Movie Review - If You Like El Topo, Try Climbing The Holy Mountain
"The Holy Mountain" (1973) is one of the best movies I have recently seen. It is also one of the best movies I have ever seen in my entire life.
Like everyone who has experienced "The Holy Mountain," I saw director Alejandro Jodorowsky's "El Topo" first. "El Topo" was a minor cult hit in the early seventies, thanks to John Lennon's interest in the picture. If you've seen "El Topo" and enjoyed it, you owe it yourself to experience "The Holy Mountain"
Mere words cannot convey the depth and breadth of a film like this one. Certainly, it is NOT recommended for just anyone. It is filled with symbolism and ambiguity, and carries a strong "R" rating. At times shocking, at times hilarious, "The Holy Mountain" is always challenging for the viewer. It is also immensely rewarding if you take the time to understand it. Repeat viewings are required if you want to really "get it."
The story is intriguing. Basically, a thief wanders into town and experiences certain events which start him on a spiritual journey. He witnesses the conquest of the New World, as depicted with frogs and lizards, and his likeness to Christ is used to manufacture crucifixes for sale. Later, he meets an Alchemist, played by Jorodowsky, who guides him on the path to enlightenment. The Alchemist recruits seven others to join them, each from a different planet and representing a different personality type. Together, the group of nine scales a mystical mountain, in search of the cloaked immortals who live there.
But the story is merely one element of a complicated whole. It is the vehicle which allows Jorodowsky to explore his interest in Tarot symbols, spirituality, social and political satire, and sexuality. Many of these themes resonate with "El Topo."
Additionally, "The Holy Mountain" feels the film David Lynch has been trying to make for his whole career. Like Lynch's pictures, "Mountain" is not seeking to be enjoyed as a dramatic narrative, but rather it tries to affect you as a visceral, emotive experience.
Whereas Lynch-- when he delivers his BEST work-- may make one of the top five artistic films of the year, here Jorodosky has delivered one of the best films of all time. "The Holy Mountain" is a complete original, unlike any other movie. It has its own vocabulary, its own rules, and its own timeless reality. It utterly defies convention, and yet is universally inclusive in terms of scope, and applicability. "The Holy Mountain" is a film for the ages.
Without building up expectations any further, I should point out that the less you know about this movie before seeing it, the better. "The Holy Mountain" will not welcome your preconceptions. Watch it first, and then if you like what you see, seek out other takes on it. Particularly enlightening are Jorodowsky's own words in the DVD commentary, and the Wikipedia summary found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holy_Mountain_%281973_film%29.
Grade: A+
Note: This is not a grade I give out often. Only every couple years do I see a film that is without flaw. Perhaps a total of 30 films have reached this level, in my opinion.