Santa sangre
Tags: avant garde, mystery, murder, suspenseful, thought-provoking, cult, violence, atmospheric, absurd, psychedelic, revenge, entertaining

Plot synopsis:
The film starts with a naked figure sitting in a tree in what looks like a mental asylum. Nurses come out to him, bringing a plate of conventional food and also one of a raw fish. As they try to coax him off of his perch, it is the fish that persuades him to come down. As the nurses get him to put on some overalls, the viewer sees that he has a tattoo of phoenix on his chest.
=== Flashback ===
The film flashes back into Fenix's childhood, which he spent performing as a "child magician" in a circus run by his father Orgo, the knife-thrower, and his mother Concha, a trapeze artist and aerialist. The circus crew also includes, among others, a tattooed woman, who acts as the object of Orgo's knife-throwing feats, her adopted daughter Alma (a hearing-impaired, voiceless mime and tightrope walker whom Fenix fancies, with the feeling mutual), Fenix's midget friend Aladin, a pack of clowns and a small elephant. Orgo carries on a very public flirtation with the tattooed woman, and their knife-throwing act is heavily sexualized.
Concha is also the leader of a religious cult that considers, as its patron saint, a little girl who was raped and had her arms cut off by two brothers. Their church is about to be bulldozed at the behest of the owner of the land, and the followers make one last stand against the police and the bulldozers. A Roman Catholic Monsignor drives into the conflict, saying that he will prevent its demolition, but after he enters the temple to inspect it he deems it blasphemous and unworthy (the girl worshipped is no saint, he says, and the supposed pool of "holy blood" at the center of the edifice contains just red paint), so the demolition is carried out. Fenix leads Concha back to the circus, where she finds out about Orgo's affair, but Orgo, being also a hypnotist, puts Concha in a trance and rapes her.
The circus elephant then dies, much to Fenix's grief, and a public funeral is conducted, in which the elephant is paraded through the city inside a giant casket. The casket is then dropped into the city dump, where scavengers open it up and proceed to carve up the elephant and take away the meat. Orgo consoles his son by tattooing a spread-eagled phoenix onto his chest, identical to the one on his own chest, using a knife dipped in red ink. This tattoo, Orgo says, will make Fenix a man.
Later on, Concha, during her trapeze act, sees Orgo and the tattooed woman sneak out of the big top. She chases after them and, seeing them sexually engaged, pours a bottle of sulphuric acid onto Orgo's genitals. Orgo retaliates by cutting off both her arms (much like the girl previously venerated). He then walks into the street and slits his own throat. Fenix witnesses this, locked inside a trailer. He then sees the tattooed woman driving off with Alma.
=== Flash-forward ===
Back in the present, Fenix is taken out to a movie theater, along with other patients, most of whom have Down syndrome. A pimp intercepts them and persuades them to take cocaine and follow him to meet an overweight prostitute. Fenix then spots the Tattooed Woman, who is now a prostitute, and becomes filled with rage. Back in the asylum, Fenix's armless mother Concha calls out for him from the street and he escapes by climbing down a rope from his cell window. The Tattooed Woman is shown trying to prostitute Alma, who runs away and sleeps on the roof of a truck. The Tattooed Woman is then mutilated and killed by unseen woman's hands.
Mother and son go on to perform an act whereby he stands behind her and moves his arms, to make it look as if Concha's arms are moving. But Concha soon starts to use her son's hands to kill those women who she deems a threat to her, including a young woman whom he kills with a knife-throw, as well as a cross-dressing wrestler, whom he slashes with a sword. It is revealed in a dream that he has killed many more women, all of whose memories haunt him.
Alma finds Fenix and, together, they plan to run away from Concha and her house. She tries to force Fenix to murder Alma as well, but, after a struggle, he manages to plunge a knife into Concha's stomach, but she doesn't die and reveals to him that she will always be inside him, vanishing before his eyes. Through a series of flashbacks, it is revealed that Concha actually died after being maimed by Orgo, and that Fenix has kept a mannequin of his armless mother, while performing on stage and at home. He destroys the home-made temple and throws away the mannequin with the help of his imaginary childhood friends, Aladin and the clowns.
