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DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING (Lucio Fulci - Italy 1972).

Definitely a prime candidate for the most insane movie title ever conceived and that's quite an achievement in giallo-land. Originally, the film was titled even more absurdly, "Don't Torture Donald Duck", literally translated from its Italian title. A small Donald Duck figure features briefly as a toy, but hardly enough to render a title like this, but, apparently, it was changed in fear of legal ramifications by Disney. I railed quite a bit against Fulci's earlier LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN (1971), but here all the right ingredients are present. A surprisingly effective mystery, a good cast and imaginatively shot against an unusual rural setting. Everything just clicks. I think it's justly hailed as one of the director's most accomplished achievements.

The story is set against the backdrop of a small mountain-side town in Sicily, where someone is killing young teenage boys. Among the suspects, the most obvious one is a young woman, Maciara (Florinda Balkan), a self-proclaimed witch who is seen suspiciously unearthing the skeleton of a baby and sticking pins into way effigies. Guiseppe, the village idiot is under suspicion as well, since he made a feeble attempt to profit from the disappearance of one of the boys and walked right into their trap. By the time a quick-witted newshound (Tomas Milian) arrives from Milan to cover the murders, he immediately begins to question the authorities' assumptions, when he meets two other potential suspects: Don Alberto, the local priest (Marc Porel) with a high-minded attitude, and Patrizia (Barbara Bouchet), a bored young woman from the city with a troubled past of drug offense, who also fancies having sexual relations with the young boys in town. Talk about your prime red herring.

Fulci nicely contrasts modernity and tradition with the newly constructed elevated highway meandering through the Sicilian hills, past old towns where life is still firmly rooted in tradition and superstition. One could debate about the film's political stance as The North versus The South, or as commentary on small-town virtues - society's conventions in general - that are all too often dangerously close to tipping over into moral disintegration, chaos and - ultimately - self-justice by the populace. The film has often been lambasted because of its anti-catholic tone, but it's hardly an important element here, except for obvious plot-related reasons, which would be giving away too much. It's actually rather tame compared to a film like Joël Seria's DON'T DELIVER US FROM EVIL (1971). Probably, the film's rather unflattering portrayal of small-town Sicilian values (when another boy is killed, the local populace are depicted as a retarded lynch-mob) might be cause for some offense in Sicily, but - considering Sicily's problematic relation with the rest of Italy - hardly problematic for other Italians, I would think. The film vanquished into obscurity far too quickly to have much impact anyway.

When talking Fulci, the amount of gore is usually a prime subject for discussion. Although eyes-gouging scenes are lacking, the film does contain two very graphic scenes. In the gross-out finale, the killer falls of a cliff, smashing his face along the rocks on the way down with gruesome results (albeit, not very realistic). And the chain-whipping sequence with Florinda Balkan in the graveyard shows Fulci's penchant for sadistic violence and typically, he's not holding back at graphically showing what most film-makers would merely hint at. Surely, one of the most horrifying scenes in Fulci's repertoire.

Above all, this is a taut, well-written, effective little mystery, nicely lensed by Fulci, with an impressive cast of genre-regulars like Barbara Bouchet, Marc Porel (not very convincing as a priest), Tomas Milian and Florinda Balkan (mouth-foamingly crazy as the town's witch).

Camera Obscura --- 8/10

A journalist (Tomas Milian) and a morally-suspect young woman (Barbara Bouchet) try to solve a series of child killings in a remote southern Italian town that is rife with superstition and distrust of outsiders.

The script was constructed by a handful of writers, including Gianfranco Clerici, who is probably best known for his controversial "Cannibal Holocaust". This film in many ways is also controversial. Children are shown both as murder victims (which is taboo) and as less than innocent. The latter is probably more realistic than the Opie Taylor version of childhood, however. Over the years, the film has also come to be associated with anti-Catholicism and misogyny, though it would be far too simple to accept either of those accusations.

