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La Comtesse

Original title: The Countess
  • 2009
  • Tous publics
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
8.9K
YOUR RATING
Julie Delpy, William Hurt, and Daniel Brühl in La Comtesse (2009)
BiographyDramaHistoryHorrorMysteryThriller

A 17th century Hungarian countess embarks on a murderous undertaking, with the belief that bathing in the blood of virgins will preserve her beauty.A 17th century Hungarian countess embarks on a murderous undertaking, with the belief that bathing in the blood of virgins will preserve her beauty.A 17th century Hungarian countess embarks on a murderous undertaking, with the belief that bathing in the blood of virgins will preserve her beauty.

  • Director
    • Julie Delpy
  • Writer
    • Julie Delpy
  • Stars
    • Julie Delpy
    • Daniel Brühl
    • William Hurt
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    8.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Julie Delpy
    • Writer
      • Julie Delpy
    • Stars
      • Julie Delpy
      • Daniel Brühl
      • William Hurt
    • 46User reviews
    • 42Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Photos29

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    Top cast53

    Edit
    Julie Delpy
    Julie Delpy
    • Erzebet Bathory
    Daniel Brühl
    Daniel Brühl
    • Istvan Thurzo
    William Hurt
    William Hurt
    • Gyorgy Thurzo
    Anamaria Marinca
    Anamaria Marinca
    • Darvulia
    Sebastian Blomberg
    Sebastian Blomberg
    • Dominic Vizakna
    Adriana Altaras
    • Aunt Klara
    Charly Hübner
    Charly Hübner
    • Ferenc Nadasdy
    Andy Gätjen
    Andy Gätjen
    • Miklos
    • (as Andy Gatjen)
    Maria Simon
    Maria Simon
    • Helena
    Frederick Lau
    Frederick Lau
    • Janos
    Katrin Pollitt
    • Dorothea
    Anna Maria Mühe
    Anna Maria Mühe
    • Bertha
    Marlis Eulitz
    • Zusanna
    Rolf Kanies
    Rolf Kanies
    • Count Krajevo
    Christine Mayer
    • Kaija
    Henriette Confurius
    Henriette Confurius
    • Kayla
    Helen Woigk
    • Nadia
    Jesse Inman
    Jesse Inman
    • King Matthias
    • Director
      • Julie Delpy
    • Writer
      • Julie Delpy
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews46

    6.28.8K
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    Featured reviews

    5berrin-cinarbas

    Didn't meet my expectations.

    As much as I wanted to like this film, I was left feeling unsatisfied after watching it.

    It felt as if the writers were unsure of what direction they were taking, most of the time. It wasn't a horror, a psychological thriller, or an accurate historical flick... though it did have elements of all the aforementioned.

    I was also disappointed to find that (since it's such a dark movie) there was virtually no suspense or build-up. I caught myself growing bored at many points throughout the film, which is really surprising given the subject material. It doesn't help that the acting seems forced most of the time (as if the actors are reading their lines off of cue cards), or that Delpy and Bruhl have about 0 chemistry...

    I did, however, love the costumes and the sets, as well as Anamaria Marinca's unique character.

    All in all, I was just hoping for a bit more. A bit more horror, a bit more suspense, a bit more passion. This movie left little to no impression on me... and I was sorely disappointed.
    8streep82

    not a usual historic tale....

    this is very well made, true to the history, geography and atmosphere of the place where the story takes place. also very well played, esp by Julie Delpy who already is known for her convincing but modest acting. Costumes and art decoration were superior. The story was told well too, considering it's telling a rather controversial story and that the main character is an anti-hero.Still it's very successful in reflecting the controversies in history telling and discussions about historians, heroes and storytellers by saying they're the real devil. Watch it definitely and compare it to other historic movies, you'll sense the difference...
    4paul_m_haakonsen

    Slow and fairly uneventful...

    I must admit that I had expected a bit more from this movie, especially given the story that it was portraying and telling. I just had expected something grander than what director Julie Delphy dished out here.

    Everyone should be fairly familiar with the bloody story of Countess Bathory, well at least if you have just an ounce of interesting in World history. So I am not going to delve into details about the storyline.

    What worked for this movie was the acting. Julie Delphy, who both directed and starred in the movie, did a great job in her portrayal of the Countess Erzebet Bathory. There was something very raw and emotional about her acting in "The Countess" and she really carried the movie all by herself.