The police are waiting outside the house and order Fenix and Alma to put their hands up. Both comply, and Fenix watches his own hands with awe as he does so. He realises that he has regained control of them, which brings him joy.

Review: It feels, more than 10 years later, like a repressed dream/nightmare.I don't consider this a "horror" movie, in the sense that there are no slasher, monster, alien, demon, zombie, cannibal, haunted house, supernatural, dread disease, or giallo elements.
These particular ideas are further tied together by director Alejandro Jodorowsky's continuing preoccupations with circus themes, childhood, murder and performance art; as vivid colours and bold strokes of character and ideology are thrown wildly around the screen amidst surreal visions, childhood reflections and elements of satire.
It perhaps lacks the obvious depth and esoteric mysticism of his earlier films - that trio of surrealist masterworks Fando and Lis (1968), El Topo (1970) and The Holy Mountain (1973) - but it remains, nonetheless, a visually impressive and psychologically deep experience that manages to be moving and emotionally demanding, despite the often grotesque and uncomfortable presentation of theme and imagery.Given the superficial aspects of the narrative, many people have chosen to see the film as a work of horror; something that is entirely plausible given the definite themes of psychological breakdown, madness and inner-torment; not to mention a number of violent murders that propel the story back and forth between enigmatic moments of nightmarish abandon and more colourful and darkly comic moments of parody, farce and cinematic self-reference.
If anything, I would call the film a psychological fantasy and leave the individual viewer to project their own ideas and interpretations onto it, without having their opinions swayed or pre-led by the hyperbolic platitudes of reviews like this.However, even with that in mind, Santa Sangre is one of those films that simply demands such discussion, and perhaps requires reviews like this one, not for the benefit of other people, but as an attempt by me to piece together all aspects of the film's bizarre, patch-work like approach to storytelling, and the deeper themes and references that Jodorowksy toys with amidst the continual barrage of visual and aural stimulation.
From here the film becomes darker still, with Jodorowsky establishing the murderous sub-plot, which reaches something of a peak with one of the most insanely violent murder scenes ever witnessed in contemporary cinema.Nevertheless, anyone expecting a straight murder film - something more akin to the work of producer Claudio Argento's brother Dario - will probably be disappointed.
The impact of the film is certainly within its bizarre symbolism and surreal beauty; the elephant's death-scene for example is one of the most extraordinarily moving things I've ever seen, and ties in nicely with the feelings of the character towards the end of the film, in which the ghosts of the past return amidst a series of startling and frightening recollections, fairy-tale like abstraction and moments of absurd humour.The film creates an astounding atmosphere from the very start, particularly in the early scenes set within the circus, churches and sweaty streets of Mexico City; with Jodorowsky demonstrating a real understanding and feel for the place, with its sad incongruities of dwarfs and giants and that air of suffocating and claustrophobic dread.
Santa Sangre is, on its surface, something of a suspense/horror film, but under the surface, it's a psychological drama, a black comedy, and about a hundred other genres all meshing in such perfect harmony that it's impossible to easily categorize this masterpiece.All I can say is, if you have a chance to see this film, definitely do so.
This is truly a shocking film crammed with bizarre and grotesque violence both explicit and lurking beyond the 'five-senses perception'.A sick masterpiece by a sick genius.Santa Sangre evolves into the strange universe of its creator ,Alejandro Jodorowsky.This is not at least surprising because most of his works:films (El Topo etc.),comics (The cast of the Metabarons,Inkal etc.)etc etc,are pieces of the very same puzzle,Alejandro's universe.Santa Sangre (Holy Blood) is a pure surrealistic work.Symbols,insanity, Life and Death mix up the wild beauty of Ancient Greek Tragedy.In conclusion: this is not a film for everyone,but if you are open minded you will be able to make a step further,beyond the image itself and face the deep brutal truth of this movie.This is how it would look like a movie shot by Salvator Dali himself..
