Bullet Points: Keoma
Revenge may be a dish best served cold but when you’re in the Southwestern United States in the 1870’s then you’ll have to take your revenge any way you can. Keoma follows a pretty tried-and-true blueprint for a Western: Post-Civil War soldier returns to his town to find it overridden with scoundrels. Wars teach men how to kill but treaties and armistices do little to calm those aggressive feelings. Keoma reminds us that when the talking fails, the smoking end of a revolver does a pretty good job of teaching a lesson.
Synopsis: Half-breed Keoma (Franco Nero) 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. Written by Ørnås via IMDB
- Coming home: Keoma had the good fortune to be fighting the American Civil War on the side of the winner. Not that fighting in any war is good, but it’s always best to be on the winning side. Keoma makes his way back to his home village only to find that a former Confederate named Caldwell has now taken power with the help of his thugs. Surprisingly, three of those thugs are Keoma’s own half brothers.
- No good deed: A run in with some bad guys and some civilians said to have the plague sends Keoma into action. He ends up saving the life of a pregnant woman and is essentially obligated to save her ass for the rest of the film.
- Four brothers: A few flashbacks tell us about Keoma’s upbringing. He’s half-Indian and is adopted by Papa Shannon after his tribe is massacred. The three young Shannon boys then spend the next several years kicking his ass and calling him names. Is it any wonder they don’t welcome him back with open arms?
- Saving the town: Franco Nero challenges Caldwell and then begins to clash with his gang. Not the best idea. There are something like 30 or more members of Caldwell’s gang and Keoma only has so many bullets. Lucky for him, he can knife a dude from 200 feet away!
- Town under fire: The final act of the film is fan-freakin’-tastic! It reminded me a lot of the finale of the samurai flick 13 Assassins and I love that movie. Give me one more action scene in the beginning of this movie and it is a serious contender for my favorite Western of all time. Keoma and his new crew get a chance to lay down a serious amount ass-whoopin’s and believe me when I say that they’re the most accurate marksmen in The West.
- Hero or martyr: Was it all for nothing? Keoma goes through a metaphorical Hell trying to take down Caldwell and his ruffians. A time comes when the lines between hero, villain, or martyr are at the forefront. What does the town want or need? An excellent ending to the movie and one that doesn’t quite fit the prototypical Western.
The Verdict: Keoma was very much a tale of two halves for me. I watched the movie with my Western-loving Dad and we spent the first 40 minutes or so wondering if we made the right decision. Luckily, as the film progressed and Keoma began to fight back against Caldwell and his men, it blasted its way to being one of my favorite Westerns not starring guys named John or Clint. Keoma cranks up the action to 11, and that musical pun works doubly since star Franco Nero sang some of the songs for the soundtrack. The action, though, is done remarkably well and paints Keoma as a serious badass whose draw is quicker than a hiccup. I think it’s safe to say that Keoma needs to be watched by any serious fan of Westerns but beware the slow start and prepare yourself for a wild finish.
