La montaña sagrada

Plot synopsis:
A man (later identified as the thief) representing The Fool tarot card, lies in the desert with flies covering his face like excrement. He is befriended by a footless, handless dwarf representing the Five of Swords, and the pair travel into the city where they make money entertaining tourists. Because the thief resembles Jesus Christ in appearance, some locals cast an impression of his body and sell the resulting crucifixes. After a dispute with a priest, the thief eats off the face of his wax statue and sends it skyward with balloons, symbolically eating the body of Christ and offering "himself" up to Heaven. Soon after, he notices a crowd gathered around a tall tower, where a large hook with a bag of gold has been sent down in exchange for food. The thief, wishing to find the source of the gold, ascends the tower. There he finds the alchemist and his silent female assistant.
After a confrontation with the alchemist, the thief defecates into a container. The excrement is transformed into gold by the alchemist, who proclaims: "You are excrement. You can change yourself into gold." The thief accepts the gold, but smashes a mirror with the gold when shown his reflection. The alchemist then takes the thief as an apprentice.
The thief is introduced to seven people who will accompany him on his journey. Each is introduced as a personification of one of the planets, in particular the negative characteristics that are associated with his or her planet. They consist of a cosmetics manufacturer representing Venus, a weapons manufacturer representing Mars, a millionaire art dealer representing Jupiter, a war toy maker representing Saturn, a political financial adviser representing Uranus, a police chief representing Neptune, and an architect representing Pluto. The alchemist instructs the seven to burn their money as well as wax images of themselves. Together with the alchemist, the thief, and the alchemist's assistant, they form a group of ten.
The characters are led by the alchemist through various transformation rituals. Each carries a staff topped with the symbol of his or her planet; the alchemist carries a Sun staff, the thief carries a Moon staff, and the alchemist's assistant carries a Mercury staff. The ten journey by boat to Lotus Island in order to gain the secret of immortality from nine immortal masters who live on a holy mountain. Once on Lotus Island they are sidetracked by the Pantheon Bar, a cemetery party where people have abandoned their quest for the holy mountain and instead engage in drugs, poetry, or acts of physical prowess. Leaving the bar behind, they ascend the mountain. Each has a personal symbolic vision representing his or her worst fears and obsessions. Near the top, the thief is sent back to his "people" along with a young prostitute and an ape who have followed him from the city to the mountain. The rest confront the cloaked immortals, who are shown to be only faceless dummies. The alchemist then breaks the fourth wall with the command "Zoom back, camera!" and reveals the film apparatus (cameras, microphones, lights, and crew) just outside the frame. He instructs everyone, including the audience of the film, to leave the holy mountain: "Real life awaits us."

Tags: comedy, avant garde, cult, violence, psychedelic, absurd, satire

Review:
People who are looking for deep meaning in films like Donnie Darko need to keep searching, the films of Alejandro Jodorowsky would be a good start.
If you liked "The Wall" (you know, the Pink Floyd movie), but thought it was a bit of a downer and suffered from the lack of a fat woman humping an excitable, legless, animatronic horse, this movie could be for you.Despite what you may have heard, "The Holy Mountain" is more absurd than surreal, more funny than disturbing.
Now when you get to the end and Jodorowsky winks at you, you can wink right back.Basically, if you can appreciate absurdity and profundity and the absurdity of profundity (not to mention enormous, colorful sets), you'll find a lot to like here.PS: If you do like "The Holy Mountain", head down to your local comics shop (or browse over to your favorite book/graphic novel e-tailer) and pick up a couple of volumes of "The Incal" or "The Metabarons", both of which were also written by Jodorowsky.
I'd rather watch something like this, filled with ideas (however pretentious), than a plot-driven movie with nothing more on its mind than wrapping up loose ends for the audience.
Filled with alchemical illusions, tarot symbols, existential ideas, explicit gore and violence, gratuitous nudity, sacrilegious imagery, and perverse beauty, this movie will make you live an unusual experience.
Jodorowsky himself plays "The Master", an occult adept who assembles a group of people representing the planets of our solar system (a Christ figure for Earth) to ascend the Holy Mountain and gain the secret of eternal life.
I don't think I'll bother spoiling any of them, but take any scene from the movie and it'll likely have a large, weird-looking set and at least one or two freaky-looking people drawing your attention.
