Whether he’s known as “The Poet Of The Macabre” or “The Godfather Of Gore,” Lucio Fulci (1927-1996) remained a bit of an acquired taste throughout much of his professional life.
From what I’ve read, the critical community pretty much dismissed the writer/director, some even suggesting that the auteur truly only dabbled in fare best described as perhaps ‘intellectual exploitation.’ Though his output appeared modestly popular with the general viewing public, his catalogue remained largely obscure amongst those whose business it is to give such pictures a ‘thumbs up’ or a ‘thumbs down.’ Despite the fact that he dabbled in just about every genre there is, he still remained largely unembraced, garnering only a couple awards mentions and even those being from the film festival circuit. Sometimes, all one gets is a hard-knock life.
If output is any indication, then I’d argue that the man is owed (minimally) much more than a footnote in the history of Italian cinema. His IMDB.com profile alone shows he contributed an impressive sixty-eight scripts alongside a respectable sixty-one pictures directed, leaving those of us who ponder what films mean a none-too-small library of content worthy of study. Of course, this isn’t to say that all of it even nears the theatrical pinnacle; but it should confirm that the man was a major player in his day and deserves a second look.
Google.com reports that many consider Fulci’s Don’t Torture A Duckling (1972) the storyteller’s best work; so I’m pleased to offer up my thoughts on Arrow Films’ release scheduled to hit the shelves on March 25, 2025. While I haven’t seen enough of the director’s flicks to be considering any kind of expert on them or his skills, I have seen a good deal of Giallo thrillers – of which Duckling certainly qualifies – in order to have something to say about it. I’ll assure you up front that it’s very good – a bit rough here and there – but what I enjoyed most about it is probably when it was more conventional than bloody.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From what I’ve read, the critical community pretty much dismissed the writer/director, some even suggesting that the auteur truly only dabbled in fare best described as perhaps ‘intellectual exploitation.’ Though his output appeared modestly popular with the general viewing public, his catalogue remained largely obscure amongst those whose business it is to give such pictures a ‘thumbs up’ or a ‘thumbs down.’ Despite the fact that he dabbled in just about every genre there is, he still remained largely unembraced, garnering only a couple awards mentions and even those being from the film festival circuit. Sometimes, all one gets is a hard-knock life.
If output is any indication, then I’d argue that the man is owed (minimally) much more than a footnote in the history of Italian cinema. His IMDB.com profile alone shows he contributed an impressive sixty-eight scripts alongside a respectable sixty-one pictures directed, leaving those of us who ponder what films mean a none-too-small library of content worthy of study. Of course, this isn’t to say that all of it even nears the theatrical pinnacle; but it should confirm that the man was a major player in his day and deserves a second look.
Google.com reports that many consider Fulci’s Don’t Torture A Duckling (1972) the storyteller’s best work; so I’m pleased to offer up my thoughts on Arrow Films’ release scheduled to hit the shelves on March 25, 2025. While I haven’t seen enough of the director’s flicks to be considering any kind of expert on them or his skills, I have seen a good deal of Giallo thrillers – of which Duckling certainly qualifies – in order to have something to say about it. I’ll assure you up front that it’s very good – a bit rough here and there – but what I enjoyed most about it is probably when it was more conventional than bloody.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“When a southern Italian town is rocked by a string of child murders, the police and two urban outcasts search for the culprit amid scapegoating within the superstitious community.”
A great many pictures and television shows have attempted to pull back the veneer of the small town to show that things might not be as picturesque and perfect as one would otherwise believe. Arguably, one of the very best projects ever – so far as this critic is concerned – remains David Lynch and Mark Frost’s incredible Twin Peaks series (and its supporting film). What watchers learned was that there was great potential for evil to be hiding amongst the lives of these seemingly ordinary folks – some who participated knowing while others were oblivious to it all. If nothing else, Peaks reminded us to remain vigilant with our eyes open as not everything worth knowing could be seen at first blush.
In several ways, the terrain is somewhat similar in Don’t Torture A Duckling. As conceived by scripters Fulci, Roberto Gianviti, and Gianfranco Clerici, the picture introduces audiences to the mountain town of Accendura, one of those off the beaten track locations populated by colorful locals. In fact, the picture’s opening delicately intercuts some raucous men greeting a pair of prostitutes for an afternoon of carnal pleasure while the resident simpleton (a Peeping Tom) looks on. It isn’t long before a trio of town boys show up for their own fleeting glimpses of adult flesh, injecting a bit of comic chaos on to the scene.
