This is one of the best films - quite possibly the best film - in Lucio Fulci's oeuvre. A masterful Giallo telling the tale of child murders within and the effect they have upon a rural Italian town facing up to the encroaching modern world. There is a real sense of assurance behind the camera here and the film features Fulci's best ever cast who give splendid turns - Tomas Milian, Barbara Bouchet, Florinda Bolkan, Irene Papas, Marc Porel.
It is hard to find fault with the film itself really, but it was treated to a dreadful English dub - the choice of voices used for the non-lead characters is appalling, more suiting a third rate Spaghetti Western than a thriller set in then modern Italy. Sadly, the Blue Underground disk I watched had no Italian with English sub option, which I think it a real shame where this film is concerned. The English dub is most unsuitable and shows a misunderstanding of the material. Other than that the disk was a beautiful transfer, and I felt as if I was watching the film for the first time, so far a cry was it from the fuzzy, multi-generation pan&scans with which I grew up.
On a personal level, I think this era was Fulci's peak as a film-maker. I do love his 1979 - 1982 "second wind" also, but more for the experimental ideas and dabblings with surrealism. In a film like Don't Torture A Duckling you can see the artistry Fulci was capable of achieving - helped by the glorious photography of Sergio D'Offizi and what is probably Riz Ortolani's best soundtrack.
A superb film and a definite summit within the Giallo genre. And Barabara Bouchet never looked more beautiful or more sexy!
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