Review of The Holy Mountain (1973) by João C — 11 Jan 2008

This is one of a kind, only his other films come close to it. The drunks at the drive-in used to honk in protest over Holy Mountain, one of its few general release venues, because they couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Jodorowoski describes himself as a game player or "trickster" not a film maker. Much of Holy Mountain does, indeed, play tricks on the viewer. While the movie seems to be telling a story of some sort of quest to find cosmic enlightenment, this is only a thread which ties together Jodorowoski's many strange and hallucinogenic images.

Jodorowoski frequently makes use of grotesque and revolting scenes, as well as bizarre music, to startle and unnerve the viewer. At some level he challenges the audience to make sense of his movie, if that is what it you'd call it, though not many have succeeded.

With much nudity, violence and sexual content this is not a family movie and certainly will not please every taste.