Thank you.
Do I really have to drink the whole glass?
Yes. Today, in April 1905, we find its the best way to cure anaemia.
Drink, my dear, it will bring back your colour.
Its only ox blood after all.
Yes, but look at this man who slaughters for a living
and breathes in the smell of blood.
Its not a game, young lady, its a therapy.
I hope yours satisfied.
The information was correct.
This man was carrying...gold-
Wed like to see this gold,
right now!
Right, lets split up now and meet again in a months time.
One month will give me time to negotiate in London.
Thats not quite howl see it.
Me and my mates
would like the cash straight away.
You dont trust me?
No, not really.
Open the bag.
Im taking the girl with me as a hostage.
Dont try to find me.
And afterwards, will you kill her?
If you lay a finger on her, youre dead!
Relax...
III let her go afterwards.
No, dont leave me, hell kill me as soon as your backs are turned.
Shall we all jump on him together?
Too risky-
If you try to disappear, well find you.
Dont move.
Shes crafty, shell get away.
You want to finish me off, dont you?
Of course not. Be sensibLe.
Im not a killer-
Im not like your mates.
Were going to head towards the coast,
and then you can make off.
Is it far?
Two days walk, unless you see a car.
Look...
Take me and let me go.
You swine!
There he is!
Catch him!
-Hes in there. -Follow him.
Wait-
Better to wait until he thinks hes safe.
I wont do you any harm if you show yourself.
I know yours in this room.
Who are you?
A chambermaid?
Im lady-in-waiting to the Marchioness.
Whats your name?
How many servants are there here?
Im the only one.
No, lye just seen someone else.
That was Elisabeth, the Marchionesss companion.
I swear that were alone at the moment.
The cook and the servants
arrive tomorrow with the Marquis and Madame.
Theyre all away in Paris.
Wove come to clear up and get Madames room ready, but...
Its no good, theyre too far away.
Be patient. Wove got him.
Right, now I want the truth!
How many of you are there in the chateau?
Just us.
The other servants dont arrive until tomorrow.
The chateau should be closed, but we pretend its ours.
Thats why we came first.
Take whatever you want.
But dont hurt us.
We wont say a thing.
Dont be afraid.
I just want to hide until dark, then Ill go.
Youre going to take me to your room now, please.
Come on, you go first!
I see I dont frighten you any more.
We even find it rather amusing.
In spite of your big gun...
you havent come to rob us, have you?
What do you want from two poor girls like us?
Defenceless and at your mercy!
-I beg you not to kill us. -You can rape us.
I offer you my virginity in return for my life.
Do with me whatever you wish, but spare this child.
I beg you, Mr. Bandit, dont kill us.
Is the show over?
What are you doing?
I just wanted to kiss you.
All the doors have two keys.
The spare for my bedroom was in the bedside table.
Now I need an explanation,
Lady-in-waiting, or companion!
I want to know right now, who you are and why this chateau is deserted.
We can ask questions, too.
Who is chasing you, and why?
Except that its me who has a gun,
and its me who gives the orders!
You no longer have your gun.
Wove taken precautions.
Look, we have a little surprise for you.
Our weapons are silent.
There are two of us,
youre all alone.
-Youre in our power. -Your life is in our hands.
The gold coins in your bag...
What shall we do with him?
You mentioned wanting to rape him.
Why not? Hes a good-looking boy-
Dont provoke meWhat
do you take me for?
Did you really think Id let you get away with that and not do anything?
Its not for two little girls like you to lay down the law.
The shows over.
Youre charming...
adorable!
But lye got work to do.
Excuse me,
III leave you now.
Your enemies cant be far away.
Thats true.
You had better wait until dark.
It would be safer.
Why not here?
Dont do that! Whats your friend Elisabeth going to say?
But Elisabeth doesnt care, do you, Elisabeth?
Of course not. Its all the same to me.
Trust us.
We could have got away and raised the alarm just now.
Come into the next room.
We can make up some punch,
and thorns a fire in there.
Later, when it gets dark, you can leave if you like.
Come and III tell you why we sent all the staff away from the chateau.
When it gets dark, youll know why the two of us are here alone.
Its too late now.
Youve stumbled into Elisabeth and Evas life.
The universe of madness and deathIts
a pity...
I think I could have loved you.
You know I only did it to stop him leaving,
to keep him here till dawn.
I was playing with the gun and it went off.
This time rn going.
The shot will certainly have been heard outside.
Is there a back way out?
Were surrounded by water, the bridge is the only way out.
Were trapped.
