
4. There are some rather corny scenes/dialogues here. I hate to blame it on the fact that this was writen by a woman (I've watched some pretty corny things written by men too), but I just can't shake the feeling that a line like "kissing you is like making love to you", was definitely written by a woman. I almost rolled my eyes. If it hadn't been Daniel Bruhl saying it.
Overall: 3 points, because it's pretty (I do love period films), the music is good and Daniel Brühl is in it.
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