Sunday, November 15, 2015

Keoma (1976)


A half-breed ex-Union gunfighter attempts to protect his plague-ridden hometown from being overridden by his racist half-brothers and a Confederate tyrant.

Masterful Spaghetti Western with a nihilistic vision of an almost apocalyptic world; Franco Nero as the Christ-like, but very violent anti-hero plays one of his best roles in this movie.

Halliwell*: "Melodramtic spaghetti Western with metaphysical overtones, including a Mother Couurage-like figure wandering through desolate landscapes; with its themes of revenge and family feuds, it plays like a Greek tragedy and is stylishly done, apart from the abysmal musical accompaniment, featuring Nero singing like an out-of-tune Lee Marvin."

Maltin***: "Standard plot is transcended by Nero's intense performance and Castellari's atmospheric direction, replete with virtuoso use of widescreen and slow motion."

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