Les lèvres rouges
Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Bathory didn't die in 1613 walled up in her castle . She is still alive over 350 years later and still preying on young girls for their blood. Elizabeth [Delphine Seyrig] and her secretary Ilona Harxzy [Andrea Rau] have arrived at a hotel in Ostend, Belgium. Concierge Pierre [Paul Esser] is astonished to see the Countess again. He last saw her 40 years ago when he was but a young bellboy, and she hasn't changed a bit. It is winter, and the only other hotel guests are a newlywed couple, Stefan [John Karlen] and Valerie [Danielle Ouimet] Chilton, who are en route from Switzerland to England, where Stefan's mother lives. Elizabeth comments to Ilona that Stefan and Valerie are perfect, and they take the adjoining suite. Stefan is having a hard time telling his mother about his marriage. He makes one excuse after another when pressed by Valerie, even going so far as to ask Pierre, in front of Valerie, to put through a call to his mother while slipping Pierre a note that says, "Say there is no reply." Stefan is not anxious to get back to England and finds reason to hang around Ostend for another day or two or three.No one can go to Belgium without visiting Brugge, walking among its medieval buildings and taking a boat ride on its many canals. Stefan and Valerie are no different. While boating along, they make a stop where they find a crowd gathered outside of a building and an ambulance arriving. Wanting to know what is going on, they join the crowd and learn that a young girl has been murdered, her throat slit and all the blood drained from her body. And she wasn't the first. Three other girls have been similarly murdered in the past week. As the body is carried from house to ambulance, a strange look overcomes Stefan, who strains to get a look at the dead girl and hits his wife in the face when she suggests that they leave. This is a side of Stefan that Valerie hasn't seen before, and it scares her, especially when he and Elizabeth start talking about the history of the Bathorys, and Stefan seems positively mesmerized by Elizabeth's description of how she tortured the servant girls. To make matters worse, after Stefan finally does call his "mother", he suddenly starts beating Valerie with his belt. The next day, Valerie decides to leave Stefan, packs her bags, and goes to the train station. Just as the train is about to leave, Elizabeth shows up and convinces Valerie to give it another try. You can't give up after just a few days, she advises.Unfortunately, while Valerie was trying to run away, Ilona seduced Stefan, which wasn't too difficult. After they have sex, Stefan takes a shower. When he tries to pull Ilona under the running water, she screams as though in pain and grabs a straight-edged razor. In the tussle that follows, Ilona drops the razor and then falls on top of it, killing herself instantly. Just at that moment, Elizabeth and Valerie walk in the bathroom to find their naked bodies lying on the floor. Valerie has given up loving Stefan. Elizabeth doesn't seem upset at all about losing her companion. Her primary concern is what to do with the body. They take the body to the shore, where Stefan digs a deep hole. Elizabeth tosses in the body a bit prematurely, pinning Stefan under it, and the sides of the hole start caving in, burying Stefan along with Ilona. Fortunately, Valerie still cares enough to grab Stefan's hand and pull him out.Unknown to Stefan, Elizabeth has also been seducing Valerie with her kisses. When the three of them return to the hotel, Valerie chooses Elizabeth over Stefan. Now it's Stefan's turn to be jealous. He starts packing his clothes and orders Valerie to pack, too, but she refuses, so he slaps her around a bit more. Elizabeth and Valerie attempt to smother Stefan with a bowl, but it breaks, cutting Stefan's wrists. They drink up the blood and, when he is dead, they toss his body off the balcony. Elizabeth and Valerie attempt to make a getaway, but the sun is starting to rise. Elizabeth pushes Valerie to drive faster, faster, FASTER! Suddenly the car spins out in the morning light, and Elizabeth is thrown clear but lands impaled on a tree branch.Epilogue: A few months later, Valerie walks with a young man and woman, telling them how they will be the best of friends. But she speaks with Elizabeth Bathory's voice. [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.]
gothic, murder, violence, cult, atmospheric, haunting, psychedelic, revenge