Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good
SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.
StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
paul-vanemmerik I thrive on unconventional, personal cinema. I adore Bunuel, Lynch, Greenaway, E. Elias Merhiges' "Begotten" and almost anything that steers away from the cookie-cutter variety of film-making. This film however, and Jodorowsky's work in general, is difficult for me to sit through and find enjoyment. Perhaps I would have appreciated it more if the overall quality and acting had been better. The ideas and situations are outrageous, crazy and certainly more original than anything I can think of but the audio/visual quality, horrible acting and extremely low budget look of this film prevented me from appreciating it in any way. I'm much more impressed with the low budget film "Begotten" where the low quality is one of the main attributes of this films power. I feel that this is where Jodorowski fails. He has not been able to use his limited budget to greatest effect.
majiin4 Woahou ... What a masterpiece ! I've bought Jodorowsky's movies without knowing what's going to happen, result : I've gain so much maturity by watching all of them, and Santa Sangre is definitively with The Holy Mountain the duo that clearly change my way of enjoying REAL art. This is just pure madness, surrealism at it best. Stunning soundtrack mixed with circus fantasy, an absolute mind trip to Jodorowsky dimension. Everything is beautiful in this movie, everything is well linked, all actors play fantastically, there's no mistake. I'm really happy that this kind of movie isn't "mainstream" like other sci-fi sh*t massively sponsoring by media and "people". I just wish to see more like them, and it's a hard job finding them because of their rareness. The only regret, as an audiophile, is that few tracks on the movie are unfortunately NOT present on the Original Soundtrack released on vinyl and CD, result > horrible DVDRIP MP3 audio for a frightening sound in the graveyard part (and also from the DVD menu) . Anyway, I just stand up like I did at the end of the movie, clap my hand loudly and say proudly with a tear drop : BRAVO - BRAVO !!!!!!!
darren-153-890810 I recently got into weird, arty & surreal films and this one is right up there. It's so bizarre and strange yet beautifully poetic and dreamy at the same time.There's something about the circus that fascinates me, the constant touring, the mystery, the colourful images, the sadness and detachment away from normality.The great thing about this film is subtle enough for you to actually work out what's going on. It won't be everyones kind of film but it's definitely mine. I was totally gripped from the opening scene.If you want to feel like you're on magic mushrooms then I would recommend this hands down, pardon the pun there!
BA_Harrison When circus performer Concha catches her knife-thrower husband getting it on with a slutty tattooed lady, she emasculates him by throwing acid on his tackle. He retaliates by slicing off both of her arms before cutting his own throat. Their young son Fenix witnesses the tragedy and unsurprisingly winds up in an mental hospital.Years later, Fenix escapes from the asylum and reunites with his mother, for whom he acts as a pair of replacement arms. Consumed by her hatred for lustful, moral-free women, Concha convinces her psychologically fragile son to aid her in a series of grisly murders.I first saw Alejandro Jodorowsky's Santa Sangre in 1989 as part of an all-night horror film festival, and I thought it was fantastic; however, since seeing a couple of the director's other films and finding them totally incomprehensible, I have often wondered whether my enjoyment of Santa Sangre was somehow enhanced that night by an extreme lack of sleep and a massive caffeine intake (lots of Pro-Plus washed down with Coke, I seem to ).After nearly two decades of uncertainty, I have finally re-watched the film, and this time I was well rested and clear of artificial stimulants. Now I am finally sure... the film IS a masterpiece! Poetic and beautiful, yet twisted and savage, Santa Sangre is surreal art-house cinema with blood, meaning that it appeals to me on two very distinct levels: the pretentious film snob in me can appreciate the artistry, the intriguing study of a fractured psyche, the religious symbolism, and the technical brilliance; and the gore-hound in me can get a kick out of the extreme violence.And, as if that wasn't enough, the film also features such bizarre delights as a dwarf in an Aladdin outfit, some coke-snorting Down's Syndrome kids partying with a fat whore, a dead elephant being torn apart by slum dwellers, brilliant music by Simon Boswell, several cool hallucinatory sequences, and an amazing twist ending that puts anything by M. Night Shyalaman to shame.In fact, I enjoyed Santa Sangre so much second time around, that perhaps I ought to give Jodorowsky's other films another chance to impress me.
