Keoma (1976)

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 ... See full summary »

Director:

Enzo G. Castellari

Writers:

Enzo G. Castellari (screenplay), Nico Ducci (screenplay),

Stars:

Franco Nero, William Berger, Olga Karlatos

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Franco Nero	...	Keoma
William Berger	...	William Shannon
Olga Karlatos	...	Lisa
Orso Maria Guerrini	...	Butch Shannon
Gabriella Giacobbe	...	The Witch
Antonio Marsina	...	Lenny Shannon
Joshua Sinclair	...	Sam Shannon (as John Loffredo)
Donald O'Brien	...	Caldwell (as Donald O'Brian)
Leonardo Scavino	...	Doctor (as Leon Lenoir)
Wolfango Soldati	...	Confederate Soldier
Victoria Zinny	...	Brothel Owner
Alfio Caltabiano	...	Member of Caldwell's Gang
Woody Strode	...	George

Storyline

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.

---

Plot Keywords:

half brother | half breed | slave | revenge | dead woman with eyes open | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Western | Action

---

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

25 November 1976 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Desperado

Filming Locations:

Campo Imperatore, L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Uranos Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Franco Nero's long hair is a wig.

---

Quotes

[last lines]
Keoma: He can't die. And you know why? Because he's free. And man who's free never dies.

---

Connections

Referenced in Midnight Movie Review: The Choice of Koolhoven: Keoma & Django (2011)

User Reviews

a spaghetti tour de force!

This is one of the great spaghetti westerns. Franco Nero puts in what is perhaps his best performance ever, and it's great to see that his voice is not dubbed by someone else here. This is an action packed, gut wrenching, on the edge of your seat western from start to finish. It also has all the style, symbolism, and violence one could ask for from a spaghetti western, and then some.

This film has been criticized for a few different reasons, and I feel compelled to address a couple of those comments. The number one topic for discussion seems to be the soundtrack. Yes the soundtrack is a bit strange, but so is the movie, so in a way it's fitting. Personally, I think it's kind of hit and miss, but it works for the most part. I really like the female vocals. Her voice has a creepy, melancholy, and otherworldly quality to it that matches the film perfectly. The male vocals, on the other hand, sounded like an Italian muppet to me at first. Perhaps the cookie monster. I do have to say though that I just watched the film for the third time and the guy doesn't sound nearly as bad to me as he did the first time. This is a damn good movie anyway, regardless of whether or not one likes the soundtrack.

Another criticism I've heard is that Franco Nero plays an Indian with an Italian accent. First of all, this kind of thing is very common in films. Think of all the Romans, Greeks, Martians, etc. that have had English or American accents in the movies. This is no different except that in this movie it actually adds to the characterization of Keoma. He is an outsider, and the fact that his accent is so unique to the setting just adds to the effect.

Keoma's flashbacks to his boyhood are extremely well done, and the children they picked to play him and his half-brothers are very realistically matched to their adult counterparts. There are some cool slow-motion action scenes, and the action scenes in general are top-notch. I also like the character of the old woman who seems to have some kind of supernatural link to Keoma. We're never quite sure what her relationship is to him, or even whether she is real or not. The acting from all of the main players is also very well done, and the cinematography is beautiful.

This is one of those spaghetti westerns that stands out from the crowd. It's a must-see if you are at all interested in the genre. I would recommend it to anyone who likes westerns, action flicks, or movies that are not made with a cookie-cutter.