Elizabeth Bathory, Film Bathory (2008)

Elizabeth Bathory & Bathory 2008

Elizabeth Bathory was a famous countess from the renowned Bathory family in Hungary. The film Elizabeth Bathory & Bathory 2008 is based on the story of her life depicting her serial killer role in her real life. Bathory family was famous for defending Hungary from Turks invasions. Elizabeth Bathory was highly educated and could speak four languages. According to legends, she thought she could retain her youth for ever by bathing in blood of young virgin females. This prompted her to kill many young women. This made her highly infamous and she is even remembered as the ‘Blood Countess’ and ‘The Bloody Lady of Cachtice’ or sometimes even as the ‘Countess Dracula’.

She spent most of her life in the Cachtice Castle gifted to her by her husband Nadasdy. She initially targeted the poor girls of local farmers. The poor girls were lured of high paid maidservants jobs in the Cachtice Castle. Later she began to kill the daughters of lower gentry. After the death of her husband she along with of her four supporters was accused of killing as many as hundred young girls. Later she was convicted and was imprisoned in the Cachtice Castle until her death. She remained bricked in rooms for four years till death. She was tried on the complaints of Lutheran minister István Magyari. The film was made with a hefty budget of 10 Millions which makes it the most expensive Slovak and Czech film in the history.

Directed by Juraj Jakubisko, it casts Anna Friel, Karel Roden, Hans Matheson, Franco Nero, Bolek Polivka, Lucie Vondrackova, Andrej Hryc and Derek Dimir Pavelcik. Anna Friel has played the role of the infamous countess. The film was a joint production from Slovak, Czech, UK and Hungarian film production companies. The film took three years to complete. Released on 10 July 2008 in Slovak and Czech Republic, the film is full of thrill, emotions and curiosity. |