Publisher: CinemaSerf December 24, 2023
This is a beautifully photographed interpretation of the Bartók opera and thanks to the vision of Michael Powell and designer Hein Heckroth, it's a good one. It's all sang by Norman Foster ("Bluebeard") and Ana Raquel Satre - his latest (4th) wife "Judith" and set in his castle that were it not for the colour, would not have looked out of place in a Von Sternberg film. The couple are getting to know each other, and rather unwittingly "Judith" is interrogating her new husband about his life and what lies behind the seven doors of his home. As she progresses, she discovers his torture chamber, his treasury and despite his warnings that she is unlikely to like what she sees, she perseveres through the others before... It's sung entirely in German and the version I saw had only the most sparing of sur-titles to guide us through but the imagery and the performances - especially from the mesmerising Satre - tell us all we need to know about her, her new husband and her not too bright future. There's a lovely chemistry between the two. The Duke has an almost intimidatory character to him, but Foster plays that subtly and we can believe that possibly, just possibly, he might actually love the curious "Judith". The photography captures the intimacy and despair of these two really effectively, with the targeted use of light and shade and the gothic-style set design adding hugely to the allure of this hour-long story.