Just as it was a murder that set Twin Peaks into narrative motion, the same happens here. Bruno – one of the young boys from the opening – turns up dead, and it isn’t long before the police and the populace begin suspecting anyone and everyone who doesn’t quite abide in their tightly-knit community. Suspicion extends from the simple Guiseppe to the newly arrived Patrizia (the stunning Barbara Bouchet) to even Maciara (Florinda Bolkan), a practitioner of black magic. Eventually, none of these are proven to be the guilty culprit; and it’ll take the unlikely pairing of a big city journalist – Andrea Martelli (Tomas Milian) – and Patrizia to serve as detectives willing to expose the mastermind behind it all.
Without a doubt, Duckling fits the Giallo mold quite well. It’s a story wrapped around a solid murder mystery, and Fulci packs it to the gills with moments of suspense as the young boys fall victim one-by-one to some dastardly unknown perpetrator. Though the gore is a bit lowkey for the most part, the director wildly makes up for it in the last reel when the killer is ceremonially dispatched in a fall from a mountain, repeatedly grazing his face on sharp rocks on his descent to the ground below. (Frankly, I laughed at it, but that’s just me.) The Horror is a bit light – vastly lighter than I’ve seen in many other Giallos – but it serves the narrative well enough when given the proper airing, especially when it comes to staging the bodies of dead children. Definitely, Fulci hits the mark, and the picture works.
“When a southern Italian town is rocked by a string of child murders, the police and two urban outcasts search for the culprit amid scapegoating within the superstitious community.”
A great many pictures and television shows have attempted to pull back the veneer of the small town to show that things might not be as picturesque and perfect as one would otherwise believe. Arguably, one of the very best projects ever – so far as this critic is concerned – remains David Lynch and Mark Frost’s incredible Twin Peaks series (and its supporting film). What watchers learned was that there was great potential for evil to be hiding amongst the lives of these seemingly ordinary folks – some who participated knowing while others were oblivious to it all. If nothing else, Peaks reminded us to remain vigilant with our eyes open as not everything worth knowing could be seen at first blush.
In several ways, the terrain is somewhat similar in Don’t Torture A Duckling. As conceived by scripters Fulci, Roberto Gianviti, and Gianfranco Clerici, the picture introduces audiences to the mountain town of Accendura, one of those off the beaten track locations populated by colorful locals. In fact, the picture’s opening delicately intercuts some raucous men greeting a pair of prostitutes for an afternoon of carnal pleasure while the resident simpleton (a Peeping Tom) looks on. It isn’t long before a trio of town boys show up for their own fleeting glimpses of adult flesh, injecting a bit of comic chaos on to the scene.
Just as it was a murder that set Twin Peaks into narrative motion, the same happens here. Bruno – one of the young boys from the opening – turns up dead, and it isn’t long before the police and the populace begin suspecting anyone and everyone who doesn’t quite abide in their tightly-knit community. Suspicion extends from the simple Guiseppe to the newly arrived Patrizia (the stunning Barbara Bouchet) to even Maciara (Florinda Bolkan), a practitioner of black magic. Eventually, none of these are proven to be the guilty culprit; and it’ll take the unlikely pairing of a big city journalist – Andrea Martelli (Tomas Milian) – and Patrizia to serve as detectives willing to expose the mastermind behind it all.
Without a doubt, Duckling fits the Giallo mold quite well. It’s a story wrapped around a solid murder mystery, and Fulci packs it to the gills with moments of suspense as the young boys fall victim one-by-one to some dastardly unknown perpetrator. Though the gore is a bit lowkey for the most part, the director wildly makes up for it in the last reel when the killer is ceremonially dispatched in a fall from a mountain, repeatedly grazing his face on sharp rocks on his descent to the ground below. (Frankly, I laughed at it, but that’s just me.) The Horror is a bit light – vastly lighter than I’ve seen in many other Giallos – but it serves the narrative well enough when given the proper airing, especially when it comes to staging the bodies of dead children. Definitely, Fulci hits the mark, and the picture works.
Still, what worked more for me was the eventual team-up of Andrea and Patrizia as the central sleuths who’ll stop at nothing to uncover who amongst the townsfolk is behind such evil acts. Milian gets just enough scenes to show that he’s a bit jaundiced of his work truly serving to benefit society, and he grows increasingly frustrated that the local authorities seem more attached to maintaining the status quo than they are exposing a murderer. Naturally, his character is drawn to Patrizia, but thankfully Duckling never descends into the scope of a romantic thriller, leaving Milian and Bouchet instead as the goodlooking pair of cockeyed characters who might – might – explore a relationship after the bring a stop to the violence.
The casting of Bouchet – a former beauty pageant winner from the 1950’s – is decidedly inspired. Early in Duckling, she’s portrayed as a bit of tease, one willing to use her naked body to entice young Michele with the prospect of – ahem – sexual relations when ultimately she’s only wanting the bask in the amorous glow of the wide-eyed youth. Such exposure seemingly makes her feel alive, something that makes sense when we learn that she’s on retreat from the big city after enduring a scandal involving drugs. Cast into this nothingness of a town, she missing life as the center of attention, and attentions of the young man is just what she needed. In these scenes, her sensuousness is larger-than-life, a visual counterpart to the overweight, unkempt, disorderly prostitutes the boy ogled moments earlier.
