SYNOPSIS :

Bluebeard brings Judith, his new bride, to a remote castle. There are no windows, only seven locked doors. Bluebeard tells her that no one must see what lies behind them. She asks that the doors be opened to let in air and sunlight. He opens the first door, revealing a torture chamber. Judith is unafraid and asks Bluebeard to let her open the second door. Behind it, she finds his armory, its weapons covered in blood.

In the third room, she sees mountains of gold and gems, all stained with blood. The fourth door reveals the castle’s secret garden, its flowers speckled with blood. He tells her not to question him and bids her open the fifth door to fill the castle with light. Through the fifth door, Judith sees Bluebeard’s vast kingdom, but soon a cloud casts a blood-red shadow over the radiant landscape.

Two doors are still unopened. He says they must remain so, but she again resists. Bluebeard lets her open the sixth door. Behind it lies a tranquil lake, filled with tears. Bluebeard warns her that the last door must stay shut forever. She demands that it be opened. In the final chamber are the ghosts of his former wives, whom she joins.

—Synopsis by William Friedkin

December 7th 2024, 4pm