Or if you're just looking for one intense filmic experience, it doesn't get much more intense than the imagery of The Holy Mountain.I'll end this review now - I've run out of synonyms for crazy.8/10 - this is after one viewing, it'll probably go up after about 7..
But because you will be seeing a different movie each time, as your own perspective, mood and life changes.Holy Mountain is a meticulously made work of cinematic art.
Holy Mountain has some of the most impressive sets and surreal to psychedelic imagery I have seen in films of its vintage.
The Holy Mountain is one (bleeping) crazy art-house picture experience, where the filmmaker asks it's audience to either go on the journey and be open to whatever he's liable to let out of the floodgates of his consciousness, or if to be closed off then to might as well leave.
So as it goes, really, with organized religion, which his own character Jodorowsky plays- the Alchemist- could be identifiable as.As I left the theater I kept on thinking about what it is to put total trust and confidence in a "master", someone who seems to have all the knowledge and experience to take people to higher planes.
Unlike El Topo, however, Jodorowsky this time is much more in control of his own delirious dreamscapes and, in a sense, the genuine consciousness he creates in his Holy Mountain.
This part, actually, might be somewhat weaker in comparison with the rest of the film, if only because one wonders where the hell this is all going; a Jesus-figure, who comes into a village loaded with circus 'freaks' and gawkers at such 'freaks', and is put into plaster-casting to make more Jesus figures, which he demolishes except for one which he carries with him for a little while.There's more than just this, but for the first twenty minutes, which is practically silent and without dialog, we get immensely rich but sort of free-form symbolism, some that is great (the scene with the frogs in the representation of the Spanish conquistadors is absolutely uproarious), and some that isn't, like a strange scene in a church.
But soon Jodorowsky moves it along to 'Jesus' entering the realm of the Alchemist, and going under his tutelage (and learning how, mayhap, gold can be the end result of literal excrement), learns about who the other members to go on the journey to the holy mountain will be.
The final revelation at the table on the mountain nails it on the head, and suddenly (or not so suddenly) things become clearer; the final lines by the Alchemist (or rather, Jodorowsky himself), make it a very poignant end to what has been a delirious, hilarious trip into consciousness expansion...In a word, or a few, what it means to 'experience' a film itself, and once it ends, you step back into some kind of reality.
The Holy Mountain has a lot it wants to tell you and the most grotesque, abstract, insane, gory, disgusting and beautiful visuals and practical effects that you have ever seen in one movie.
Alejandro Jodorowsky's "The Holy Mountain" is to film what Captain Beefheart's "Trout Mask Replica" is to music.
That exercise is left up to the viewer, and you will be challenged every step of the way up to the top of the Holy Mountain.What is for certain though is that Alejandro will smash all your grand illusions by the end of the film.As others have said, nothing can prepare you for this film..
The dialogue that ensues is pretentious and insubstantial, which makes it appear as though the director is so unhappy with having had to introduce a narrative that he has attempted to mask the comparatively tedious action with it.This film is definitely of its time and indebted to the 60s notion of free love that in actual fact meant free love for men who exploited women in the process.
The only thing that separates him from other bad directors is his shamelessness when it comes to using the moving image as a grift.In other words, if you try to make a good movie and fail (like Ed Wood), then you're a hack.
Alejandro Jordowsky's other film, El Topo, is great, but not as edgy and wonderfully strange as "The Holy Mountain".
Jodorowsky takes us on a journey that we don't soon forget, sustaining it in interesting ways for a deliberately paced 117 minutes.Serving as producer, composer, production designer, costume designer, painter, sculptor, and set designer as well as writer / director, Jodorowsky overwhelms us with striking sequences until easing into his story proper, as he plays an Alchemist who imparts his wisdom to a Christ-like thief (Horacio Salinas).
And if a film maker wants to pay me a load of money to turn it into a film, it would contain imagery that'll blow even Jaradowsky's brain into pieces.Basically the formula for coming up with film can be simplified into this;LSD + A hippie director + 70s +naked men & women+ some crazy times = The Holy Mountain.There are a lot film down the history where I really wanted to get back the 2 hours I'd wasted watching it, but this one took the biscuit.
"The Holy Mountain", the third film of Alejandro Jodorowsky after his controversial cult-film "El Topo", is probably his most polished and interesting work.
Just like "El Topo" the characters have no deep, they are mere symbols to serve the purpose of the story, a story that could be find by some people as pretentious or too strange, but the direction of Jodorowsky made this film something original and unique.