-When do the staff come back? -Not for two days.
But at nightfall...
..a few friends will be coming.
We dont want the staff around while theyre here.
Nobody must know whos coming tonight.
Its all very melodramatic!
I dont care which mysterious lover youre expecting,
I have to get out of here.
.1 think theres an old boat.
We could use it to escape to the other side.
Well, go and find it-quickly!
Mark, our guests mustnt see you.
Why does it matter?
Escape before they get here, before it gets dark.
Listen, I know nothing about your secrets,
but I dont intend to be captured.
Im expected in London.
But...
Are you crying?
Why?
Cant you see that Im trying to save you?
Dont you realise that Eva only did it to keep you here?
Didnt you realise that I loved you?
That lye loved you since you first arrived at the chateau.
Weve got him.
Hes armed.
Tonight, Ill get to the door.
Leave one of the girls.
Ill take care of her myself.
Look!
My God, the bag with the money!
The bitch!
Theres the money.
Take it and go.
Not so fast. Well count it first.
-Lets kill her and then count it! -Shut up!
The stables are over there.
You can count it there in peace.
Theyre taking her away. You set that up, didnt you?
Youre mad, theyll kill her.
Dont worry, shell be back.
It was the only way to keep you alive until this evening.
Now, tell me the truth,
whos coming here tonight?
Death.
Listen,
Im giving the orders now.
Were going to swap places.
You give your dress to my wife and she goes for a walk in the park.
Im going to treat you like I treat her.
Go on, get in!
YouĦEII see.
People like you think rn loony, degenerate.
But no, Im just a little bit special.
Youll see-just a little bit special!
Dont leave him, you know hes half-crazy.
Exactly. He wanted her, you see.
You could still leave the chateau before it gets dark.
-Swim across the moat and escape. -No way.
Eva, isnt coming back. Theyll kill her.
-Ill go.-Its not worth it. Look.
Well, whats this farce? Are you making fun of me or what?
Anyway, Im staying.
Ah, so yours the mysterious danger that the girls have been expecting.
Do you find me dangerous?
Like danger, youre attractive,
but there the likeness ends.
Beware, death sometimes takes the form of seduction.
Just now, Elisabeth was saying that death would appear at the chateau.
Here it is.
Let me guess...
You rock tables,
you invoke spirits...
Or perhaps...
Or perhaps you just wait for men.
Its nothing like that.
Its a club,
a sort of gathering for women.
If you stay-and I know that youre going to-
youII be the only man.
Except for Satan himself, of course.
But whats this club all about?
Youll see.
YouĦEll see...
Lets say, at midnight.
Ah, at midnight!
Satan!
Death!
Yours still not afraid?
Oh, but I am!
Im even beginning to find the situation very amusing.
I believe youve been talking to your guest about a danger.
It was to intrigue him, so he wouldnt leave.
I trust that you wouldnt try to chase him away, would you?
I see that youve met him.
Go and greet the other guests.
Who is still to come?
A few friends.
Come, lets go and receive them.
But first, let me look at you.
Youve been bleeding.
A bit.
Thats good.
Yours handsome.
And strong.
Really?
You dont mind if I examine you as if you were my horse?
Thats very amusing.
You and your friends are going to a lot of trouble to entertain me.
Take care that I dont get bored!
You think that you could get bored with me?
Youd love to take me by force.
Im only taken if I want to be.
Im in charge here.
Of everybody.
Even you!
Come on, I forgive you.
Curiosity obliges me to say nothing.
Everythings ready, you can come in.
Whos at the chateau at the moment?
Elisabeth, Eva and a guest.
-A guest? A man? -Yes.
-Whats he doing? -Is he expecting to see us all?
He knows theres a gathering tonight and he wants to be there.
-Where is he? -In the drawing room.
Should we get changed straight away?
Keep those clothes on for now. Well put on the veils at midnight.
Who is this man whos going to take part in our reunion?
Hes a thief on the run. lsnt that amusing?
How ironic-
a crook on the run hiding out here on the night of our annual reunion!
Is he attractive?
Has he got style?
What colour are his eyes-blue?
Come, lets go and find him.
Oh, very nice!
How impressive!
Is this for the arrival of Death?
But where are the guests? I dont see them.
So when do you start your mysterious reunion? I cant wait!
At midnight and not before.
Dont be in such a hurry. You might regret it.
Make the most of life, and of us!
You seem to be telling me to enjoy my last moments!
No one survives our secret ceremonies.
Then I must do as you say.
Lets see...