Santa Sangre depicts a truly original perspective on a mother-son relationship and while the first half of the film is all set-up, the second half is of the oh-my-god-jaw-to-the-ground-excellent variety..
For others it shows that `blood is a very special liquid' in all its metaphysical contexts.There is some very powerful imagery in this film: a bleeding, dying elephant and its bizarre burial, cut-off arms, white-painted corpses, etc., images that haunt you not because of their goriness but their unique intensity.The story is based on that of  a Mexican mass murderer so I was a  bit biased before I went to the cinema, but was surprised when the story unrolled it was not about some ugly, monstrous guy like I expected, but that the protagonist was portrayed as a troubled young man for whom one could have sympathies despite his killings.
The ideas and situations are outrageous, crazy and certainly more original than anything I can think of but the audio/visual quality, horrible acting and extremely low budget look of this film prevented me from appreciating it in any way.
Nearly twenty years after coming forth with his second 'cult' film, El Topo, Alejandro Jodorowsky practically outdid himself, so to speak, with Santa Sangre.
Jodorowsky fills his frames with actors that are very pronounced, close to abstract figures, and aside from the lead male (played by Axel Jodorowsky) and his no-armed mother, are a one-foot man, a mute/dumb girl, a very large man with a tattoo on his chest (who, by the way, puts the story into motion), and a muscle-bound female wrestler, among many others.
This is a modern supernatural classic that works on some religious imagery, and forms of magic ranging from circus acts to invisible tricks.There isn't too much of a story to report, except that a young boy has a Mother who is rather fundamentalist about her temple, Holy Blood, being destroyed.
Sometimes the violence is (especially in the NC-17 cut) amazingly graphic, with one scene in particular (not saying which but it's about half-way through the film) may be one of the most harrowing in its depiction in the past twenty years.Also, Jodorowsky near the end includes a certain 'twist' to the story, but unlike many other films I could mention I did not mind when it came around.
Whether you come out of Santa Sangre feeling you've seen a work of a master director or the un-Godly harpings of a madman of cinema, it's definitely not like much else out there today.
Surrealist cult director Alejandro Jodorowsky got the family together for this flick (Axel, Adan, Teo, Brontis) and, along with a bunch of unknown actors; has put together a film that stands alone as far as genre is concerned.
The plot is a great base for a surrealist movie, and we follow a young circus boy who saves his mother from being bulldozed after she puts her life on the line to save her church, which is dedicated to some false deity.
The first knife killing is one of the bloodiest and most brutal I have ever seen; but the haunting scenes involving the son allowing the mother the use of his arms top even this in terms of merging beauty with horror.
Disturbing images and music will keep haunting you until you appease the cinema demigods by watching all Jodorowsky movies you can get a hold of..
And the strange passions of a tattooed circus knife-thrower, the gothic horror of a son condemned to act as his mother's substitute arms, and the beautiful enchantment of an outing for a group of retarded people..
Which is why you can say she is unable to fly again, without love you can never really soar to heights.Just like in the myth the Phenix doesn't rise until it is destroyed first and Fenix's life sadly is no bed of roses, as he is tormented internally and externally from the forces from the past and the forces in the present.The world in this film as usual with most of Jodorosky's films is truly a live surreal world where it's dark, strange, dreamlike but all the same fascinating, just about anything can happen here and does.
Though it's fairly simple on paper (Freudian slasher flick, basically), the story is the ultimate organizing force here, and all the great surreal visual elements that make this a true Jodorowsky film are fully ready to serve it and its themes.
I do still think Santa Sangre is Jodorowsky's strongest work, because there's enough of a story (which is pretty much a take on Psycho) to keep it from getting boring..
