Riz Ortolani
Non si sevizia un paperino

Don't Torture a Duckling is the soundtrack of the film of the same name by Lucio Fulci, released in 1972. For the less informed, it is a cult movie that fits into the Italian giallo genre of which Fulci was a well-regarded author. The abundant violence and the morbidity of certain scenes (unforgettable is the one where a child encounters a nude Barbara Bouchet, a scene that resulted in Fulci and the actress being charged with obscenity. In reality, the child was played by a dwarf, Domenico Semeraro, a taxidermist who would later become involved in an equally morbid criminal case) attracted a host of admirers but an equally vast number of detractors to the film.

Regarding the soundtrack, Don't Torture a Duckling is a typical work in the style of Riz Ortolani: romantic orchestrations, forays into easy listening, ambient sounds. Added to this is the constant presence of strings whose function is to create a whirlwind effect, a menacing sonic vortex. Furthermore, in the famous ultra-violent scene where Florinda Bolkan is brutally beaten with chains and sticks, Maestro Ortolani self-references, within a frenetic radio zapping, although the stroke of genius is having associated with these scenes of unheard violence, a piece performed by Ornella Vanoni, whose listening I obviously recommend.

Having said that, I believe it’s impossible to enjoy this soundtrack apart from the images to which it refers, so its viewing is highly recommended.