Santa Sangre (1989) User Reviews

Beautifully Sinister & Stylishly Strange

[reelreviewsandrecommendations · 7/10 · 11 October 2022]

Fenix is a troubled young man. As a child in the circus, he experienced extreme brutality and grotesquery first-hand; as a result he has spent years in a mental asylum. He whiles away his days thinking he is a bird and his nights in the company of a group of down-syndrome fellow patients. One day, he escapes the place, where he finds his mother and takes up arms against those she deems deserving of punishment. Falling ever further into a spiral of violent madness, only Alma- a friend from his past- can stop Fenix before his murderous spree gets out of hand.

Alejandro Jodorowsky's 'Santa Sangre' is a wild, beautifully photographed black comedy of the surrealist variety that is highly entertaining and intensely macabre. Full of dark metaphors and symbolism, the story is anything but predictable. From the opening scenes, a strange tone is established, one that is both bleak, stylish and- somehow- quite funny. Jodorowsky's tale- written alongside Claudio Argento and Roberto Leoni- goes to some rather brutal territory, from practically the very beginning of the film. Jodorowsky doesn't treat the material completely seriously, however; there is a tongue-in-cheek element to the whole proceedings that is most appreciated.

The dialogue in 'Santa Sangre' is consistently heavily melodramatic, and would not be out of place in your average soap opera. This is almost certainly a stylistic choice, as the heightened drama and violence calls for equally over-the-top lines. This doesn't mean that the stilted, overly-theatrical nature of the dialogue can't be pointed out, though; nor can it not be said that it makes some scenes unintentionally hilarious and lessens their dramatic power. It's akin to the dialogue from a good B-movie from the 50's: a little over-blown, a little stagey, but by no means terrible.

Under Jodorowsky's firm hand, director of photography Daniele Nannuzzi brings us some incredible shots that linger in the mind long after 'Santa Sangre' has ended. In fact, the whole film is a delight for the eyes, full of the efficacious use of colour, visual metaphors and abstractions Jodorowsky is known for. Enrique Estévez's set decoration is incredibly highly stylised, as is Tolita Figueroa's costume design; their work is as strange and as beautiful as the cinematography.

Simon Boswell's score is remarkably eerie and powerful, again proving the notion that he is one of the finest film composers working today. His strange, Spanish influenced music heightens the impact of scenes undeniably. Some moments- especially one when a young Fenix gets a tattoo from his father- take on a mythical quality because of Boswell's work (combined of course with the fantastical visuals). His is the music of the soul, and it is a pleasure hearing it in 'Santa Sangre'.

The late Axel Jodorowsky stars as Fenix, giving a performance of intensity and depth. He appears tortured, carrying with him a pervasive air of sadness that is most affecting. It is also a performance of immense physicality, and the way in which he moves and utilises his hands in particular is most striking and memorable. Blanca Guerra co-stars as Fenix's mother, Concha, and she makes Lady MacBeth look like Snow White. Commanding the audience with her remarkable dignity and grace, Guerra gives a performance of such vigour and barbaric potency you struggle to recall ever seeing a more vehement, villainous presence on screen.

From the large supporting cast, Guy Stockwell and Thelma Tixou both impress, giving terrific performances as two incredibly seedy and selfish carnies. However, the partial post-dubbing of characters is jarring, especially as it is an inconsistent job in terms of quality. Also- and this is more of a question than a critique- why Jodorowsky chose to shoot the film in English when the majority of his cast are Spanish is a little odd when a lot of the actors struggle with the language. Perhaps he wanted a larger audience; though he surely knew that 'Santa Sangre' won't appeal to everyone, and those to whom it does appeal don't mind subtitles in their movies.

At any rate, 'Santa Sangre' is a darkly funny, intriguingly bizarre film that is a bit like the results of a Tod Browning and John Waters combination. Beautiful, sinister and strange, the film is utterly unique and highly memorable. Well-acted, strikingly photographed and featuring a terrific Simon Boswell score, it's a film that impresses on nearly every level. It is not for the easily perturbed; but for those who from dark abstractions yield immense satisfaction.

You can't atone for your sins with nightmares.