Briefly stated, the accusation of misogyny, at least in this film, is absurd. Yes, Barbara Bouchet is reduced to her unclothed physical form when we first meet her, so there is that. But the most gripping, emotional scene is the death of a woman and the agony drags on, eating deep into viewer's souls. If anyone watches that scene and thinks the intent was to torture a woman (on film) rather than to create sympathy, that point of view is within the viewer, not the creator.

The star names in this one are Barbara Bouchet, perhaps best known up to this point for "Casino Royale" (1967), and Tomas Milian, who took off with Carol Reed's "The Agony and the Ecstasy" (1965). Bouchet has done well for herself, but Milian is the bigger name for fans of cult or genre film. He popped up again and again in spaghetti westerns before finally going mainstream (i.e Hollywood). Milian may be second only to Lee VanCleef in defining the entire genre.

"Duckling" is said to be Lucio Fulci's most personal film, as well as his favorite. It is also one of his better films, and it is a shame that so many others are better known (not that those others are bad movies, mind you). The voodoo, the child murders, the suspense and development of plot... this is a finely crafted film, and is worth watching again and again. While not as outright gory as some of his work or as exploitative (despite the Bouchet scene), this more subtle approach works well.

Interestingly, although the crumbling architecture of Matera as shown in the film is authentic, it has since had a bit of an economic boom thanks to tourism and repeated appearances on film. Known as "the Subterranean City", Matera has been considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1993 and was declared Italian host of European Capital of Culture for 2019. Those Fulci fans hoping to go location scouting may find that much of it has been revamped.

The 2-disc Blu-ray set from Arrow Video is most likely the last word on "Duckling". We have a new audio commentary by giallo expert Troy Howarth. A new 28-minute video discussion with another giallo expert, author Mikel J. Koven (the creator of he term "vernacular cinema"). A new video essay by critic Kat Ellinger, who addresses the misogyny claims. And extensive interviews with Lucio Fulci, actor Florinda Bolkan, cinematographer Sergio D'Offizi, assistant editor Bruno Micheli and assistant makeup artist Maurizio Trani. It would take half a day or more just to view this material... and you should.

Overall, this is a really good movie (pretty close to great). I actually think that when I revisit this film (as is bound to happen) I'll enjoy it more the next time through. As far as a giallo film, this movie wasn't nearly as much fun as any of Argento's entries, but it did try to do some things that I found innovative and compelling. For my first Fulci film, I was rather impressed, though I can almost say for certain he won't be replacing Argento as one of my favorite horror directors. This movie is a twisty entry into a genre I love, and it's one that I've already recommended to a few people. For our full review of Don't Torture a Duckling visit True Myth Media!

I really enjoyed this film although I have only had a chance to watch it once. It's a great Giallo IMO and just as enjoyable as Fulci's later films. The direction was perhaps a bit rough around the edges but on the whole I thought the film worked really well and the ending was great (a real cliff hanger!). I thought one scene was particularly disturbing when the locals beat the hell out of a poor women while the radio played in the background. The inappropriate music made the images even harder to swallow but also gave the scene an emotional punch uncommon in a Fulci movie. I also felt that the story worked coherently and that the twist at the end was great. Fulci obviously has a rather low opinion of rural Italy's inhabitants because in this film all the villagers are presented as simpletons prone to mass-hysteria who live by their own backward laws (illustrated by the remorseless killing of the women) and religious beliefs.

In a small, idyllic village, far more is going on than meets the eye. When a local boy is found murdered, a suspect is quickly arrested. The police commissioner has serious doubts about the man they've put in jail. It's the second such killing, and it won't be the last.

Director Lucio Fulci's DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING is a disturbing giallo, due to its subject matter. It is a tale of perversity, superstition / the occult, madness, and revenge. Packed with interesting characters, red herrings, mystery and suspense, this is one of Fulci's most satisfying thrillers.

Florinda Bolkan (A LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN) is perfect as the insane, shattered Maciara. Her beating is brutal today, and had to be extreme in 1972! Barbara Bouchet (THE FRENCH SEX MURDERS, THE RED QUEEN KILLS SEVEN TIMES) is also good as the VERY free-spirited, Patrizia. Though the bloody, final revelation is a tad overdone, it remains effective...