Beatrice Cenci (1969) ***1/2
Beatrice Cenci (aka The Conspiracy Of Torture) (1969) is an interesting outlier in Lucio Fulci's filmography. Having made mostly Italian-centric comedies previous to this film, and afterward gaining notoriety primarily for his increasingly violent and sadistic horror movies and gialli—though he was a versatile director who made westerns, a crime picture, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action flick, and even a sword and sandal fantasy adventure—Beatrice Cenci is a surprisingly retrained period drama with only hints of the "Godfather Of Gore," as Fulci would come to be known.
Fulci's film is based on the legendary historical events of the real life Beatrice Cenci, who, along with her family and aided by two vassals, murdered her father after years of abuse by his hand. For this the Pope had them all tortured and upon confession, sentenced them all to death by public execution. If the information regarding the events described here is true, they are much more graphic and disturbing than anything in this film.
For while there are scenes of cruelty and torture, Beatrice Cenci is rather tame compared to Fulci's other work—his approach to the subject matter is presented for emotional impact when it could have easily been played merely for exploitation. Perhaps that's why Fulci was known to remark that it was his favorite of the films he made. It's also worth noting that for a filmmaker repeatedly labeled later on as a misogynist (and frankly it's somewhat understandable with some of his work), here he made a film where a young woman successfully took down the patriarch of her family when she could stand his abuse no more.
As a film, Beatrice Cenci suffers a bit from dating itself as a production clearly made in the late 60s that is supposed to represent the late sixteenth century, and there is an overall feeling that for a tale of injustice so grand in scope that something is lacking (a bigger budget and a longer production schedule, undoubtedly). One gets the impression that there is a more harrowing movie to be made from this same story. But the nonlinear nature of the film makes for an engaging experience, the split diopter shots are expertly handled, and the uncompromising critique of the Catholic church and authority in general is always welcome in this household.
You can find my Lucio Fulci Feature Films Ranked list here.
Fulci's film is based on the legendary historical events of the real life Beatrice Cenci, who, along with her family and aided by two vassals, murdered her father after years of abuse by his hand. For this the Pope had them all tortured and upon confession, sentenced them all to death by public execution. If the information regarding the events described here is true, they are much more graphic and disturbing than anything in this film.
For while there are scenes of cruelty and torture, Beatrice Cenci is rather tame compared to Fulci's other work—his approach to the subject matter is presented for emotional impact when it could have easily been played merely for exploitation. Perhaps that's why Fulci was known to remark that it was his favorite of the films he made. It's also worth noting that for a filmmaker repeatedly labeled later on as a misogynist (and frankly it's somewhat understandable with some of his work), here he made a film where a young woman successfully took down the patriarch of her family when she could stand his abuse no more.
As a film, Beatrice Cenci suffers a bit from dating itself as a production clearly made in the late 60s that is supposed to represent the late sixteenth century, and there is an overall feeling that for a tale of injustice so grand in scope that something is lacking (a bigger budget and a longer production schedule, undoubtedly). One gets the impression that there is a more harrowing movie to be made from this same story. But the nonlinear nature of the film makes for an engaging experience, the split diopter shots are expertly handled, and the uncompromising critique of the Catholic church and authority in general is always welcome in this household.
You can find my Lucio Fulci Feature Films Ranked list here.
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