If I can watch any film equivalent of this in my life, I am very lucky.Jodorowsky, he is an utter genius.You can find this film in horror sections, but this is more than that.Circus Boys (1989, Japan) is a rip-off of this masterpiece, but not a disaster..
Granted, it's not a film for everyone, as some might be repelled by it's demented visual style, but those who will let themselves to get into the bizarre, disturbing and captivating world of "Santa Sangre", will surely be rewarded.
And maybe you want to know if it's really worth watching if you're looking for some strange cult film after trying so many times and finding a lot of frustrating wannabe stuff.
The only reason I can see why people give Jodorowsky so much praise is because he uses images in his films that have not been seen before, which admittedly is cool at times.
It's so bizarre and strange yet beautifully poetic and dreamy at the same time.There's something about the circus that fascinates me, the constant touring, the mystery, the colourful images, the sadness and detachment away from normality.The great thing about this film is subtle enough for you to actually work out what's going on.
If you're not into surrealism, you might want to reconsider your movie tastes.I'm a huge fan of Alejandro Jodorowsky's movies because they're full of symbolism,psychological themes,deep lines and gestures, and frameworks that'll make you feel like you're staring at a moving painting.Before I found out about Jodorowsky, I thought David Lynch was the master of surrealism but now I totally disagree.What I'm trying to say is that Jodorowsky's movies can portray perfectly the director's vision.Santa Sangre, in my opinion is his best movie considering the story, script, directing and acting.I'm not going to spoil the plot so you're gonna have to find out.Don't watch any trailers of this movie and don't look at posters.This movie is a spiritual and an initial journey into surrealistic world.Indeed, it has some disturbing scenes, but you have to keep an open mind and try to visualize the message that the director wants to send.It needs time to be fully understood but believe me,it's not a waste of time..
Consumed by her hatred for lustful, moral-free women, Concha convinces her psychologically fragile son to aid her in a series of grisly murders.I first saw Alejandro Jodorowsky's Santa Sangre in 1989 as part of an all-night horror film festival, and I thought it was fantastic; however, since seeing a couple of the director's other films and finding them totally incomprehensible, I have often wondered whether my enjoyment of Santa Sangre was somehow enhanced that night by an extreme lack of sleep and a massive caffeine intake (lots of Pro-Plus washed down with Coke, I seem to remember).After nearly two decades of uncertainty, I have finally re-watched the film, and this time I was well rested and clear of artificial stimulants.
Poetic and beautiful, yet twisted and savage, Santa Sangre is surreal art-house cinema with blood, meaning that it appeals to me on two very distinct levels: the pretentious film snob in me can appreciate the artistry, the intriguing study of a fractured psyche, the religious symbolism, and the technical brilliance; and the gore-hound in me can get a kick out of the extreme violence.And, as if that wasn't enough, the film also features such bizarre delights as a dwarf in an Aladdin outfit, some coke-snorting Down's Syndrome kids partying with a fat whore, a dead elephant being torn apart by slum dwellers, brilliant music by Simon Boswell, several cool hallucinatory sequences, and an amazing twist ending that puts anything by M.
Night Shyalaman to shame.In fact, I enjoyed Santa Sangre so much second time around, that perhaps I ought to give Jodorowsky's other films another chance to impress me..
Yes you have a bunch of weird characters and situations, a twisted and quite insane plot, but the story unfolds very smoothly and the grotesque elements actually help the narrative.There are many small flaws, a signature of directors who have a vision but are self-taught and don't make many movies, but they are easily forgiven considering the commitment and risk-taking at play here.Visually, it's really visionary.
Jodorowsky is a great directing talent that sadly couldn't evolve into a mature director due to the lack of interest from the industry.You could love "Santa Sangre" if you're fond of some of the following movies: "Naked lunch", "Erendira", "Delicatessen", "Freaks", "Tideland", "Psycho" (the latter being much more 'mainstream' but yet...).Probably Jodorowsky's best effort.
