MovieChat Forums > Keoma (1976) Discussion > The Old Witch

The Old Witch

posted 18 years ago by Tin Man-5
12 replies | jump to latest

At first, I simply thought that she was some old hag living on the outskirts of town - the preverbial "town witch." But when I watched the film a second time, it occurred to me that no one but Keoma talks to her or evidently sees her. Could she possibly be a figment of Keoma's imagination - some sort of personification of Death and Suffering that he has created in his mind? Considering Keoma's anguish and probable instability, plus the exchange between the Witch and Keoma in the final scene ("He won't survive!"), I think this reading makes sense. Thoughts?

[–] den_dennis 18 years ago

[–] Tin Man-5 18 years ago

Yes, and that line of dialogue is what got me thinking about that. Clearly he and Death are engaged in a sort of chess game, not for his own life but for the lives of those around them. His final comment to her about the child - "He's free, and the free never die!" - almost serves as a warning to her. He's eluded her so many times, he can start calling the shots.

I think this is a very gripping film - certainly among the best European Westerns, and maybe even among the best Westerns period.

[–] den_dennis 18 years ago

Yes, I agree. This film is really well made. Western on a different level. The imagery is interesting, the characters are thought through, and Castllari is just a master with directing both the action and the more "human" sequences. Not to forget about Nero in what is maybe one of his top 3 roles (others: High Crime, The Mercenary).

Have anyone seen "Cry, Onion" (Cipolla Colt)? Funny that Castellari and Nero made that one after this. A dead serious Western followed by a slapstick-ridden comic adventure. You should try and get a hold of it just for curiosity of it. And, it is actually quite enjoyable!

Now I'm gonna watch the Big Racket.

[–] Aylmer 16 years ago

Cry, Onion was actually made BEFORE Keoma... and Loves and Times of Scaramouche came between the two.

What's fun is to watch STREET LAW, then CRY ONION... both have the exact same casts in the same roles. The same 3 bad guys come back from the dead to settle their score in the old west.

Too bad, CRY ONION is totally terrible, though entertainingly weird... but not funny at all. The only real fun to be had is in trying to figure out how ANYBODY thought those jokes would be funny. At one point Nero sees a woman and cartoon hearts appear over his head! Also, there's a scene with the De Angelis brothers singing a raven's voice (!?) and when it passes by Nero's character and smells his onion breath it falls from the sky, dead (and the singing sputters out)!

[–] jriddle73 18 years ago

I think this is a very gripping film - certainly among the best European Westerns, and maybe even among the best Westerns period.

Definitely. And terribly overlooked, as well! The terrible songs on the soundtrack shouldn't have made it that obscure.

[–] jriddle73 18 years ago

I found her to be Death itself. Like the character in "The Seventh Seal". She basically decides who's to live and who's to die. Doesn't she say to Keoma early in the film that she "allowed him to live" or something during the massacre where his mother was killed?

She is Death, and the pregnant woman is the hope of Life. The climactic sequence where the latter is giving birth, intercut with Keoma dusting off his brothers, is remarkable filmmaking.

Franco Nero and Enzo Castellari are supposed to have made another KEOMA-like movie some time around 1992 or so called JONATHAN OF THE BEARS. Anyone seen it?

[–] Tin Man-5 18 years ago

I unearthed a bootleg copy of Jonathan of the Bears, and it was very disappointing. It was basically a Dances with Wolves ripoff, with really lousy dialogue. Still, Nero is very compelling in the title role.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Tin Man-5 18 years ago

Yes - the soundtrack was better, by a John Denver wannabe. Though I've watched Keoma three times now, and while its soundtrack hasn't exactly grown on me, I find it consistently more tolerable.

[–] AnonymousReviewer 17 years ago

I agree with everyone who posted, there is alot of symbolism in this movie.
Recommend mutiple viewings of Keoma to pick up on the imagery and subplot.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Nakrophile 13 years ago

I think she is Death as well. The man's ultimate destiny comment fits in perfectly with that, as well as the general feel of Spagetti Westerns.

Terrific film.

Time to blow