Isabelle Huppert to star in vampire film

French actress Isabelle Huppert slips into the shoes of Elizabeth Báthory, the notorious murderous countess of the XVIᵉ century, in The Blood Countess, a film by Ulrike Ottinger. A daring work that promises a blend of vampiric thriller and macabre humor.

An intriguing project for Isabelle Huppert

Directed by Ulrike Ottinger, The Blood Countess plunges viewers into the story ofElizabeth Báthory, nicknamed the “Countess Dracula” and infamous for her alleged crimes. According to legend, she tortured and murdered nearly 600 young women to bathe in their blood and preserve her eternal youth.

In this film, described as an immersive and eccentric vampiric thriller, the Countess awakens from a long sleep and sets out on a quest for the “red elixir of life”, aided by her faithful servant (played by Birgit Minichmayr). Their journey through Vienna pits them against several protagonists, including a vegetarian nephew, a psychotherapist and vampirologists, offering an original approach tinged with dark humor.

A script by a prestigious pen

Co-written by Elfriede Jelinek, winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize for Literature, the film promises a sharp look at sexist violence and the power of marginalized female figures. Jelinek is the author of La Pianiste, a novel adapted for the screen by Michael Haneke, with Isabelle Huppert in the lead role.

Elizabeth Báthory: myth or reality?

If history has made her one of history’s first serial killers, some historians suggest that she was the victim of a conspiracy. Her legend continues to fascinate, and this new interpretation by Isabelle Huppert could well renew our view of this enigmatic and terrifying figure.

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