Review of El Topo (1970) by Ray D — 27 Dec 2009
Infamous surreal western by performance-artist turned filmmaker Jodorowsky, EL TOPO seems to be reflecting on many things--the quest for enlightenment, Jodorowsky's family issues, the problems of a repressed society, the myth of the fastest gunslinger in existence---but it never quite deigns to try and put these things into an argument.
Jodorowsky's tale is absurdist and episodic instead, showing (often shocking or remarkable) images or dubbing animal noises onto the soundtrack and then moving on to the next scene--one gets the sense that the filmmaker is contemplating his work right along with the audience, and while you can never be sure if it's a joke ON the audience or a joke in which we're being invited to partake, it is a unique achievement that, watched again today, might remind us just how diverse the possibilities of film ARE, and how similar so many other movies are to each other.
Say this about Jodorowsky, he's unique.
This review of El Topo (1970) was written by Ray D on 27 Dec 2009.
El Topo has generally received positive reviews.
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