Bathory

In his latest film, Juraj Jakubisko returns home to Slovakia, to distant history and a time when his country was fighting a fierce battle with the Turks who tried to penetrate via Hungary further into the heart of Christian Europe. Amidst these dramatic events unfolding at the close of the 16th century, a tortuous story begins of the proud and beautiful Countess Bathory who became known as the infamous Lady of Csejte (Čachtice). Elizabeth Bathory, who was said to have bathed in the blood of virgins in order to preserve her youth… This is a character who, in Jakubisko’s mind, ideally incorporates history, legend and colourful fiction, all merging together in a fresco lasting over two hours. The sinister reputation of a blood-thirty monster is shifted to one side, allowing the haunting beauty of Anna Friel, the English actress playing Elizabeth, to steer the chronicle of her dramatic life in a different direction. We see her as a woman who, thanks to her intelligence, will and great emotional depth, grows into an unusually strong person. Strong with respect to her love for her children, her husband and her lover, her staunch Protestant faith and her courage to compete for power and assets with her scheming, influential enemies. Jakubisko unfurls an expansive historical canvas depicting the evocative political and social atmosphere of the era, and from here he contemplates the harsh fate of an individual who outshone those around her and was thus exposed to ruinous accusations. The film also contains elements of horror, thriller, romance, ballad and even playful comedy. Yet what is most compelling and what weaves all these details together in a stunning tapestry is Jakubisko’s visual poetry, recasting the past, real and imaginary, into a fascinating delusion.