Review of Santa Sangre (1989) by Aaron W — 13 Mar 2009

Bloody, gorgeous, and brilliant. This is one of Jodorowsky's more straightforward films with a plot that you can actually sort of follow, but that doesn't make it any less bizarre. Basically, it's Jodorowsky's take on Psycho.

..only it's set in the circus world and our "Norman Bates" is the protagonist here. Okay...so the dialogue and acting may not be extraordinary, but it doesn't really matter here as dialogue is minimal and really unimportant.

This almost would've worked as a silent film and actually in many cases feels somewhat reminiscent of Browning's "The Unknown." What's most important is the imagery; beautiful, striking and original imagery that everyone should see.

Like every work of Jodorowsky's, Santa Sangre is unforgettable.