Before I officially start this review, I just have to say... THIS. MOVIE. IS. FUCKING. AWESOME.
This is probably Jodorowsky's most "accessible" film. I feel really weird saying that, because none of his films are really "accessible." But, if you are reading this blog, you are probably not the average viewer, so yes, it will be the most accessible for you. Santa Sangre is about a family of circus performers. The mother and father have a very impassioned and intense relationship. It is hard to tell whether they love their son, or if they just use him as a sort of pawn in their selfish mind games. The subplot is the boy falling in love with a super cute deaf/mute mime in the circus. Their love is very pure and unselfish, and it serves as a sharp contrast to the twisted love triangle of their parents. When the boy's mother finds her husband cheating on her, a series of rather graphic and gruesome events leads the boy to spend half of his life in some sort of group home/mental institution situation. Randomly, the mother encourages the boy to break out and join her on the outside. From here, it becomes a mix between a fairy tale, a bad trip, and a case study Freud could only dream of.
The visuals in this movie are just what you would expect from Jodorowsky: vibrant, surreal, beautiful, and full of symbolism. Aestheticization of violence? Of course! Compared to say, El Topo or The Holy Mountain, the plot is actually kind of linear! If you don't have a lump in your throat at the end of this movie, you're a total jerk.
Have fun trying to find a copy, because I'm pretty sure it has yet to be released on DVD in the States. I've seen bootlegs around, but make sure you're getting the NC-17 version. Or really? Just download it. Piracy rules! (Am I allowed to say that? I mean... uhh... Buy it when it does inevitably get released in a format available for purchase with real Amurrican money!)
Grade: A
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