[lastliberal-853-253708 · 8/10 · 2 April 2011]

It is fitting that the circus plays a prominent role in this film, as the entire film is a circus under Ringmaster Alejandro Jodorowsky.

It is a kaleidescope of color, and fanciful imagery. What is real and what is imaginary? That is your mission in watching this film.

Felix is crazy and the story is told in flashbacks. It is no surprise as his father committed suicide after being caught with the tattoo lady, and his mother had her arms cut off. But, did this really happen this way? He is in an insane asylum, after all.

The film is filled with psychological themes and surrealistic imagery with heavy influence of Federico Fellini and Luis Bunuel. The graveyard scene is fantastic! It is an original in a mass of copycats.

"you will never be free of me."

[Marwan-Bob · 8/10 · 5 April 2019]

This is truly a shocking film crammed with bizarre and grotesque violence, Once again, Alejandro Jodorowsky has managed to come up with a film that defies Logic even as it defies description, All I can say is, if you have a chance to see this film, definitely do so.

This One Stays With You

[daiskeyoshida · 22 July 2002]

I remember seeing this movie in 1990 in a tiny cinema in London, on a date. As we walked from the theater and got on the tube, neither of us said a word for 20 minutes. Finally, she said, "you have a strange taste in films."

Back then, I was heavily into Luis Bunuel. This was one of the few post-Bunuel movies that embodied the essential creepiness and odd humor of the Surrealists (the other one that comes to mind is "Videodrome"). There's the obvious Freudian stuff, the obvious shock stuff, but leaving all that aside, there are indelible moments of cinematic poetry. The elephant; the son's arms; the final shot. 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. I don't remember this movie being particularly scary or gory; just creepy. Maybe it's in a similar genre to "Eyes Without a Face," but only in the sense that both movies deal with mutilation and revenge. (Then again, I remember seeing "Un Chien Andalou" and "In the Realm of the Senses" in the horror section of a video store -- a sign of either ignorance or insight, I could never figure out.) This one truly belongs in the Foreign Films section, but not just for being non-Hollywood.

A film that makes me confront my deepest fears.

[NateManD · 10/10 · 22 July 2005]

"Santa Sangre" is one of Jodorowsky's most accessible films. Although not as strange as "El Topo" and "the Holy Mountain", it is still very bizarre ..... A colorful, horrifying and hallucinatory masterpiece. Many have compared it to "Psycho", "Freaks" and "Fellini". In my opinion, you can't compare it to anything because it's in its own category. Produced by Claudio Argento, brother of Dario Argento; the film does have a similar color style to "Suspiria". "Santa Sangre" is the story of Fenix, a man in a mental institution at the films beginning. A flashback shows Fenix as a child, growing up in the circus. His mother, Concha is a trapeze artist and religious fanatic who worships an armless god. His father Olgo is a knife thrower, who is constantly having flirtatious encounters with the ugly, cruel tattooed women. Fenix's closest friends are a mute mime, a dwarf and of course clowns. After a circus performance, Fenix's mother catches Olgo having an affair with the tattooed lady. In a fit of jealous rage, she dumps acid on their genital regions. Then Olgo cuts off Concha's arms like the goddess, and then cuts his own throat. Poor Fenix witnesses the death of his father, and the Tattooed women drives away with his mute friend Alma. Years later Fenix is reunited with his armless mother, she's out for revenge. In order for her to throw knives, he has to stand behind her and put his arms through her sleeves. It's as if she controls his arms with her mind. "Santa Sangre" is very bloody, disturbing and surreal, but at the same time beautiful and dreamlike. It contains bizarre images such as an elephant funeral, chickens falling from the sky, and mentally handicapped kids tricked into snorting cocaine. (the last being a metaphor for societies corruption of the innocent) Because the film is psychologically disturbing, it makes me confront my deepest subconscious fears; loss of arms, genitals or sanity. I have watched the film more than several times, and it is one of my favorite movies. Every time I watch it, I cringe as I'm challenged by both its beauty and disturbing intensity. So it's not really a horror film, but a surreal masterpiece with horrifying images. It will haunt you long after it's over.

