“El Topo” Theatrical Poster
Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Cast: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brontis Jodorowsky, Mara Lorenzio, David Silva, Paula Romo
Running Time: 125 min.
By JJ Hatfield
“El Topo” is not an easy film to review. For some it is not an easy film to watch. “El Topo” was made in 1968 and hitting the non -conventional movie theatres in 1970. This was the beginning of “midnight movies” that immediately garnered a fanatically devoted cult audience. Even “Rocky Horror Picture Show” would be still a minimum of five years away. I saw the film years ago and again recently. I’m a bit surprised to say my responses were virtually the same despite the years in between viewings.
The film has been called everything from “genius” to “despicable” but in truth if you chip away at the movie it loses it’s power. It must be taken as the whole experience not by acts or specific scenes or what exactly this symbol or that means. “El Topo” begins as a black clothed rider on a horse (Jodorowsky) with a young naked boy(Jodrowsky’s son in real life) riding with him, sheltered from the hot desert sun by an umbrella. They stop in the middle of nowhere as “El Topo” (The Mole) tells the boy he must bury his first toy and then he will be a man. He also tells the boy the mole spends his entire life digging tunnels trying to reach the sky but when it does it will be blinded.
I don’t wish to reveal too much about the plot or images. There really is a plot and Jodrowsky isn’t too bad an actor. The movie had a relatively large budget. Movie goers were looking for something fresh, new – maybe even a tad daring, at least in the late 60’s and 70’s. The viewer must remember this was a different world then. Visuals in “El Topo” that made people gasp probably don’t raise an eyebrow now. From sex to violence to religion, it’s all in there in enormous amounts.
This is not Sergio Leone, make no mistake. Leone is a very talented man but even he kept the gore score fairly low. Framing “El Topo” are a few of the things Jodorowsky loved, essentially things different, the more the better. The movie has an enormous cast of “different people” many of them considered physically/mentally disabled. Some scenes are uncomfortable for some viewers.
People being killed in violent ways, large pools of blood, dead animals, abdominal eviscerations, a couple of hangings….but the viewer has to take it all in context and that can only be done by watching the film in one sitting.
Rigid in the box thinkers need not bother viewing. It is self defeating in terms of understanding the film. Symbols and symbolic acts are used everywhere and in everything. Jodorowsky doesn’t hesitate to make them Christian, Buddism, Metaphysical or virtual carnival. He delights in showing you things you have never seen before in a film. “El Topo” doesn’t fit into any film genre. It is unique,surreal, with often sadistic violence. I don’t think anyone has written a “correct” review, as each person will be effected differently. As for me I am left with a taste of something nasty.
JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 7/10
