Twilight of a Woman's Soul

Twilight of a Woman's Soul is a 1913 Russian drama film directed by Yevgeni Bauer. Plot The film opens with a party, one taking place in a beautiful, elaborately decorated garden area, among wealthy citizens, exquisitely dressed and all exhibiting their best manners. There is a missing guest though- the heroine of the story- Vera. She is born into a family of considerable wealth, but she is rather bored and tired of this luxurious but all-too-safe and secluded life. Vera is in her room while the party filled with people of polite society are mingling and dancing at her mother's estate. The butler comes for Vera, and she reluctantly goes down to greet the guests. Even at the party, though, she is bored, and she fakes a headache to leave. The next day, Vera's mother invites her to go with her to help the poor. Ecstatic, Vera jumps at the chance to do this charity work. She is so moved by helping the poor that she decides to devote her life to their cause. One of the people she helps, a man named Maxim, is enchanted by her beauty. He writes Vera a letter, asking her to come back to help with his worsening medical condition- which is a complete lie. She goes by herself to his apartment, where he rapes her. After he rapes her, Maxim falls into an alcohol-induced slumber. While he is sleeping, Vera escapes his grasp, and then she bludgeons him to death.