Review of El Topo (1970) by John G — 22 Nov 2007

Itâ??s really hard to describe it. Iâ??m hard-pressed to really make much of it, and Iâ??m not sure what to think of it. Itâ??s been billed as a surrealist Western, and as a â??Midnight Movie.â?? I can see it as that kind of cult film - the ethereal, absurdist nature reminds me of another symbolism-laden Midnight Movie, David Lynchâ??s Eraserhead. Visually, itâ??s stunning. And I liked the storyline with the four masters and the gunslinger seeking a sort of enlightenment as the best there is. The church employing Russian Roulette as part of their service is a really powerful scene. But a lot of the violence and various atrocities are really hard to watch.

But perhaps another way to try to describe it is through movie math:

Western + Luis Buñuel + Lone Wolf and Cub = El Topo.