Review of El Topo (1970) by Mats V — 09 Dec 2011
If spiritual art is the supernatural giving voice to the human condition, then mystical art is the supernatural giving voice to itself, by breaking allegories and traditions. Tearing down logic. El Topo firmly falls into the latter camp.
It's wrong to judge it on narrative or it's excess. It toys with our expectations and shocks, not from some childish desire for excess. If it was only about excess, it would be a much bloodier and uglier film than it is.
But much of El Topo is the exposing of the tranquil and the surreal behind the fixed facades of character and genre... it's no accident the blood looks like paint. It's no accident the voices and gunshots are dubbed.
Everything is in question. And you have an actual job to do as audience in this film. To contextualize the experience for yourself, without help.
This review of El Topo (1970) was written by Mats V on 09 Dec 2011.
El Topo has generally received positive reviews.
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