3 out of 5

Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky

I became interested in Jodorowsky’s films after reading some of his comics and a quote from Ebert that suggested that Jodorowsky makes movies out of compulsion and not out of a need to entertain. I kept both of those bias influences in mind while watching Santa Sangre… and I just don’t know how to feel about it. A young circus performer sees his mother mutilated (her arms cut right off) by his father after mum takes revenge on dad for his flirtations with a sexy tattooed lady. Years later, son – released from a type of mental hospital from the mental break this event may have caused – rejoins with his now armless mother to create some creepy performance art where son “acts” as his mother’s arms. But is it his arms or hers that start to murder any girl that looks his way? Some reviewers here mentioned Lynch, and B-movies, and I feel the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I wouldn’t call the more surreal Lynch movies self-aware, exactly, but the term Lynchian exists for a reason: you know you are in a distinct film world mostly from film start. Santa Sangre doesn’t carry that distinction, freewheeling into oddity when it deems it necessary, stepping back to strange for long stretches. Anything happens in Jodorowsky’s writing; in a world where things are explicitly explained the events here wouldn’t be logical, but they move forward at a steady pace, confident of themselves and their images but not so brash as to throw insane concepts at you just to keep you awake. The shots and music in the movie are notable for their mix of trash and treasure: care and interest is laced into the composition, but that B-movie tag rings true as well – some of this is lovably sloppy and silly. So it’s a unique vision, and for any fan of film one worth seeing for the experience. And yes, you might love it i or hate it, but I imagine most of us will just stare at the screen – awake and watching – but uncertain how to feel. That’s a notable experience in my book.