A little-known fact is that Lucio actually made dramas and giallo films before venturing into zombie territory. One of those films was...
Italian films like this are known for their oblique titles that are hard to decipher. This is definitely one of those. Even still, I only sort of get it.
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The film begins with a mysterious man killing a child in a rural Italian village. Well, to be honest, you don't really see it. That actually goes for most of the 'shocking events' in this movie. Is it a budgetary thing? Maybe. I think it has more to do with cultural sensitivities though. I tell you this to not scare off those afraid of the subject matter and not to overly-encourage those that may actually love it. Weirdos.
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Everyone in town is very sad and also very upset. They want to bring the killer to justice before another kid bites the dust. Oops, too late for that. A local woman and a priest seek to decipher the mystery. They come across a lot of people that are suspicious, which is weird given that the town has a population of about fifty people. They catch a man who confesses to the latest crime. Well, movie over.
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As it turns out, he is a crazy man who did nothing. Oh well. The mystery continues to elude them as another child is tragically killed. You may want to pick up the pace, people. The title line finally comes into play as the lady gives a Donald Duck doll to a local girl. The girl later goes missing and the doll is missing it's head. This is the real tragedy people! The death of children I can take, but the desecration of a Disney icon is entirely another matter!
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One crazy-looking woman is suspected of the crimes and beaten in one of the film's two violent and bloody scenes. The crescendo of the attack is a whipping of her face with a steel chain. Yowza! Of course, she is innocent. Eventually, the girl figures out that it is the priest that has done the crimes. He is haunted by childhood memories that have driven him insane. He has a showdown with the woman and is inadvertently pushed off of a cliff. This causes him to turn into a mannequin as part of his head is scraped off by a nearby rock during the fall. Yowza again!
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Is this movie good? Well, it is, actually. It is not great when compared to other giallos of the era like What Have You Done to Solange? I realize that I have mentioned this movie before, but you will learn why in a later review. The film has a dark subject matter, but a manageable tone. Given this film's reputation, it is often compared to the non-classic Who Can Kill A Child? This is definitely better and doesn't promise what it cannot deliver. Is that too much to ask? If you like European mysteries, give this one a rental, even though I just told you the whole story.
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As luck would have it, I got another Fulci movie in today. That means a big finale. Stay tuned...
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