Countess Dracula
The 70's were a crazy time
Hammer Films is a film production
company based in the United Kingdom. They are best known for their
“Hammer horror” series of movies from the 60's and 70's that
focused on classic stories such as Frankenstein, The Mummy, and Count
Dracula. They've had a recent resurgence in new movies with the
acquisition of the library by Cyrte Investments. Many horror fans are
well versed in Hammer's films, but they are almost completely unknown
to me. What better way to dive in than with a classic, Countess
Dracula?
Countess Dracula is a 1971 horror film
starring Ingrid Pitt (Where Eagles Dare, The House That Dripped
Blood) as Countess Elisabeth Nadasdy. After the death of her husband,
Elisabeth attends his will reading with Captain Dobi (Nigel Green,
Zulu, Jason And The Argonauts), the castle steward, Master Fabio
(Maurice Denham, Oliver Twist, Hysteria), the historian, and a
strapping young soldier named Lt. Imre Thoth (Sandor Eles, The Evil
of Frankenstein, The Saint). Lt. Thoth receives the Count's horses,
much to the chagrin of Captain Dobit and the countess, who are
secretly lovers. After an accident with a servant girl, Elisabeth
discovers that the blood of the servant restored her youth and
beauty. She enlists Captain Dobi to acquire girls to murder in order
for her to bathe in their blood. To explain her rejuvenated state,
Elisabeth assumes the identity of her daughter, Ilona, who has been
stuck on the other side of the river due to floods. Elisabeth seduces
Lt. Thoth and they fall in love. Fabio is suspicious and finds a book
that talks about blood sacrifice. He informs Elisabeth that only the
blood of virgins will work. Fabio tries to tell Thoth the truth, but
Dobi kills him and makes it look like suicide. What will happen to
Lt. Thoth if he marries Elisabeth and what if the real Ilona finally
arrives?
It gets awfully drafty in these old castles
When you hear the title “Countess
Dracula,” you immediately think of a female version of Dracula,
neck-biting, turning into a bat, and lurking in the shadows with a
cape. Sadly, we don't get that, but the title is actually quite
accurate as this movie is essentially the story of Countess Erzsebet
(Elisabeth) Bathory. It is believed that Countess Bathory killed
hundreds of virgins and bathed in their blood to retain her youth and
beauty. Since she is the basis for Dracula, the title is probably
more apt than most horror movies. The movie brings to mind old
versions of Robin Hood, with great looking costumes and sets. I don't
know if they are particularly accurate, but they look good
nonetheless. The story itself, though, is pretty much by-the-numbers.
You have a pretty good idea of what is going to happen and to call
this movie “horror” is a bit of a stretch. It's not scary so much
as it is unnerving at points, like Elisabeth's addiction to virgin
blood and the countess's maid Julie expressing not wanting to ever
leave the castle.
What helps the movie most is Ingrid
Pitt. She is absolutely beautiful, even more so when you see the
transition between her old makeup and her actual face. She puts on a
very good performance and I was shocked to find out that her voice
had actually been dubbed. I have no idea why, but it didn't hinder
her portrayal in the movie. Nigel Green is very good as Captain Dobi
and Sandor Eles plays his part just as well. There are a few scenes
of nudity, far more than there are scenes of violence. I can't really
complain about that, so I won't!
Beard time!
I was expecting a vampire movie when I
decided to watch Countess Dracula and was a bit disappointed when
there was no blood sucking. Essentially a story about Countess
Bathory, you pretty much know what is going to happen, so there is
not a lot of mystery or excitement. What sets it apart is the very
good acting all around and the fun costumes and sets. If you're like
me and you're not well-versed in Hammer horror, Countess Dracula is a
good starting point. It won't blow you away, but you'll still enjoy
the movie for what it is.
6.5/10
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