Bathory - 2008 * * *

She wanted to be beautiful, no matter what the cost.

As one of many who is interested in the grim and dastardly deeds of the Blood Countess of Hungary I lapped up the idea to watch this film. I had hoped it would be a clear and defined account of her coming into power and becoming the monster that she is infamously known as but instead was met by a bizarre story where the murderer is seen as the VICTIM and someone we are supposed to sympathize with.

The director has started up a big debate about the surrounding facts of Erzebet actually trying to convince people that she never commited any of the crimes she was later imprisoned for. With all the research that has spanned hundreds of years there has never been any doubt that she murdered a huge number of young women all for her vanity and so the idea that history should suddenly be changed just on one film's say so is ridiculous. The film really seemed like a bit of a joke although Anna Friel did a good job as Bathory herself. It is split into several parts and this gives it a very strange outlook owing to the fact that I could not really connect with any of the characters.

A great concept for a film but if it's going to be made I feel making one of the most infamous murderesses of all time innocent is never going to bring in a huge crowd.