My undisputed favorite of Jodorowsky’s films—El Topo and Santa Sangre don’t even come close. This could be because I knew absolutely nothing about The Holy Mountain going in—I was devoid of anticipation, thus spared from disappointment—but more likely it was due to Corkidi’s hypnotic cinematography. The sets—namely the collection of shaped, colorful rooms in the red tower—are shot with an intuitive eye. The Thief enters the rainbow-walled foyer in a manner reminiscent of Dave entering the control center in 2001: A Space Odyssey—noise becomes a humming silence, motion becomes stillness; the scene is jarringly centered. Later, in a room with spinning walls, the camera takes it place among revolving mache bodies, all striking the pose of Crucifixion, as the Thief and the Alchemist talk; it then returns to the motionless center without breaking conversation, though we as the viewer are left dizzied and somewhat unsettled. A perfect metaphor for Jodorowsky’s films.
by Adam Balz | Source: Starz/Anchor Bay DVD
06 Jul 2007 11:19 AM | Submit Comment
