DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING is a murder mystery tale about the most despicable of killers: A child murderer. Duckling came about relatively early in Fulci's horror/mystery career well before such genre classics as The House by the Cemetery and The Beyond. Duckling contains many of the elements that would become signatures of the director's: graphic nudity, gore effects, and brutal violence. The film is gruesome, depraved, and a well done mystery. It has all the elements of a shocking gaillo film horror aficionados have come to expect.
THE PLOT
Children have been disappearing in the small Italian town of Accendura. One by one the bodies begin to surface, each one murdered by strangulation or drowning or worse. The boys had been known to play together and cause mischief, which made them unpopular around certain areas and people. Was it the simpleton Guiseppe whom the boys would often tease? Or was it the mad voodoo woman La Magiara? Or was it someone else entirely? The bodies continue piling up with the killer showing no signs of stopping.
THE GOOD
Tone. The film opens with a woman digging through the dirt with their bare hands. Slowly she brushes the dirt away from what ultimately reveals to be a skeletal corpse of an infant child. The image is striking and visceral accompanied by jarring musical cues. The combination of the music and images create a disturbing opening sequence. It's one of the most powerful pieces in the whole film. The tone of the film continues along this course showing the viewer uncomfortable scenes with young children and brutal murders. Few horror films have the cajones to go where this film does, touching on such primal fears as children in danger.
Mystery. Lucio Fulci would ultimately be known for his dripping red gorefests of the late 70's and early 80's. The foundation of Fulci's love of gore can be seen in Duckling with the many graphic sights therein. But Fulci has also shown a talent for crafting mystery and intrigue. Throughout Duckling we are given a selection of possible perpetrators, each one built up so well that the audience would believe any of them capable of such heinous acts. Fulci crafts a depraved murder mystery as compelling as it is horrific. The director would go on to perfect his mystery storytelling a few years later with the 1977 film The Psychic.
THE BAD
Not much. There isn't a whole lot one can fault this film for. The acting of some of the supporting cast is a little spotty here and there, but for a 70's gaillo film that's par for the course. Along with that there are a few underdeveloped characters. Then there is the final sequence which suffers from the film's low budget (use your imagination to fill in the believability gap). Ultimately it is the grim subject matter and disturbing imagery that comes across as off-putting at moments. I wouldn't call it a fault though. I'd call it damn effective filmmaking. To say the least, this film isn't for everybody, especially not the squeamish.
THE VERDICT
The gruesome effects are strikingly effective and the murder mystery is well written and expertly crafted. The subject matter of the film is disturbing and the imagery is no less appalling, as it should be. Director Lucio Fulci melds graphic imagery with a classic murder mystery leaving one wondering just who is the murderer. Don't Torture A Duckling shows more of the director's abilities as a storyteller than the later films he is known for.
Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 5 out of 10
For more Gaillo films, Euro-Horror, and Lucio Fulci films be sure to check out these as well.
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