Jakubisko Film s.r.o

About

The gruesome tale of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, notorious yet obscure, has been recounted by historians, writers, poets, playwrights, musicians, painters, and moviemakers. Tradition has it that Countess Bathory was the greatest murderess in the history of humankind, as documented by her entry in the Guinness Book of Records.

She tortured her victims, exclusively women, before killing them. She bathed in their blood, and tore the flesh from their bodies with her teeth while they were still alive. But is that really true? In four centuries, no historical document has been found to reveal what had exactly happened. The plot of my film diametrically opposes the established legend.

“My story is about a defenceless widow who owns more property and riches than the king himself and who, as a result, becomes a victim of scheming from on high.”

Juraj Jakubisko ~ Director

Cast and Crew

Cast

Anna Friel: Erzsébet Báthory

Karel Roden: Juraj Thurzo

Vincent Regan: Ferenc Nadasdy

Hans Matheson: Merisi Caravaggio

Deana Horváthová: Darvulia (as Deana Jakubisková-Horváthová)

Franco Nero: King Mathias II

Antony Byrne: Pastor Ponicky

Bolek Polívka: Monk Peter

Jirí Mádl: Neophyte Cyril

Monika Hilmerová: Countess Czobor

Lucie Vondrácková: Lucia

Jaromír Nosek: Miklós Zrínyi (as Míra Nosek)

Marek Majeský: Gábor Báthory

Andrew Tiernan: Zavodsky

Marek Vasut: Bethlen

Crew

Director: Juraj Jakubisko

Screenplay: Juraj Jakubisko (script), John Paul Chapple (dialogue)

Music: Simon Boswell, Jan Jirásek

Director of Photography: F. A. Brabec, Ján Ďuriš

Art Director: Karel Vacek

Set Designers: Jan Koděra, Jiří Macke

Editor: Chris Blunden

Costume Designer: Jaroslava Pecharová

Awards

Slovak film academy awards 2010 "Slnko v Sieti"

„Najlepší výtvarný počin“ (Juraj Jakubisko), Best artistic asset

„Najlepšie návrhy kostýmov“ (Jaroslava Pecharová) Best costume designer

„Najlepší ženský herecký výkon v hlavnej úlohe“ (Anna Friel) Best actress in a main part

Monaco Charity Film Festival 2010 - Outstanding Artistic Achievement

Czech Lion for:
The Most successful film of the year 2008

The Best Artistic Asset of the year

The Best Art director & Production designer 2008

The Best Artistic Asset of the year

The Best Costume designer 2008

Slovak Film Awards 2009

IGRIC AWARD for Artistic Design

The Most Successful Movie of all Time in Slovakia.

Reviews

“Colorful, bloodthirsty and absurdly comic” ~ The Hollywood Reporter

‚Äú…it is everything you might expect from a Jakubisko film, with enough sex and gore, perversion
and madness…‚Äù ~ Screen Daily

‚Äú…an unwieldly gothic fairy tale that tries to demystify the titular Hungarian countess famous
for bathing in virgins blood.” ~ Variety

Gallery

Posters

Stills

Behind the Scenes

Costumes

Video

Locations

Buchlov 


Owner: State


2 days of filming exterior
7 days construction of the prisone at the house of the headsman
1 day along with other staff


distance of 263 km


parking in the place below the castle about 5min, background on the castle, transfer with PIC-UP is necessary, the connection of electricity


Images: Turkish fortress, courtyard, ahead of the Transylvanian fortress, walls of the Turkish fortress, the strength of the Turkish prison, house of the headsman, in front of the headsman house, Sarvar Children’s Room, Castle roof and bedroom, Sarvar, kitchen

Čachtice



Owner: municipal office


4 days exterior shooting including 3 days with the second unit 
2 days in winter, second unit


distance of 349 km (Prague, Brno, Senica, Myjava, Čachtice)


background found in the village Čachtice


Images: castle ruins of the Čachtice, under the castle, Peterś flight, rock beneath the castle, a crossroad, in the forest, near the castle, in the valley, in the hunting coach, trip to Transylvania, near the burned castle 


Doudleby


Private: owner


4 days shooting and 2 days with second unit
1 day winter shooting 3 days summer shooting


distance of 132 km

costume rooms and dining room is possible


approximately 14 days the building of exteriors and interiors (wall in the garden, entrance gate, painting and establishment of the doors, furnishing of the properties, spreading sand in the courtyard in the winter and also in the summer, when will be the snow in the winter sand is not required)


parking on private land in front of the garden


Images: castle courtyard. Castle Arcade, castle garden, Vranov chateau, Elisabeth Palace in Vienna, the castle in front of the gate

Křivoklát


Owner: State


1 day filming the second unit
1 to 2 days training


distance of 40 km


parking facilities about 5 minutes from the castle, the technical equipment neer the castle, facilities we will try to find on the courtyard of the castle, connection of electricity, a small platform for the lights, coverage of existing elements in a small courtyard


