Santa Sangre

(Mexico/Italy - 1989)

by Mike Lorefice
6/8/01

Cast: Axel Jodorowsky, Blanca Guerra, Guy Stockwell, Thelma Tixou, Sabrina Dennison
Genre: Horror/Surrealism/Drama
Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Screenplay: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Dario Argento, Roberto Leoni
Cinematography: Daniele Nannuzzi
Composer: Simon Boswell
Runtime: 123 minutes

An artistic masterpiece. This movie is probably unlike any that's ever been made, both for the look and story (which actually spans many genres). It presents such a bizarre and surreal spectacle of visuals (including a memorable elephant funeral), which are incredible in their own right, but what truly makes them stand is there's so much motion and tension in/created by them. It's really hard to describe this movie, especially without ruining it. Maybe I just need to say it's an experience and leave it at that. Certainly it's totally engrossing and you'll react to what you are seeing one way or another. There's not a lot of talking (especially since a key character is a mute), but there doesn't need to be because the visuals are so atmospheric and powerfully emotional that they say it all.

Alejandro Jodorowsky did an awesome job here. Rarely do you see such attention to detail. There's hardly a wasted frame, and everything included in the director's version, no matter how unconventional, grotesque, or "explicit," needs to be there (so, as always, avoid chastized versions). The film is certainly not for everyone (not for adults that want more regurgitated happy Hollywood movies or people that aren't mature enough for unrated movies), but it's an experience that will stay with you for years. Recently, The (brainless) Cell seems to have lifted from Santa Sangre, but it had the visual aspect (in portions) without doing much of anything with them or the rest of the movie, so it doesn't hold a candle to this classic.

RATING:
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