The Conspiracy of Torture

I read the 12 reviews (at this time), and not much to add really. It really feels like the 16th century. There is something special about the detail put in to the costumes and set designs. The acting is really 1st class, and Fulci really works them to get convincing performances. The story line deserves a lot of credit, this being a 1969 flick. Its non-linear structure is maximised to full effect. Sadly its literally unheard of, despite coming out 2 years before The Devils (1971). Would have thought the controversial content, would have at least have kept it in the spot light over the years. Its a fine period piece, and I can see why Fulci was proud of it.

While Lucio Fulci considered Zombie Flesh Eaters and The Beyond the two films that forever catapulted him to cult film stardom, there were two films at the start of his career that he considered his best all-round work: Don't Torture a Duckling, and this.

And it's easy to see why - 'Beatrice Cenci' (aka The Conspiracy of Torture) is arguably his most mature effort: a fact-based historical drama laced with revenge, politics, and a touch of religion; a film which, going by release date, belies its position in the director's filmography.

Set in 1599, the story is told mainly through flashbacks of how Beatrice Cenci plotted the murder of her abusive father with the aid of her stepmother and lover.

It's rare when a Fulci film contains a story that takes priority over violence, but it's refreshing. There's no gratuitous gore on display here, just brutal, historically accurate torture methods. It's also thematically satisfying, with love servicing the narrative well, particularly when accompanied by a poignant score to bolster its impact in the latter stages.

It might take its time to grip you, but once it does, 'Beatrice Cenci' proves to be a compelling effort from the soon-to-be-labelled Godfather of Gore, with strong direction, solid performances, and great camera work making for an impactful historical drama.

8/10.

Those expecting a typical horror movie will be disappointed, as the horror depicted here is the Catholic Church's use of torture in the Middle Ages, and their greed. Fulci doesn't flinch from presenting the evil that was the church in that time.

Those who do not like period pieces may find this film dull, but Fulci does a great job producing a work that is both beautiful and interesting.

Adrienne Larussa was beautiful and did a very good job as the title character. Her father, played by Georges Wilson, was an evil man who kept her locked up. Wilson does a very good job portraying someone you really want to see die.

You have to love a strong determined woman. Even in the face of torture by the church, she remained strong.

Definitely not a movie for faithful Catholics.

Beatrice Cenci is an usual film, especially considering that it was directed by Lucio Fulci who is most known for his horror and giallo films which include A Lizard in a Woman's Skin and The House by the Cemetery. The film is based on a true story and Fulci does not approach the subject matter in the way that you would expect, which helps to elevate the film above similarly-themed films of the same time period. Although not quite cinema verite, the film does show the setting of Rome in the late 1500s in a very grim, dingy, and sweaty fashion, which perhaps is the clue that this is a Fulci film. Although we are dealing with aristocrats living in a Rome known for its excess, we are shown people who are not pretty actors on a stage, but are very human, which necessarily involves displays of brutality and inhumanity.

The film is nonlinear and involves the case of Beatrice Cenci who was alleged to have led several associates in the murder of her father, one of the wealthiest men in Rome. If there is a weakness in the film it is perhaps that it tries hard to establish the guilt of the father, immediately showing him as a heartless monster, rather than perhaps taking a modern line where everyone is guilty. The nonlinearity also isn't always successful because of a lack of distinction on film between the present and the past. The at times restrained acting and the icy beauty of the female characters is perhaps characteristically Fulci. The film is not groundbreaking, but it's worth a watch.

Incredible production values for a Fulci film. This may be his best looking work - from the set to the costumes - it's a great looking film. The acting is also much better than in most of his other films. However, the story was not that interesting. Its told in a series of flashbacks. I finished the film just not knowing what the point of it all was. Not a horror film, but it features horrific content.