Elisabeth is strange this evening.
She set out to make him stay, but her hearts not in it.
What a pity...
for him.
And for her!
Elisabeth, you seem preoccupied.
I was thinking that I wanted you more than ever.
Youre mine.
I dont belong to anyone! Not to you, nor to your mysterious friends.
The only reason I stayed was for your secret meeting.
I dont believe in Evas passion or your unlikely words of love.
Maybe one of us was sincere, but what does it matter.
At midnight, youll see what seven women can do to a lone man.
Im tired of all your secrets.
All your efforts to scare me are useless.
I want to enjoy myself-
Find us!
ItĦEs...
Eva!
You got it wrong!
ItĦEs...
Helen!
Youve won!
-Then lye a right to a forfeit. -Yes, but it will have to be quick.
Its past eleven, and the games stop at midnight.
For fifteen minutes, youll obey me as if you were my slave.
-So be it. -Come to the smoking room.
-Stop them!-Why?
Dont you feel anything for him?
Elisabeth, youre not going to betray us, are you?
-Youre not in love with him? -No, of course not. Only...
Only...?
Why her?
Those are the risks of blind mans buff.
Do you think she cheated?
I was watching closely, he guessed correctly on his own.
He didnt recognise me. What do you think hell do to her?
Id love to be in her place.
Hell take revenge, humiliate her.
We forced him to stay here.
He was manipulated and he knows it.
Hell take revenge on her because shes the one in charge.
Dont be jealous. Hell be here for all of us, wont he, Elisabeth?
Yes,
for all of you.
We wont have much longer to wait.
Thats right, its nearly midnight.
-Its time to put on the costumes. -Ill get them.
Get undressed!
Thats good, youre very brave.
Did you really think that I would burn you?
Is that all?
I just wanted to bring you down a bit.
Youre too bossy for my taste.
The fifteen minutes are up, its nearly midnight.
Now, youre ours!
The shows over now.
I dont even want to know the secret behind your little reunion-
Perhaps your position shields you from the murder of a girl like her,
but its not the same for me.
I belong much more to her world than to yours.
Maybe Elisabeth was right.
Perhaps yours Death.
Perhaps you kill for amusement.
Im going.
Youre mistaken.
That girl-who was actually your enemy and wanted you dead-
was killed accidentally.
But what does it matter? Nobodys going to keep you here.
Have my horse as a gift. Its in the stables.
YouII get away faster from here, as we appear to frighten you so.
Frightening?
A bunch of bourgeois crackpots playing dodgy games?Why
did you do that?
You were mine.
I loved you.
Thats enough! Youre mad!
Youre not going to finish her off?!
Look at her blood running.
Look...
how the blood attracts them.
Theyre coming nearer.
They can see it.
They want it!
Stop! You dont know what yours saying!
Come, Ill tell you everything.
Come!
Stop!
Arent you coming, Helen?
Come and satisfy your thirst, like us.
Hurry, shes still warm.
Now we can rest. It will soon be daylight.
The man and Elisabeth...
Theyve both gone.
He wont say anything, hes on the run.
Elisabeth will come back, rn sure.
Shes too much like you.
Elisabeth...
Elisabeth, I love you, too.
Now, tell me the truth.
Your companions-who are they all?
What is their secret?
In the morning, some of us go to an abattoir to drink fresh ox blood.
On doctors orders, of course.
Its a cure for anaemia.
Its become very fashionable.
Smart ladies meet gentlemen, fashionable women see old admirers.
But one day,
a few high society girls decided to try something other than ox blood.
These girls meet at the chateau.
Two of them come the evening before and look for a victim male.
He is sacrificed and the smart ladies drink his blood.
When the servants return a bit later,
all traces of the killing have gone.
Thats all.
But its completely mad!
For the taste?
For pleasure? Out of depravity?
Why would they do something so dreadful?
But youre not like that, are you?
You love me, you saved me.
Were going to get away from these madwomen.
Get away?
Madwomen... Madwomen?!
Madwomen.
Blood is the life which flows in you.
But its also death when it escapes,
a true symbol of life and of death...
Perhaps theres no going back, once its touched your lips.
But you do love me, dont you?
I did love you, but remember, you rejected me.
I loved Eva..
and I killed her!
The blood cult is strange, bizarre.
The love of blood may be more than that of the body in which it flows.
Why?
I dont think I ever loved you.
What I liked about you was...
Did I hear a shot?
We were in the pigeon loft.
He killed Eva
I killed him.
Yours beautiful like that, with his blood on your mouth.