Hi.
I am looking for the UK Theatrical Release version of “Keoma” (released as “The Violent Breed” at the time).
The reason I’m looking for it is that I read that this version has most of the singing cut out, which I found the only off-putting thing about this film (I think it would be a lot better without it).
If anyone can point me to where I can find this version of the film in digital form (as far as I know, it was only released on VHS), please let me know.
Thanks in advance.
AFAIK (and I live in the UK) this has never turned up - it ran only 85m per the Monthly Film Bulletin review (which I have).
The only suggestion I can make if you live in the UK is to try the BFI who may have a copy of it in their film archives (they have the original theatrical release prints of lots of movies and a small viewing theatre where you can sit down and watch the films on your own on a 25" screen ; I did watch a couple of films this way; fee was not too bad but its 15 years since I did it. Indicator have used their prints for some of their releases where the UK version is different than the one generally available).
Unfortunately I’m not in the UK (I’m in Central Europe). A user has contacted me and offered me a DVD transfer of his VHS copy.
Maybe the best solution would be to use AI to remove the singing, and use the opportunity to replace it with some of Morricone’s best scores.
If it works well, I will offer a free copy of the “remix” to anyone interested on here if this is permitted.
I know I must sound like some conservative minded old douvhe but Keoma as it is is the artistic work, you may not like it but that’s Keoma. Who are you to change the movie to your liking? Do you rewrite novels and change things, too? 
I can totally see your point.
I actually really liked the film, I just thought the singing was awful to the point of ruining it for me. So why not use technology to “fix” what is “wrong” with it? That’s the thought behind this idea.
PS: while I didn’t particularly like the soundtrack on some other great films (e.g. “Kill them all and come back alone”), Keoma is the only case where the music actually bothered me to the point of ruining the film for me.
I find the dubbed versions are often a worse offense against the film’s original quality than replacing the music. (I watch most of the SW films in Italian with subs).
Hi! sorry for joining your discussion without permission but your comment caught my eye! why you dont like dub version of movies? As you know the cinema is created from mise en scene and sound , from my perspective we should listen to the sound and comprehend the scene , and as far as Im considered by watching subtitled movies you would ignore the ambience and the voices of actors unconsciously, the only thing that you are focused on is the font of the subtitle . Although Im not judging your choice because I dont which country you are from and how is the dubbing industry in your country, but from the things that I have read and researched if the dubbers perfoms well you wouldnt notice any differences between the original audio and the dubbed version because they do dubbings according to the main voice of the actors or actresses.
Another thing that I wanted to mention is that , that original italian version that you are watching is also a dubbed version!! in spaghetti westerns some actors used to talk in spanish and some in English and some in Italian and after shooting the film they used to dub it in the studios.
And Im really sorry for talking too much but I was wondering , you consider dubbed movies which are promoted by the directors and producers(they would sell M & E tracks to different countries for dubbing their movies) an offense to the movies , but you dont think deleting a music’s vocal from the original audio wouldnt be underestimating the director’s art(actually art of the musician which was chosen by the director ) ?
Anyone is welcome to discuss.
The music for Keoma wasn’t chosen by the director. In fact, the director hated the music as well. Some times the directors were overruled by the studio, e.g. when the studio had a contract they wanted to be done with, ordering directors to use certain actors, music, etc. So I think this case is a valid exception to the “rule” that music shouldn’t be changed - otherwise, I would agree that the work should be left intact. But the UK publishers wouldn’t have bothered to remove most of the music for the original UK release if it wasn’t THAT awful.
I disagree with the point about subtitles “distracting from actors voices” - in fact leaving the actors voices intact is the reason for watching originals. To cut out the original actor’s voice to preserve it through replacement makes no sense to me. No offense.
All italian films of that period are dubbs of course, but normally with the original actors speaking their own lines (at least the lead roles, who often were Americans). I usually watch the language the lead role spoke.
No matter how good the dubbing industry in a country is, they always write a their own dub script, and often make massive changes that leave little left of the meaning of original dialogues.
If u want to see how badly dubs can ruin a film, watch the English language dub of Django (1966), and read the subtitles for the Italian version (I can provide u a DualAudio copy with English subtitles that resemble the original Italian dialogues). You’ll notice Django seems much more like a real person in Italian than in the English dub, where the dialogues are pretty dumb and they are read out with total indifference.
The Italian dialogues are delivered by infinitely superior voice actors, and they make much more sense than the English dialogues which make Django feel much more self-centred. His relationship with Maria, his love interest, feels much more genuine with the Italian dialogues and delivery.
Navajo Joe is also said to be much better in the Italian original, because the voice acting is far superior. Sadly I can’t find a copy with Italian audio.
I’ll hopefully be meeting Enzo again next month when he comes to the UK. So I can ask him all about the wonderful singing. But I’d really rather talk to him about my favourite, Johnny Hamlet!
The German and Italian blu-ray releases carry the Italian dub.
Thank u for the hint. I found both the Italian and German BluRay versions on German Amazon. Will be ordering it
In an interview I saw awhile back, Franco Nero states he suggested the musical style to the De Angelis brothers and takes credit for it. Where did you hear that Enzo hated it?
I think I read it in a review of the film.
Enzo mentions it on the old Blue Underground commentary
Thank you friend for your valuable information, I didn’t know that about Keoma , you’re right we can consider this movie as an exception for changing the soundtrack.
I have to disagree with you on this subject, I personally have watched movies with subtitles and persian dubs and original ones and I’ve noticed you would be distracted by the subtitles and its not sth that you would do knowingly and its pretty natural because there is a writing in the bottom of the film and your eyes would get attracted to it, no offense but I think if you watch a movie without subtitles you will understand my words.
And about the original voice of the actors, first all most actors you hear on Italian dub are different Italian dubbers even the main roles! for instance they even dubbed Trence hill for some specific reasons , his dubber was Pino Locchio . The dubber of Lee van cleef was Emilio Cigoli so they are not the original voices of the actors.
About Itay dub industry I think we are talking on the same page Iran also has a powerfull dub industry(fun fact in one of the reviews of Mgm in the 70s about the dub industry , Iran won the first place for the most precise and high quality dubs and the dubber that got the score was Changiz Jalilvand) and there are really strict rules about the original script of the movie and when I compare the dub version to the original one I dont see any difference. In addition I believe if the dub is implemented well we wouldn’t find any difference between the actors original voice and the dubber that is performing it and if you watch Persion dubbed version of Gregory Peck movies you cant find even one pitch difference between these two(His dubber in Iran was Manouchehr Esmaeli). Overall what I’m trying to say is that you shouldn’t judge the whole dubbing industry by just looking at the English dub version.
Unfortunately I dont know how to send videos here but I will send you a part of the Persion dub version of the Django . The main dubber of Franco Nero in Iran was Iraj Nazerian a man with powerful voice and so close to the main actor’s voice that you can’t tell the difference.
I don’t find subtitles distracting. In Finland only children’s programs are dubbed, thus I’m so used to them that I can just glance them quickly. I always use subtitles even when watching film with english track if possible because it makes following the film so much easier. It’s much more distracting if I need to heavily concentrate on listening the audio.
Same in Denmark and concur with all you say 
Not distracted by subtitles at all. If you are not used to them then sure but people in “sub-countries” are plenty advanced enough for it not to be the big problem it is portrayed to be above which is surely written by one born in a dub-country.