Tag: franco nero

Keoma

Keoma is a 1976 movie directed by Enzo G. Castellari.

Keoma tells the story of a gunfighter who returns to his plague-ravaged hometown to battle his half-brothers and discover a meaning for his life. Franco Nero plays the title character – a half-breed former soldier attempting to find meaning in his nomadic existence.

In some respects, Keoma is a post-modern European Western – which is an oxymoron of sorts given the sub-genre’s genesis. Or at the least, Keoma represents the sunset on a wildly inventive, creatively pure era of movie making.

Either way, we get Franco Nero doing his best Jesus-esque, half-breed post-modern Hippie impersonation.

Nero plays a character very familiar to Western fans – the half-breed fighting for the respect of his family. Yet, the role feels unique given the actor’s background – particularly as Sergio Corbucci’s suave, selfish mercenary. In Keoma, Nero is an earthy, introspective fighter for the oppressed.

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Companeros

Companeros is a 1970 Italian Western directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Franco Nero.

Companeros tells the story of Yodlaf Peterson, a Swedish arms dealer who forms a shaky alliance with El Vasco, the leader of a Mexican revolutionary group. They aim to protect Professor Xantos, the intellectual head of a student resistance group, from military leader General Mongo and mercenary John, the Wooden Hand.

Companeros is a fun, stylish Italian Western that essentially represents the greatest hits of Sergio Corbucci. It’s a vivid, cleanly shot movie that is equal parts violent and campy.

The characters follow the formula created in earlier Corbucci movies – Franco Nero is the suave foreign mercenary who reveals a soft heart, Tomas Milian is the hardened gunslinger turned revolutionary, Eduardo Fajardo plays a boisterous Mexican general and Jack Palance takes another turn as a warped but quirky villain. There’s also yet another female revolutionary who plays the love interest.

And of course, it just wouldn’t be a Corbucci movie if Nero doesn’t let a machine gun rip….

Nero basically plays his role from The Mercenary, only he swaps Polish roots for Swedish. He’s suave, self-assured and playfully stoic. Again, he arrives in town to sell weapons, then gets mixed up in a revolution. Along the way, his professional lone wolf persona gets assimilated into a buddy comedy. There’s a fun running joke between his character and Milan’s El Vasco regarding a silver coin.

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Navajo Joe and The Mercenary

Navajo Joe (1966) and The Mercenary (1968) are each Italian Westerns directed by Sergio Corbucci and scored by Ennio Morricone.

Sergio Corbucci is often referred to as “the other Sergio” when movie folk discuss Italian Westerns. He is certainly less famous and commercially, his movies can’t rival Sergio Leone in terms of revenue and prestige.

However, while Leone makes epics – Corbucci makes unique, stylized, enjoyable Westerns – several of which are likely unappreciated. While Django and The Great Silence have recently earned a reputation for their gritty, dark quality, Navajo Joe and The Mercenary are two of his best – or at least, most entertaining movies.

Besides Corbucci’s direction, the common link between the two movies are the outstanding scores created by Ennio Morricone.

If you enjoyed Kill Bill, Volume 2, you’re in for a treat.

The Mercenary tells the story of Sergei “Polack” Kowalski, a hired gun whose robberies lead to a revolution against Mexican authorities. Kowalski makes a series of deals with Paco, a silver mine worker, and the pair steal money and weapons from the Mexican Army. Throughout their adventures, they are tracked by Curly, an American mercenary. In the process, Paco becomes a famed revolutionary.

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The Tarantino Influences: Django

Django is a 1966 movie directed by Sergio Corbucci. The music, themes and style were inspirations on Tarantino’s Django Unchained, Hateful Eight, Reservoir Dogs and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Django tells the story of a mysterious drifter who drags a coffin through town and ends up in the middle of a bloody feud between Southern confederates and Mexican revolutionaries. He battles both groups, using his secret weapon of destruction. Along the way, Django rescues a prostitute and attempts to leave with a bounty of gold.

The main influence on Tarantino can be found in the most glorious theme song of all time.

Behold the grandeur….

Django has a lot going for it but this introduction is the clear high point of the movie. The song is hypnotic – it’s a grand, soaring, even powerful presentation of a mysterious drifter dragging a coffin through mud. Take the song away and you still have an intriguing visual but it loses its potent flavor. This theme is strictly reserved for a dynamic hero – which defines Django for most of the movie.

Tarantino borrows the theme song and gives it to his Django, who proves to be a more worthy hero than the original. We also see the great lettering and font in Tarantino’s version and clearly there is an homage to mud. Of course, mud isn’t exclusive to either movie – but in Django, its presence fills the background similar to snow drifts in other spaghetti Westerns.

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