The Holy Mountain (1973)
If you ever feel the world has gone crazy, remember the 70s exist.
Presentation:
The most profound brain rot you’ve ever seen? Bizarre, experimental, taboo, art house, social commentary, spiritual - There is no shortage of words to describe this experience. From surrealist avant-garde director Jodorowsky comes his most acclaimed project, a cult film about pursuing a holy mountain. Along the metaphorical journey is bombarded with provocative taboo imagery, leaving you speechless or screaming in shock. Nudity, feces and bodily fluids are the least of your concerns. Because the film starts at a 9, the rest of the film regretfully is forced to be even more extreme. The political beginning has moments of cleverness, but it devolves into vapid commentary. Much of the film, and for far too long, ends up being absurd, tasteless brain rot. Only after your shock tolerance is completely drained does the film reveal its final message. And in those final subversive moments of visual fatigue do we get a quasi-philosophical moment that makes sense of why it was worth it to climb this depraved summit.
Conclusion:
As a reviewer of cinema, I have to say this was a rollercoaster to watch. I initially found it repulsive, then clever, then pointless, then insightful. No matter what critique you may have for this film, it was effective. The psychedelic pilgrimage provides spiritual enlightenment where straightforward message delivery probably wouldn’t penetrate. Now zoom out camera.
Recommendations
Surrealism is not for the discreet.