Images: Gyulafehervár-yard, Gyulafehervár palace, hall and terrace


Pernštejn


Owner State


7 days shooting which one day second unit
6 days in winter, 1 day in the summer, every time second unit


distance of 210 km (Prague, V. Bíteš, Tišnov, Pernštejn)


14 days building frontage (fire in the window) and the construction of shelter for mobiles, 2 days of arranging parking below the castle, background in the pub, necessary transfer with tractor and PIC-UP, in the winter is necessary to keep the way back to the castle, the connection of electricity is in the castle and also for the background


images: the castle ahead of Elizabeth chamber, Engagement ceremony, Castle cellar, at the Darvulia , Bytča torture chamber, torture chamber in the court, a small castle courtyard and underground, courtyard, before the castle gate, corridor below the castle, underground maze, Library at the castle, Castle entrance hall , canopy, Erika chamber, a hall of the castle

Sovinec


Owner: State


2 days shooting 1 day in the spring also second unit
1 day in theWinter 1 day in the Spring everything in exterior


distance of 324 km (Prague, Brno, Olomouc, Litovel)


the background in the local pub at the castle, 1 day adaptation of the existing building, cover of the current elements. parking in front of the castle at the church and the local pub

Images: the walls, a courtyard with a gun, Black Tower

Telč


Owner: State


5 days including 1 day exterior in the garden
3 days in the winter, 1 day with the second crew, 2 days in the Summer 1 day with the second crew


about 10 days building decorations in so-called Brewery
 2 days arranging of the decorations


distance of 202 km (Prague, Jihlava, Telč)


parking in the square and the castle area, attention the bus shouldn´t go to the Square
only a small AVIA, it is necessary to arrange makeup rooms and costume rooms in the castle square,
transfer of the material is needed to the set (lights, etc.)

Točník



Owner: State


3 shooting days including two with the second unit
2 days arranging


distance of 48 km


about 7 days, the stable structure, parking facilities are before the castle, a technique is in a castle, without background


images: in the ruins of the castle, in the barn, at the black tower, in the black tower , the end of the tunnel

Velké Losiny


Owner: State


3 days shooting of which 2 days with the second crew
3 days building a bridge and the stage in the garden,


distance of 233 km (Prague, Hradec, V. Losiny)


arranging of the interiors, coverage of modern elements in the courtyard
parking in front of the castle and around the kastle


Images: Bytča salon, Bytča library Bytča courtroom for Thurzo, Sarvar arcade and bedroom, garden, Sarvar, Bytča Garden

Zvíkov

Owner: State

1 day filming in the winter
1 day training (covering the court with sand if no snow)

distance of 95 km

to park before the castle is possible only for passenger cars and small minibuses. Transfer with PIC-UP is necessary, possibility of electrical connection energy is present only with mini unit, parking about 5 minutes, background may be in a pub at the Castle

Catalog

(all products below are Czech/Slovak editions, please not that English subtitles or audio are not present on the Czech/Slovak DVD or Blu-ray editions)

Special Edition DVD Bathory with the movie, bonuses and book
-Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Czech & Slovak
-Subtitles: Czech & Slovak

Bonuses
-Juraj Jakubisko Profile
-Making of the movie
-6 deleted scenes
-Photo galleries
-Trailers
-Complete list of movies made by Jakubisko Film
-Endowment Plaváček – Documentary about the Juraj & Deana Jakubisko institution

Bathory Book
-Photos
-Texts from Juraj Jakubisko & Deana Jakubisko
-Interesting facts
-Text of the Môj Bože song
-Introduction of actors

Movie Soundtrack on CD
Movie Soundtrack not included in the original movie on second CD

DVD Bathory with bonuses
-Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Czech & Slovak
-Subtitles: Czech & Slovak

Bonuses
-Juraj Jakubisko Profile
-Making of the movie
-6 deleted scenes
-Photo galleries
-Trailers
-Complete list of movies made by Jakubisko Film
-Endowment Plaváček – Documentary about the Juraj & Deana Jakubisko institution

Blu Ray Bathory with bonuses
-Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Czech & Slovak
-Subtitles: Czech & Slovak

Bonuses
-Juraj Jakubisko Profile
-Making of the movie
-6 deleted scenes
-Photo galleries
-Music video - Môj Bože (Katarína Knechtová)
-Behind the scenes (text information)
-Who was involved: profiles of actors and filmmakers • interviews with actors and film makers • Partners of the fim
-All of the movie`s “TOP“
-What historians consulted
-Bathory from other point of view – text information
-Through the eyes of history: Historical story of a great legend • György Thurzo kontra Erszébet Bathory
-Maps & Family tree
-Trailers which you have not seen yet
-Complete list of movies made by Jakubisko Film
-Endowment Plaváček – Documentary about the Juraj & Deana Jakubisko Foundation. History, contacts, partners of the Foundation • Wind in the sails • Our successes: performance of children who were helped and assisted by the Plaváček Foundation