There are several elements of satire of modern society, that work very well to introduce us the characters of the story (each symbolizing a planet) their way to reach their goal until a surprising ending (I won't reveal it, but I want to mention that the ending is one of the best that I've seen in a movie, working very well with overall tone of the movie) "The Holy Mountain" is a unique film.
There's definitely certain visuals in this film that you will never forget, whether that's positive or negative depends on your personality.Experimenting with various concepts and visuals, "The Holy Mountain" is an avant garde masterpiece full of fascinating symbolism, satire, and surrealism..
But in my personal opinion, I love The Holy Mountain and I would actually rank it up as one of the best movie I've seen in years.Alejandro Jodorowsky (The director of the movie) is what a call a "spiritual director", and what I mean is that Alejandro is a very spiritual person and I'm not such a spiritual person myself but I do admire his work.
Alejandro Jodorowsky work of art is so open and so transparent that it makes his movies truly unique to watch, and that's why I think The Holy Mountain is a great way to start watching Alejandro films so you can get use to he's style of film making.
Everything Alejandro Jodorowsky puts into his art as a personal sense of purpose in them and the ideas he's got isn't difficult to make out in each scene of the movie.
The Holy Mountain is a work of art and Alejandro Jodorowsky directing is freaking superb.What I love about The Holy Mountain is how every single scene in this film is so true on reality and how detailed the movie is, and all of that is shown by Alejandro artistic look on life.
The movie is absolutely absurd and what I mean is without spoiling anything; these a scene where a women is sitting on this super tall toilet and I'm not going to break it down like most people have by saying, "The toilet is suppose to represent her as an upper class citizen to everyone", no, what the movie is trying to get across (In my opinion) is how absurd it is and to make you think twice about the things we take for granted, I mean just look at everything that's still current in present day life, back in the sixties, seventies and eighties are still present today and all the things we do are suppose to me you think "Wow, that's retarded", and the point of the movie is to look at all the things that have become normality makes you realize it's absurd.These a lot that you can interpret in terms of statements that's in the movie like politics, religion and social life, and the movie says so much about every issue and it's so true and timeless.
The density of symbolism in this film, a flaw in other art-house movies, is masterfully constructed in a way that is just as profound on your 1st watch as on your 20th..
With "The Holy Mountain," Alejandro Jodorowsky creates a film that is visually creative, inspiring, and surreal.
The Holy Mountain was director Alejandro Jodorowsky's follow up to the cult western El Topo; a violent and deeply mystical dream play about a mythical gunfighter cleansing himself of the violence of his past, only to find that the world itself had already been corrupted by the bloodshed of the present.The mystical themes are fleshed out even further with The Holy Mountain, Jodorowsky's second of only three films produced in the 1970's, which, much like the preceding El Topo and the director's very first film, Fando é Lis, unfolds through a series of surrealist vignettes rife with religion symbolism, sardonic satire and distancing cinematic shock tactics.
I couldn't possibly say, though I would say it's best to approach the film with an open mind and with some familiarity with Jodorowsky's previous, and indeed, subsequent cinematic works, like El Topo, and in particular Santa Sangre, both of which offer an easier gateway into the filmmaker's heavily symbolic world than this epic rumination on life and the cosmos.What surprised me most when viewing the film for the first time was the tremendous amount of depth that can often be lost within the giddy barrage of sights and sounds that burst from the screen in a vibrant vivid collage of philosophy, art, sex and religion.
Simply listen to the audio commentary on this DVD to hear Jodorowsky taking the film apart image by image; explaining the incredible amount of minor details purged from every religion, steeped in every form of art and combined in an attempt to overload the audience's senses and perceptions to effectively change the very fabric of their own personal universe.
The second half of the film introduces us to the other characters; a collection of evil, greedy business men, weapon designers, factory owners and foot-soldiers who, much like the Christ-like character we meet during the first chapter, decide to abandon the corrupt world in which they exist and quest with the mythical central character to the summit of the holy mountain.As you can imagine from this sketchy plot outline, what follows is fairly episodic in design, sometimes tapping into the cinematic absurdity of Luis Bunuel and at other times reminding me of the epic opulence of early Ken Russell (in particular, films like The Devils, The Music Lovers, The Boyfriend, Mahler, etc).
