Fulci for Fake

Fulci for Fake is a 2019 pseudo-documentary film directed by Simone Scafidi. The it fascinatingly unravels the life of the renowned Italian filmmaker, Lucio Fulci. Known for his gory and controversial films, Fulci earned the moniker 'Godfather of Gore'. But while his professional life was littered with films that resonated with a loyal fan base and elicited a mix of horror and reverence, what was the man behind the camera actually like? Fulci for Fake takes viewers on a revelatory journey through the life of this influential figure.

Starring leading actor Nicola Nocella, the film explores the man behind the chilling cinematic classics. Nocella, known for his work in both TV and cinema, embodies the script with a suitable mix of enthusiasm and reverence for Fulci's life and work. Camilla Fulci and Antonella Fulci, Lucio Fulci's actual daughters, also make appearances in the film, offering unique, rich, and personal insights into the life of their father.

While many documentaries would proceed in a purely chronological order, Fulci for Fake takes a different approach. Scafidi does not aim to provide a linear, factual biography. The film thus frames the narrative in a structure that reflects Fulci's significant and at times controversial evergreen horror classics. The film is blunt and doesn't shy away from the more problematic aspects of Fulci's character and career. Scafidi seemingly mirrors Fulci's style, bouncing around between his career, personal life, and infamy.

In the ensemble cast, we also see testimonies from other associates and friends of Fulci. These include Sergio Salvati, who was the director of photography in many of Fulci's films and Fabio Frizzi, the composer of the haunting music of Fulci's most popular films. The testimonies are not watered down or filtered to create an unrealistically flattering portrait. Instead, they craft an image of a person, who, in spite of his significant cinematic contribution, had his share of flaws and controversies.

With a runtime of 93 minutes, Fulci for Fake offers a remarkable deep dive into the life of this influential filmmaker. The film contains interviews, testimonies, and clips from Lucio Fulci's filmography. Impressively, these pieces are sewn together by a fictitious plot device: an actor preparing to play Lucio Fulci in an upcoming biopic, thus further solidifying the 'faux documentary' style.

Particularly engaging are the scenes where Nocella, who plays the actor in the film, is seen studying and rehearsing for his role as the late horror maestro. The scenes grant insight into the world of character-building from an actor's perspective and broaden the movie-making experience for viewers in the process. This subplot also provides compellingly dramatic strain throughout the film as Nocella infuses tension into these bits with his serious approach towards portraying Fulci.

Viewers are also privy to novelty in the film’s aesthetics. Chock full of cinematic homages and stylistic throwbacks like atmospheric lighting and uncanny soundtrack, Fulci for Fake pays tribute to its subject’s iconic horror and thriller works while maintaining its unique storytelling voice.

While Scafidi draws heavily on interviews and testimonies, he also makes sure to include a significant amount of archival footage, photographs, and film clips to corroborate the spoken words. Fulci for Fake not only documents the life of a remarkable filmmaker but also does an impressive job of painting a vivid picture of a bygone era in Italian cinema.

Fulci for Fake is definitely a must-watch for Lucio Fulci fans and cinema enthusiasts. The film builds on the rich legacy of a man who pushed the boundaries of horror cinema and imprinted his gruesome yet unforgettable style onto a whole generation of movies. However, it doesn’t stop at being a simple narrative of past events and manages to emerge as a film that reflects on the process of storytelling, image-building, and memory itself. It is an engaging exploration of fame, fortune, film, and fakery, wrapped up in a love letter to the late, great Lucio Fulci. Altogether, Fulci for Fake is a reverent yet brutally honest portrayal of a cinematic titan, leaving audiences with an enriched understanding of the man beneath the lore.