He
was the second “Godfather of Gore.” Herschell Gordon Lewis was the first
filmmaker to be dubbed with the title, but Lucio Fulci was a genuine film-stylist
many consider a true auteur. He made films in nearly every genre, including White
Fang, starring Franco Nero, but his reputation firmly rests on his giallo
horror films of the 1960s and 1970s. Fulci, the filmmaker and the father, is
profiled in Simone Scafidi’s slightly hybrid-ish documentary, Fulci for Fake,
which screens (virtually) as part of the (online) 2020 Chattanooga Film Festival.
Scafidi
(a.k.a. “Saigon”) sets up the film with a fictionalized conceit. Supposedly,
actor Nicola Nocella will be playing Fulci in a biopic, but to better
understand the man he is to portray, he must learn from those who knew him
best. Therefore, he is the one ostensibly conducting all the on-camera
interviews. Frankly, it is a questionable device, since the film still largely
functions as a traditional, career-surveying documentary. Of course, that also
means Fulci fans will indeed learn quite a bit about the master.
As
one would hope, we do indeed get a fair supply of behind-the-scenes dishing as
well as critical analysis of Fulci’s major giallos. Fans will be interested to hear
from Fulci’s frequent cinematographer Sergio Salvati and composer Fabio Frizzi,
as well as his protégé, Michele Soavi (who directed Cemetery Man and The Sect). However, the real surprising emotional centerpiece of the film are
the reminiscences of Fulci’s daughter, Camilla Fulci, whose unfortunate
accident profoundly affected her father. She is also well-qualified to discuss
his work, having served as a 1st assistant director or script
supervisor on many of his films.
Ironically,
viewers probably gain more appreciation for Fulci as a father and a husband,
who endured more than his share of trials and tribulations than as a defining
giallo master. Sadly, Camilla Fulci passed away shortly after Fake was
completed. Hopefully, she had a chance to see her father get his documentary-due,
but in any event, it is hard to overstate what she brings to film. For the
record, Fulci’s other daughter Antonella also participated, but she only
appears towards the end.
If
you are not intimately acquainted with the Fulci filmography, Fake will
definitely whet your appetite to see more. It presents quite a full
psychological profile of the gore artist. Despite the head-scratching attempts
at stylization, it is a sensitive and insightful, but not entirely uncritical
portrait. Recommended for giallo fans, Fulci for Fake screens virtually
(5/22-5/25) during this year’s Chattanooga Film Festival.