Unforgettable, but not for everyone

[ajmilne · 9/10 · 1 October 2003]

There's so much you can say about this work. Vivid characters, colours, and situations that practically leap off the screen into the theatre next to you. A wonderfully quirky, repeatedly startling story. Graceful low-key cinematography that turns slums and sideshows into an eerily beautiful netherworld, countless images that look like you could freeze them and hang them as inspirational totems for cults we have to hope don't exist. Jodorowsky paints with a heavy, vibrant brush, but it's the perfect tone for this primal-yet-humanizing tale.

But I should post a warning. As far as I'm concerned, my first viewing of this film was one of the more worthwhile two hours or so I've ever spent in a theatre, and I think based on my experience that this sadly neglected wonder deserves every bit of word-of-mouth promotion it can get. But I'm betting it's not to everyone's taste.

So this is my advice: if you found Storaro's green and red/jungle foliage and human remains canvasses in Apocalypse Now unsettlingly beautiful the first time you saw them, and wondered momentarily whether still prints were available for hanging before realizing what you were actually suggesting to yourself, here's a film for you. If you found Delicatessan's celebration of the paradoxical beauty hiding in human ugliness and stupidity a bit too sanitized for your taste, Santa Sangre's rather murkier depths await. You will love this work.

If, on the other hand, you have no taste for painters who work best in human blood as opposed to oils, and/or don't appreciate a bloody carnality mixed in with your religious metaphor, you will quite probably hate it with a passion that exceeds my affection. And I don't really blame you or judge you for walking out early. It takes all kinds.

Either way, fondly or with revulsion, you will remember it vividly, ten years later. I can say this confidently, as that's how long it was from the first time I saw this film to the day I wrote this review. Don't say I didn't warn you.

When I wrote Santa Sangre...

[RobertoLeoni · 7/10 · 24 November 2019]