Set around circus people, the story revolves around the son of a trapeze artist mother and knife-throwing strongman father, the latter of which has an affair with the tattooed lady, which results in a violent confrontation where he gets acid in the groin and she has her arms decapitated.
Through a flashback we see that he was traumatized as a child, when he and his family were circus performers: he saw his father cut off the arms of his mother, a religious fanatic and leader of the heretical church of Santa Sangre ("Holy Blood"), and then commit suicide.Santa Sangre did not receive a wide release in the U.S. since its original premiere, only screening at a few theaters familiar with Jodorowsky's previous work.
The film concerns a young man named Fenix (played as a child by the director's young son then as an adult by his older son) who was born the son of a religiously obsessed woman who is part of a strange cult that worships a woman who was murdered and had both arms removed.
"Santa Sangre" is one of Jodorowsky's most accessible films.
"Santa Sangre" is the story of Fenix, a man in a mental institution at the films beginning.
I have watched the film more than several times, and it is one of my favorite movies.
After a long absence Jodorowsky returned with this surreal but more accessible offering than his earlier work, focusing on a circus and starring Jodorowsky's son and grandson as Fenix, a young boy who witnesses his father cut off the arms of his mother before committing suicide.
Santa Sangre was Chilean-born director, Alejandro Jodorowsky's fourth film in a twenty three year span since making Fando and Lis. It reportedly took six years to write, however, lucky us Jodorwsky doesn't rouse himself to make a movie very often.
In the place of a coherently ordered story, the picture strings together a series of banal Freudianisms involving a circus family that falls into ruin when the father, the Great Orgo (Guy Stockwell), is caught by his aerialist wife, Concha (Blanca Guerra), in flagrante delicto with the Tattooed Woman (Thelma Tixou), and as revenge for being doused with acid, slices off Concha's arms, then kills himself.Enough of this horrific bloodletting is witnessed by the couple's young son, Fenix (Adan Jodorowsky, the director's son), who grows up to be a raving mass murderer (played by Axel Jodorowsky, the director's other son) who believes he is driven by his rampaging, armless mother to kill every woman who attracts him.
Or that Fenix is rescued from madness by Alma (Sabrina Dennison), the white-faced, deaf and mute girl he fell in love with as a boy.Though often lacking a concise, cohesive narrative for the average, typical mind, but for one with an eye for bizarre and surreal visuals, you'll understand there's an intriguing story buried inside of Santa Sangre..
I've bought Jodorowsky's movies without knowing what's going to happen, result : I've gain so much maturity by watching all of them, and Santa Sangre is definitively with The Holy Mountain the duo that clearly change my way of enjoying REAL art.
It is amazing to watch the Directors Son Axel Jodorowsky actually have to be the arms for his armless mother.
Santa Sangre is a 1989 Mexican surrealist psychological horror film directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky.
After Fenix lets his mother go, he is then forced to take responsibility for his own actions as an adult in a dangerous world.Santa Sangre is indeed a surrealistic horror film and it certainly succeeds at that.
Some people might not like Jodorowsky's surreal style of film-making, and the incredibly many-sided, astonishing character of "Santa Sangre" in particular, but everybody, even those who don't like this ingenious movie will have to admit that it is almost incomparable to anything else.
- The movie, which is basically divided in two parts, begins with a man named Fenix (Axel Jodorowsky, the director's son) living in an insane asylum.
He manages to escape at the bidding of his now armless mother (who matches up with the armless Santa Sangre she worships earlier in the film), and the two end up having a demented and jealous relationship with him as her arms and her as a will that takes over and forces him to kill every girl he's interested in...
However, inside Fenix's mind, Concha has found a place to flourish.As a young adult, the director AJ masterfully creates a surreal, unpredictable portrait of one man's madness as he is the arms for his mother who is now a performing artist.