tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post8979497118733460609..comments2023-11-05T02:01:53.847-06:00Comments on Antagony & Ecstasy: TSPDT #688: EL TOPOTimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09491952893581644049noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-10108427183014379272016-09-25T19:56:37.029-05:002016-09-25T19:56:37.029-05:00I know this is an old review, but if I may, I'...I know this is an old review, but if I may, I'd like to submit two very damning quotes by Jodorowsky on his book <i>El Topo</i> about the creation of its namesake. They just came to my attention a couple of days ago and I regret that hearing about them means that my views on Jodorowsky have changed rapidly:<br /><br />“Yes, the first woman, the blond, came to my home one day. She was in bad shape. At one time in her life she had taken LSD in great quantities, and had suffered. She had been in a hospital for mental illness. I said, "I will make a film with you. You will have the starring role." And she believed me. She didn't know who I was. And I didn't know her name...One day she said, "My name is Mara." After we filmed the movie, she left. I don't know where she is.”<br /><br />"When I wanted to do the rape scene, I explained to [Mara Lorenzio] that I was going to hit her and rape her. There was no emotional relationship between us, because I had put a clause in all the women's contracts stating that they would not make love with the director. We had never talked to each other. I knew nothing about her. We went to the desert with two other people: the photographer and a technician. No one else. I said, 'I'm not going to rehearse. There will be only one take because it will be impossible to repeat. Roll the cameras only when I signal you to.' Then I told her, 'Pain does not hurt. Hit me.' And she hit me. I said, 'Harder.' And she started to hit me very hard, hard enough to break a rib...I ached for a week. After she had hit me long enough and hard enough to tire her, I said, 'Now it's my turn. Roll the cameras.' And I really...I really...I really raped her. And she screamed. Then [Mara Lorenzio] told me that she had been raped before. You see, for me the character is frigid until El Topo rapes her. And she has an orgasm. That's why I show a stone phallus in that scene ... which spouts water. She has an orgasm. She accepts the male sex. And that's what happened to Mara in reality. She really had that problem. Fantastic scene. A very, very strong scene."<br /><br />For a movie where Jodorowsky claims to have taken advantage of a woman on camera, given himself a very clearly Christ-esque role in the narrative (and it's not the only time either, given The Holy Mountain), it gives his movies a darker bent how eager he is to brag about this. Not to mention his status as a spiritual guru.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-91397277481277390732012-07-12T22:00:27.317-05:002012-07-12T22:00:27.317-05:00I'll add another recommendation for "Sant...I'll add another recommendation for "Santa Sangre". I haven't seen it since it was first released but, like David Greenwood mentioned, it's stayed with me.<br />I went in prepped and enthusiastic to laugh at all the arthouse excess and craziness, and wound up being profoundly moved by it.<br /><br />See it if you haven't already.RickRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17060339578835099120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-6815721635459473842012-07-12T19:03:08.203-05:002012-07-12T19:03:08.203-05:00Tim, have you seen Jodorowsky's later film &qu...Tim, have you seen Jodorowsky's later film "Santa Sangre"? It's one of those truly unique movies has stayed with me vividly since I watched it. What struck me most about it was that on paper the events are unbelievably fucked up and unpleasant, but the prevailing attitude of the film is a positive, perhaps even playful one. As I watched it, there was a disconnect between the fact of what I was seeing, and how little it actually disturbed me.<br /><br />The truly odd thing is that I would never describe "Santa Sangre" as a black comedy, or sarcastic, or a riff of any kind. It felt extremely true: Nowhere more than in an extended comedic sequence where a huge cadre of mental patients (played by real sanitarium inmates apparently with Down's Syndrome) gets to have a night on the town. This is not played for laughs at their expense. Instead, the patients manage to get away from their "handlers" and have a great time at the movies, with some hookers, and other assorted debaucheries.<br /><br />All in all, it's a flick I'll never forget. A horror film that was decidedly less creepy than any summary would lead one to expect. I think it's even on Netflix streaming!<br /><br />Any thoughts?David Greenwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03666205737413060006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-32936664876921129792010-10-01T03:07:10.417-05:002010-10-01T03:07:10.417-05:00I didn't care for this film the first time I s...I didn't care for this film the first time I saw it, having watched the superior "Holy Mountain" earlier but now I love it. Jorodowsky's films are all metaphorical and nonsensical and random but this one is oddly touching to me. It's about a man who tries to do the right thing (either for his son, a shallow lover, some weird cave people or his own ego) and fails spectacularly every time. That combined with the opening quote (and cheesy music) of "the mole spends his whole life looking for the sun but when he finds it, it blinds him" made me a little misty eyed! Maybe I'm just weird. I enjoy films about people searching for meaning and his other picture "Holy Mountain" (which has to be seen to be believed; really) is one of my favorites ever.Kaiboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01012824384217320886noreply@blogger.com