(translation from Italian) In these days, Santa Sangre is back on the screens in a copy restored in 4k in the original version for the 30th anniversary of its release. Many have asked me to review it, but I can't do it because, first of all I wrote it together with Alessandro Jodorowsky and therefore it would seem to me not very polite and professional to praise me or to criticize me because then in a possible critical judgment today I could also be very bad towards myself... Beyond the jokes, what I can do instead it's telling the genesis of the film, without spoiling it and without weaving neither praise nor criticism, but leaving them both to the judgment of the spectators, above all new spectators, because it is a cult movie and has gone through 30 years unscathed. Even the famous GB magazine Empire has included it among the 500 best films of all time... Beyond this exaggeration, it can be interesting just how the film was born and meanwhile special thanks goes to Claudio Argento, the "crazy" producer, wonderfully crazy, because he believed in this story and produced it. The first idea of this film has a distant origin. I attended university working in the library of a psychiatric hospital and I was in contact with the so-called madness, with mental illness, I saw it up close, I read the medical records, I prepared texts for some degree theses... Obviously I have no competence as a psychologist or as a psychiatrist, however, I also followed humanly life of some patients because I was part of therapy program which taught painting and theatre and also another ergotherapy program, that is, work therapy, which offered to the patients the possibility of doing small jobs allowing them to take off their uniform, because then patients were in uniform. Take off their uniform and attend the library meant that in the eyes of a stranger they were treated like normal people. During the program I had some patients that apparently were very quiet, and they were also very cultured and prepared. In fact, this experience made me understand that schizophrenia is often proper a "degeneration of intelligence", in fact, very often schizophrenics are very clever, very sensitive and very attentive. One of these patients, who worked with me because he knew 3 or 4 languages so he could help me sort the books, because the library had 50,000 volumes of all types and ages, one day started looking sideways and saying: "... 'shut up ...' shut up ..." The third time I asked him what happened and he answered me calmly with his calm blue eyes: "No, nothing, I have a voice that tells me to kill you, but don't worry because I love you. " I was a little uncomfortable, but he reassured me: "No, no, don't worry, I love you, I don't listen to it... " Continuing to stare at me with his blue eyes and I was, as far as I could be, calm. The library was very extensive because there were five very large rooms for the 50,000 volumes and it was me and him alone, isolated on a high floor of this immense palace. And I trusted. I trusted his blue eyes, I trusted him his sincere way of telling me "I love you". Probably this episode, like a small seed, has yielded within my psychology, giving me a sense of confidence, giving me a sense of equality and above all a sense of brotherhood even with mental distress. I found Abel in what might have seemed Cain and this fact so ancestral and so mythical has yielded within me and it is probably the origin of Santa Sangre because over time, I conceived a story in which even the worst demon actually can't forget he is an angel. Whoever saw Santa Sangre knows that the character I wrote together with Alejandro Jodorowsky is a serial killer, but every time he kills you feel sorry for him that is you are sorry more for him than for the victim just to completely overturn the concept of the brute, of the violent, of the monster, but returning almost to the Latin root 'monstrum', that is, something to see, a curious thing to discover. Because the human soul is an infinite gallery of typologies, it is a very deep mine in which, as the famous verses of De Andrè say: "... nothing comes from diamonds, but from the manure the flowers are born... " That is, there is in the depths of the soul, even the most horrendous soul, this incredible ability, this little spark... Over time I have developed a story that I told Claudio Argento because it was a time when we worked together. Claudio understood this story and indeed he even added to it things he thought and together we decided to present it to the director who seemed the most suitable to represent it that is Alejandro Jodorowsky. Jodorowsky for about ten years seemed to have disappeared from the international scenes, but Claudio with great diligence and a lot of skill found him and talked to his agent. Alejandro made an appointment in Paris, but he wanted to meet only me. We didn't understand why, but he said: "I want to meet who wrote this story" I went to meet Alejandro in Paris and in the entrance hall of his agent's building, while I was going to take the elevator, an elegant man has sprung from the shadows, curious, particular, completely dressed in purple: he also had purple shoes, a purple shirt, the purple tie, he was completely purple. And he said to me: "Oui, c'est moi ..." So, I saw Alejandro for the first time. He didn't want to go to the agent because it was a place of merchants, instead he told me: "Let's go to a bar, let's look at each other and talk" The first thing he asked me was: "When did you write this story?" "About a year ago ..." "When exactly?" "I do not remember..." Then, I remembered that my daughter had a fever and I was telling her stories, then I went to my study, an idea had occurred to me and I started to throw that one down which was the first nucleus of Santa Sangre. Then I said: "It should have been March 29." "What time did you write it?" "Around half past one or two in the morning ..." "I knew it... ...that night I went to sleep early and the angel of stories has passed over Paris to bring me a story, saw that I slept and continued to Rome, saw that you were awake and gave you the story. But the story was mine and you are a thief! " "But Alejandro, I invented it ..." "No, you are a thief, 'tu es un voleur' ..." And since then he called me 'ce voleur là', 'that thief there' referring to me. This is a very beautiful story because you can understand how every artist in reality has the ability, when he likes something, to take it, to feel it and to think that he really conceived it. Then, Alejandro developed this story with his imagination and his art, also telling me an episode occurred in Mexico City which in some respects had similar characteristics and together we wrote the script by which he then made the film that we all know.

You will remember this movie!

[lunarmm · 9/10 · 24 February 2000]

I saw the U.S. premiere of this movie at the DC FilmFest. I was intrigued by the thought of a man who makes movies once every 15 years.

Well, I'll tell you. The people sitting next to me left 10 - 15 minutes into the movie. If you can get through the first 30 minutes, it is worthwhile.

Of course, I am into very surrealistic movies and ones that address the question of what is real and what is not.

After seeing it, the visuals have stayed with me over the years. A powerful movie for the adventurous.

Artful Depiction of Insanity

[Breumaster · 7/10 · 14 April 2020]

The movie deals from beginning to the end with it's character's insanity. It is told in very strong, but also symbolic scenes with passionate music. It contains strong visual violence, so it might not be suitable for any audience. Maybe people who like movies like 'Mulholland Drive', 'Wild at Heart' or 'Blue Velvet' would like to see it. I must admit I found it creative, but won't watch it twice. Just maybe a very long time later. This kind of symbolism is not my cup of meat. On the other hand I do understand why people rate it so high.