    Julie Delphy seems rather talented, doing acting, directing, producing and even writing the music for this 2009 movie.

    But the movie was just too slow paced for my liking, but it was an interesting portrayal of the infamous Countess Erzebet Bathory.
    6dbdumonteil

    Time waits for no one

    Julie Delpy gives her own vision (through an innocent young man's eyes who would have been one of her numerous -male and female-lovers)of a nefarious figure of history .her direction is icily impersonal but effective .Her hieratic cold look gives the jitters for her acting is restrained.Unlike Walerian Borowczyk's segment of "Les Heroines Du Mal"(1979) in which Paloma Picasso played an "erotic " countess with nudity galore,"the countess" has few bed scenes and few gore clichés -and with THAT subject,it is much to Delpy's credit.Her directing is not feminine at all (as Agnès Varda's or Jane Campion's are) and her character has the mind of a man :political power,women and men treated -with one exception- as sexual objects .She wouldn't sacrifice a virgin lad cause ,she says , God created man in his own image .She remained pious even in living in the most awful sin!

    The atmosphere which is depicted does not square with reality,if you read one of her biographies:she lived in a lugubrious castle ,in a cold area,and she suffered from chronic migraines which almost never gave her any respite.
    rchalloner

    True Story? Not at all.

    I haven't seen the film yet, I was thinking of seeing it this week, but given some of the things I've read in the reviews, I may not bother. The story recounted in the film is NOT a true story at all. Countess Elizabeth Bathory existed and she was indeed charged with a number of supposed murders, but the charges were never properly proved. In fact no evidence was properly presented - her 'trial' was a politically motivated set-up. She was an extremely rich and powerful woman living at a time when in most societies, but especially Eastern European ones, wealthy and powerful women were hugely resented by their male counterparts.

    Once she was widowed Countess Bathory chose not to remarry as she did not want another man to take control of her lands. She wanted to rule her estates herself - and she was a very capable ruler. Unfortunately powerful men in Hungary (and the Austro-Hungarian Empire) were greedy for her lands. They could not dispossess her legally, so they hatched a plot to have her charged with terrible crimes. Her servants were tortured and forced to accuse her, however, no credible evidence was ever presented. It was enough however, for her lands to be confiscated.

    As for punishment, she was NOT bricked up in a room and fed through a hole in the wall. That is fantasy. She was confined to a few rooms in one of her castles, a kind of house arrest. Sadly films like this perpetuate the myth and falsehoods about a woman who, although tough and sometimes hard on her servants, was never guilty of the horrendous crimes of which she has been accused. I am so sick and tired of seeing history re-written and fabricated that I probably won't go and see it now - and I would warn anyone who thinks they are going to see something 'historical' that it just isn't.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Production on the film was delayed numerous times. It was initially expected to start filming in 2005, then in summer 2007, followed by October 2007, before finally starting in February 2008. This led to three initially cast actors having to drop out, first Ethan Hawke as Gyorgy Thurzo and later Radha Mitchell as Anna Darvulia and Vincent Gallo as Dominic Vizakna.
    • Goofs
      At about 1h15m, the fifth book on the shelf is the "Dictionnaire De Boyer". Abel Boyer did write a French-English dictionary, but he was born in 1664 and Countess Báthory died in 1614.
    • Quotes

      Gyorgy Thurzo: Love is a myth, to keep the minds of young peasants and virgins occupied with a dream.

    • Connections
      Version of Les vampires (1957)
    • Soundtracks
      Couranta VI
      Solinger Streichquartett

      Written by Isaak Pesch

      From the album "Telemusik"

      © & ® Peter Lamprecht

      Courtesy of Solinger Streichquartett/Peter Lamprecht

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    FAQ18

    • How long is The Countess?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 21, 2010 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Germany
    • Official sites
      • Celluloid Dreams (France)
      • Filmcoopi Zürich (Switzerland)
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • The Countess
    • Filming locations
      • Burg Kriebstein, Kriebstein, Saxony, Germany(exteriors: Countess Bathory's castle)
    • Production companies
      • Serenity Film
      • Celluloid Dreams
      • X-Filme Creative Pool
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €5,700,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $784,522
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 38 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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    Julie Delpy, William Hurt, and Daniel Brühl in La Comtesse (2009)
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