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MONEY
Did you know
Earned back only 9% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Countess
"She sacrificed all for love and others for beauty"
2009 1h 40m EN
😐
5.9
MID
★5.9TMDB · 191
DramaHistoryThrillerMysteryHorror
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Kingdom of Hungary, 17th century. As she gets older, powerful Countess Erzsébet Báthory (1560-1614), blinded by the passion that she feels for a younger man, succumbs to the mad delusion that blood will keep her young and beautiful forever.
“She sacrificed all for love and others for beauty”
Cast
Julie Delpy
Erzsébet Báthory
Daniel Brühl
István Thurzó
William Hurt
György Thurzó
Anamaria Marinca
Darvulia
Maria Simon
Helena
Sebastian Blomberg
Dominic Vizakna
Adriana Altaras
Aunt Klara
Charly Hübner
Ferenc Nádasdy
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Julie Delpy
- Writers
- Julie Delpy
- Languages
- English, French
- Countries
- France, Germany, United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 17 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 3 countries: France, Germany, United States of America.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Julie Delpy, shot by Martin Ruhe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Julie Delpy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Andrew Bird shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Julie Delpy and Daniel Brühl and William Hurt carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Julie Delpy directs. Martin Ruhe behind the camera. Julie Delpy scores. Andrew Bird cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France, Germany, United States of America. Dialogue in English, French.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Earned back only 9% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
- 2Released 17 years ago.
- 3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
- 4International production across 3 countries: France, Germany, United States of America.
- 5Directed by Julie Delpy, shot by Martin Ruhe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Original score by Julie Delpy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 7Editor Andrew Bird shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 8Julie Delpy and Daniel Brühl and William Hurt carry the top of the cast.
- 9Marketing tagline: "She sacrificed all for love and others for beauty".
- 10IMDB entry: tt0496634 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 11Classified under 10 themes, including "hungary", "biography", "serial killer", "older woman younger man relationship".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Martin Ruhe
- Original score
- Julie Delpy
- Editing
- Andrew Bird
- Production design
- Hubert Pouille
- Makeup / hair
- Heiko Schmidt
- Sound
- Kai Tebbel
- Stunt coordinator
- Rainer Werner
- Runtime
- 100 min · 1h 40m
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $8,500,000
- Box office
- $784,522
- Return
- 9% of budget
- Original language
- EN
Also by
Julie Delpy
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
- X
X Filme International
DE
Celluloid Dreams
FR
X Filme Creative Pool
DE
Fanes Film
DE
- SO
Social Capital
US
Key crew
- EditorAndrew Bird
- ProducerAndro Steinborn
- Co-ProducerHengameh Panahi
- ProducerMatthew E. Chausse
- Costume DesignerPierre-Yves Gayraud
- ProducerChristopher Tuffin
- Executive ProducerSkady Lis
- Makeup & HairHeiko Schmidt
- CastingAnja Dihrberg
- Sound DesignerKai Tebbel
- Post-Production ManagerKatharina Tebroke
- Associate ProducerNorbert Preuss
- Associate ProducerStefan Arndt
- Sound DesignerMatthias Lempert
- Executive ProducerChris Coen
- Makeup & HairKerstin Gaecklein
- Associate ProducerManuela Stehr
- Sound RecordistSeppe van Groeningen
- Sound RecordistDirk Bombey
- Executive ProducerChristian Baute
- Executive ProducerMartin Shore
- Executive ProducerGordon Steel
- Production DesignHubert Pouille
- Post-Production ManagerAndreas Dobers
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- hungary
- biography
- serial killer
- older woman younger man relationship
- revisionist history
- noblewoman
- woman director
- 17th century
- gerascophobia
- holy roman empire
Release history · US
When it landed
- Digital2011-06-15
Also known as
International titles
- BathoryFR
