Movielogr
Keoma (1976)
Directed by Enzo G. Castellari
Twitter Facebook Google+Most recently watched by sleestakk
Overview
Half-breed Keoma returns to his border hometown after service in the Civil War and finds it under the control of Caldwell, an ex-Confederate raider, and his vicious gang of thugs. To make matters worse, Keoma’s three half-brothers have joined forces with Caldwell, and make it painfully clear that his return is an unwelcome one. Determined to break Caldwell and his brothers’ grip on the town, Keoma partners with his father’s former ranch hand to exact violent revenge.
Rated R | Length 100 minutes
Actors
Franco Nero | William Berger | Olga Karlatos | Orso Maria Guerrini | Gabriella Giacobbe | Antonio Marsina | Joshua Sinclair | Woody Strode | Donald O'Brien | Wolfango Soldati | Victoria Zinny | Alfio Caltabiano | Leonardo Scavino | Pierangelo Civera | Giovanni Cianfriglia | Armando Bottin | Roberto Dell'Acqua | Franco Ukmar | Riccardo Pizzuti | Riccardo Petrazzi | Massimo Vanni | Sergio Ruggeri | Augusto Funari | Osiride Pevarello | Domenico Cianfriglia | Giovanni Bonadonna | Attilio Severini | Sergio Ukmar | Giancarlo Ukmar | Angelo Ragusa | Antonio Basile | Roberto Messina | Aldo Canti | Catharina Dahlin | Giglio Gigli | Giovanni Ukmar | Clemente Ukmar | Matteo Zoffoli
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/11/2013 | TV | Blu-ray | Owned | 4 stars |
| (Average) 4 stars |
Viewing Notes
My initial reaction to this was one of disappointment. KEOMA definitely has a reputation that precedes it and because of that an image of it was in my head before I even pressed “Play”. So when I sat down to watch this with a bottle of Delirium Noël in my hand, I wasn’t prepared for what I got; the film almost lulled me into slumber which I quickly attributed to boredom.
Looking back on the experience of watching this last night and contemplating the lasting feeling with which it has left me, I’m actually looking forward to viewing this again. While the violent set pieces are top notch- Castellari’s predilection towards slow-motion uninhibited- the magic is in the forboding atmosphere that creates a murky air of dread through which the existential ruminations are filtered. There’s a surreal feeling to it all (even more so than THE GRAND DUEL which I felt was fairly out there).
Castellari pulls off some of his greatest imagery with the “4 bullets” shot being a truly noteworthy moment. Nero is fantastic as Keoma but Woody Strode is the real standout here, the sadness and loyalty of his character expressed fully at all times. A truly great role for him.
One note about the music - The theme song is great at first but when the tune is used later in the film with the addition of Randy Newman-esque narration (particularly when the crooner inexplicably changes from the signature female to a post-stroke Randy Newman-sounding guy) things take an unfortunately silly turn. The melody is catchy, but the lyrics become ridiculously banal. It’s a relatively minor quibble, the impact of which is hope is lessened on subsequent viewings.
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