El Topo (1970) Review

You know, there are movies that are simply beyond review and judgment, movies that, even if you wanted to, you simply couldn't put in a row with other films, saying that it's better or worse than the other. And you know what, I'm sounding truly preposterous, so let's drop the act and dive right into El Topo.

From the perspective of the average filmgoer of the 2010s this film is fairly odd to say the least. It doesn't conform to established rules of storytelling, characterization or other regulated nonsense, no, El Topo is the work of an artist. Enter director and star Alejandro Jodorowsky, born in 1929 in Chile, one of the most beloved underground artists of our times, making his name as an actor, director, author, comic writer and musician. You want proof that this guy has some range? Check out the list of people who went on record to say that Jodorowsky directly influenced them: John Lennon, David Lynch, Bob Dylan, Dennis Hopper, Peter Gabriel, Suda 51, Gore Verbinski, and the list can go on and on.

OK, so now that we've established that Jodorowsky is THE man, let's look at El Topo. On the surface you could say that we're dealing with just another western but, boy, would you be wrong. It starts out with Jodorowsky all dressed in black cowboy gear and sporting a badass beard riding into the frame while holding a black umbrella and having his naked son with him on the horse. Jeez, now that sets the tone. Look at the film's poster and you'll get an idea of what I am talking about. Then our hero shows some skill with the gun when three weird bandits start messing with him. He goes on to kill a fat colonel, gives up his son to some monks and takes the colonel's mistress with him on a journey through the desert to fight off 4 masterful gunslingers in order to become the ultimate son-of-a-gun. And that's only the first half of the movie! If you've made it to this point and have become used to the sparse dialogue, weird characters and hypnotic imagery then prepare yourself for a sudden turn of events because the second half will mess even more with you than the first (including intentionally controversial religious imagery and references to slavery).

Summarizing the events of the movie doesn't do its impact any justice, a mere description of it just ends up being a poor excuse for its stunning effect on the viewer. Jodorowsky himself stated that the goal he sets himself with his films is to create psychedelic drugs, not in pill but in movie form. So it's pretty damn hard for me to step up and judge this film on its merits as a so-called film.

What I can do, though, is tell you to get your hands on a copy of this trippy little masterpiece. I cannot in full conscience guarantee that you will enjoy it, hell, I wouldn't be surprised if people turned this movie off after 5 minutes. But if you're willing to immerse yourself in the experience that El Topo (and also Jodorowsky's other nutso gem The Holy Mountain) creates then you're in for something truly unique.