By 1975, things had gotten fairly dark. The US was in shambles, Nixon had bled dry any sense of optimism in our world, and nihilism had firmly taken root in the decaying urban centers and sweaty discos. Shit, it was almost as bad as 2008, with the saving grace that at least the music and movies were amazing. The New Hollywood Movement was reaching its zenith.
Four of the Apocalypse is a film ahead of its time…specifically four years ahead of its time before the manifestation of Apocalypse Now. It’s a coincidence that these two films share a common title, but I suspect Francis Ford Coppola and Lucio Fulci were exploring the same dark soul. Four of the Apocalypse is a late period Acid Western, and one of the harshest.
The film’s first five minutes lulls you into thinking the plot is going to be the adventures of happy go lucky gambler Stubby Preston (the stupidly handsome Fabio Testi). After the sheriff kindly spares Stubby, a degenerate drunkard, a hooker, and lunatic gravedigger from a vigilante massacre, the tone is set dead to rights. And then the story gets darker…oh boy, a lot darker.
A hefty bribe gets Stubby and his erstwhile companions (archetypes, anyone?) a wagon, horse, and passage out of town. On their journey they run into Chaco (the marvelous and always remarkable Tomas Milan), who plays one of the great (and unrecognized) psychopaths who ever graced the silver screen. To describe any more scenes of Four of the Apocalypse would be a inexcusable series of spoilers, and I want you to enter this film with your eyes open and your mind prepared.
But I’ll try to point out some knockout scenes without ruining Four of the Apocalypse for you. The gravedigger (played with tactile grace by a creepy yet charming Harry Baird) falls further into his madness of seeing dead people (naturally), but the experimental camera work makes you really wonder if he isn’t imagining things. Michael J. Pollard (the John C. Reilly of the 70s) plays his role of the degenerate drunkard with absolute abandon and conviction. (I’d also recommend his fantastic starring performance in another Acid Western, Dirty Little Billy). Lynn Frederick plays the thankless role of the pregnant prostitute, but her last scene is touching and dramatic, ringing an unexpected note of weird optimism in a dark and dirty world. And as far as the psychedelic mushroom scene…well, all I can say is that Four of the Apocalypse ain’t no Young Guns.
It’s worth noting that director Lucio Fulci went on to become Italy’s most infamous horror/splatter director, with such genre masterpieces such as Zombi 2 and The Beyond. Indeed, Four of the Apocalypse often has the look and feel of a horror film.
I recommend Four of the Apocalypse for the experienced Acid Western tripper…start with the standard Spaghettis, work your way through High Plains Drifter and Bad Company, and then you can brace yourself for Four of the Apocalypse. It’s bad, bad trip, but one worth taking.
Tags: acid western, four of the apocalypse, tomas millan