For the most part though, the film is pure Jodorowsky, with the central character (played by the director himself) tapping into the intensity of El Topo's iconic gunfighter, whilst the constant barrage of cripples, dwarfs, freaks and geeks cut adrift against a processions of skinned lamb carcasses, edible Jesus effigies, dog fights and the recreation of the conquest of Mexico, re-enacted with frogs that are later blown to pieces, all recalling the fevered insanity of El Topo, the warped fairytale-like quality of Fando and Lis, the Gothic psychodrama of Santa Sangre and the empathetic compassion of Tusk.Obviously, it's not going to be a film for everyone, but those already turned on to Jodorowsky's ideas will no doubt take away a great deal from the film's central message, and from the dizzying kaleidoscope of visual ideas, interpretations and sight gags that explode from the screen in a veritable barrage of colour and movement..
'El Topo' is still one of the strangest movies ever made but Alejandro Jodorowsky amazingly managed to top himself with 'The Holy Mountain'.
There's complex feelings and teachings within every visual detail of the compositions, and within every twist and turn of the plot.Something about "The Holy Mountain" reminded me of the movie titled "Circle of Iron" (1978); it also is a story of Seeking, of being on the Path for spiritual self-realization; transcendence...
My entire perception of reality and what the medium of cinema means has changed since watching Alejandro Jodorowsky's sacrilegious mind trip The Holy Mountain.
It's an intense audio visual experience that absolutely blew me a way.While watching The Holy Mountain I had no idea what was going on and trying to decipher all the images in the film is a near impossible challenge.
Jodorowsky's use of color is profound and the simple yet ingenious things he does with the camera are beautifully spectacular.The Holy Mountain is a beautiful film and a disturbing film at the same time.
I recommend this film, like it's companion piece El Topo it has scenes that remain with you for a long time.
Whether one likes it or not, it is undeniable that Jodorowsky's cinema is exceptional - and for a fan of exceptional cinema, films like "The Holy Mountain" are the most exceptional experience possible.
"The Holy Mountain" of 1973 is Jodorowsky's most surreal and most brilliant masterpiece, and no other film I've seen (with the exception of Jodorowsky's other work) could possibly compare to it.
The mere try to give a plot synopsis would be pointless, as "The Holy Mountain" is a film that cannot be described merely in words - "The Holy Mountain" is a film that has to be seen, or, more precisely, that has to be experienced, in order even to have the slightest idea what it is about.The film begins with the incredibly surreal and yet profoundly impressive scenes in which a Christ-like figure encounters grotesque situations and bizarre religious imagery...
This is only a very vague description of the beginning of "The Holy Mountain", but describing it adequately simply isn't possible - and if it was, it would not be desirable to do so, as this film is a unique work of art which all that are even slightly interested in cinema MUST experience for themselves.
In short: "The Holy Mountain" is Jodorowsky's most brilliant film and one of the greatest cinematic experiences one can have.
"Rub your clitoris on the mountain!!!"I thank you for your read and this movie is most definitely worth a watch if you want a great laugh.(Hard drugs highly recommended before experiencing this masterpiece)Also a monkey.
Much like Alejandro Jodorowsky's previous work "El Topo", "The Holy Mountain" is a deeply spiritual movie.
The film is a visual bombardment of the senses in which series of bizarre and often symbolic scenes are what is used to drive the plot forwards and Jodorowsky knits them together in a perfectly twisted logical way.
Turning the film into a truly unforgettable experience."The Holy Mountain" is a confusing movie at first, but clearer and clearer as it moves to it's conclusion.
Disturbing yet funny, perverse yet beautiful, violent yet touching the film carries so many distinct emotions that it become hard to categorize it in any of the known genres.Beneath all it's visual content - violence, disturbing and sometimes perverse imagery, "The Holy Mountain" is and forever will be one of the most morally conscience and humane movies made.
Like David Lynch's Lost Highway, The Holy Mountain is a film I'd be liable to recommend to a species of intelligence superior to man.
This basically means that it doesn't feel the same watching this movie as it did with EL TOPO.Aside from that flaw, this is a great film.
I have seen this movie like 6 times, and each time I think Jodorowsky is really an artist.
The only Alejandro Jodorowsky film I had seen prior to The Holy Mountain was El Topo.
Alejandro shoots like we're just spectators and so part of the experience is lost.The Holy Mountain is still an extraordinary film though.