Because she kinda/sorta comes to her senses later (once she’s briefly suspected as Michele’s killer), her evolution as desiring to get to the bottom of the mystery makes sense. Pairing her up with a reporter where the two of them use their requisite skills to good ends gives Duckling the welcome feel of a caper, one that could’ve gone awry with the focus on dead boys. The darkness gets softened just a bit, and the stage is set for our crime fighting duo to accomplish what seemingly no one else can, putting them as being at the right place in the right time. That lightened the load here in ways that could’ve transformed other Giallos, too, but I suspect many of its strongest purveyors preferred showcasing buckets and buckets and buckets of blood instead.
Don’t Torture A Duckling (1972) was produced by Medusa Distribuzione. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at MVD Visual Entertainment and Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be exceptional from start-to-finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Because it’s a pretty vast collection, I’m doing the respectful copy-and-paste from Arrow’s press release previously published on Blu-ray.com:
The casting of Bouchet – a former beauty pageant winner from the 1950’s – is decidedly inspired. Early in Duckling, she’s portrayed as a bit of tease, one willing to use her naked body to entice young Michele with the prospect of – ahem – sexual relations when ultimately she’s only wanting the bask in the amorous glow of the wide-eyed youth. Such exposure seemingly makes her feel alive, something that makes sense when we learn that she’s on retreat from the big city after enduring a scandal involving drugs. Cast into this nothingness of a town, she missing life as the center of attention, and attentions of the young man is just what she needed. In these scenes, her sensuousness is larger-than-life, a visual counterpart to the overweight, unkempt, disorderly prostitutes the boy ogled moments earlier.
Because she kinda/sorta comes to her senses later (once she’s briefly suspected as Michele’s killer), her evolution as desiring to get to the bottom of the mystery makes sense. Pairing her up with a reporter where the two of them use their requisite skills to good ends gives Duckling the welcome feel of a caper, one that could’ve gone awry with the focus on dead boys. The darkness gets softened just a bit, and the stage is set for our crime fighting duo to accomplish what seemingly no one else can, putting them as being at the right place in the right time. That lightened the load here in ways that could’ve transformed other Giallos, too, but I suspect many of its strongest purveyors preferred showcasing buckets and buckets and buckets of blood instead.
Don’t Torture A Duckling (1972) was produced by Medusa Distribuzione. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at MVD Visual Entertainment and Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be exceptional from start-to-finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Because it’s a pretty vast collection, I’m doing the respectful copy-and-paste from Arrow’s press release previously published on Blu-ray.com:
- NEW 4K RESTORATION from the original 2-perf Techniscope camera negative by Arrow Films
- DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
- Newly restored original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks
- Optional English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
- Audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films
- Giallo a la Campagna, a video discussion with Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film
- Hell is Already in Us, a video essay by critic Kat Ellinger
- Lucio Fulci Remembers, a rare 1988 audio interview with the filmmaker
- Who Killed Donald Duck, an interview with actress Barbara Bouchet
- Those Days with Lucio, an interview with actress Florinda Bolkan
- The DP's Eye, an interview with cinematographer Sergio D'Offizi
- From the Cutting Table, an interview with editor Bruno Micheli
- Endless Torture, an interview with makeup artist Maurizio Trani
- Theatrical trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady
- Illustrated collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by Barry Forshaw and Howard Hughes
As a point of clarification: as a reviewer, I’m only provided a physical copy of the disc itself. Consequently, I cannot speak to the efficacy of any of the listed supplemental materials – artwork, inserts, booklet, etc. – so in those cases I always remind readers of the cardinal rule … “Buyer beware.”
Recommended.
So, here’s the thing: yes, Lucio Fulci’s Don’t Torture A Duckling is, indeed, a highly respected Giallo, one that deserves a bit of celebration. My greatest issue with it personally is that since I’ve now seen a good number of Italian thrillers and chillers I find it honestly a bit tame by comparison, almost a bit comical (when it shouldn’t be) in a few spots. Tonally, I think the story works better in its second half – it gradually becomes a bit of a homegrown caper, and that’s far more inviting than is its protracted set-up – but, as I said, all of that may ultimately boil down to the fact that it was released smack dab in the genre’s alleged peak (Google.com states the very best were done between 1971 and 1975) wherein the competition was quite steep. I’ve seen many, many, many more vivid ones, and Duckling is a bit subdued.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films and MVD Visual Entertainment provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Don’t Torture A Duckling (1972) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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