A fantastic film

[xterminal · 10/10 · 1 April 2000]

Once again, Alejandro Jodorowsky has managed to come up with a film that defies genrification even as it defies description. 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. While the film is not recommended for those under 18 on the box, it is unrated. Much of the violence here is suggested rather than shown, and what nudity there is is more allegorical and less prurient. Probably not for the squeamish, but never crosses that line between the disturbing and the gross-out.

A walk through Santa Sangre.

[dmtls · 9/10 · 17 September 2004]

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.

Psychedelic, surrealistic n an unsettling nightmare. Heavily influenced by A Page of Madness.

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 30 December 2019]

I first saw this in the mid 90s on a vhs. Revisited it recently. This film is truly like a bizarre nightmare. Fellas who enjoyed A Page of Madness will definitely like this one too.

A man n some fellas with Down Syndrome from a sanitarium r recommended by their doc to go for a movie with the hospital staff. Instead of the movie, they r given coke to snort n taken to a red-light area by one of the staff. While the Down Syndrome fellas r entertained by a fat prostitute, the man sees a woman with tattoos from his past thereby triggering flashbacks. The film has lots of gore n weirdness all around.

4 points for originality and some successful imagery

[paul-vanemmerik · 4/10 · 23 March 2016]

I thrive on unconventional, personal cinema. I adore Bunuel, Lynch, Greenaway, E. Elias Merhiges' "Begotten" and almost anything that steers away from the cookie-cutter variety of film-making. This film however, and Jodorowsky's work in general, is difficult for me to sit through and find enjoyment. Perhaps I would have appreciated it more if the overall quality and acting had been better. 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. I'm much more impressed with the low budget film "Begotten" where the low quality is one of the main attributes of this films power. I feel that this is where Jodorowski fails. He has not been able to use his limited budget to greatest effect.

Presentations of madness amidst images of grotesque beauty

[ThreeSadTigers · 4 May 2008]

Santa Sangre (1988) is an absolute curio; a surrealist satire on the absurdities of organised religion, a violent pastiche of slasher cinema and an infernal parody of Hitchcock's classic Psycho (1960) all rolled into one. 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. However, it is wrong to box the film in with such limited interpretations or categorisations of genre, given the very obvious fact that the film has a number of more interesting layers at work beneath these more blatant surface elements. 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. The presentation of the film involves a number of different aspects, some referential, others purely fantasy, moving from an almost Felliniesque portrait of carnival life and idyllic youth - as we are introduced to our central character as a young boy - before shifting further into the young man's life and becoming something of a darkly comic send-up along the lines of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) or Bad Boy Bubby (1993). 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. Jodorowsky's intentions for the film go beyond such notions, as he instead ties together a number of disparate concerns to create a grotesque, yet strangely beautiful film that manages to reference the Hollywood melodrama of Sunset Blvd. (1950) and the Gothic horror of the films of James Whale within a story of murder, innocence and Freudian psychology. 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. The direction, production design, music and photography really capture the dangerous and somewhat confusing tone of the environment, whilst simultaneously retaining a sense of childlike wonderment; particularly in one of the film's most astounding sequences, in which the corpse of an African-elephant is carried through the streets in a giant coffin, dumped into a ravine by a concoction of carnival mourners, only to be savaged and ripped to pieces moments later by a pack of hungry peasants. This scene acts as a grand metaphor for the supporting characters here, and how they send our anti-hero-like protagonist into a spiral of madness, murder and forgiveness.

Close to perfect

[cofemug · 9/10 · 11 July 2000]

First let me say that this is my frist movie by the director. I have not seen El Topo, or any of his others. This is a great movie, in my opinion. Not quite perfect, but still great. It, more than any other movie I have seen, exudes the most raw emotion without saying a single word. One of the movies characters is a deaf mute. There is hardly any dialogue, but it is all the better without it. It oozes the emotion that it needs to pass by through camera work, style, and acting.

The story is not your normal story, and in fact is a bit creepy. I will not tell you one single part of it, because I only knew very little going in to see it. But, let me tell you that it is not for the weak of mind or heart. But, the emotion of the movie is completely there, and I highly recommend this to the people who don't mind thinking to be slightly scared. And this is a movie that doesn't feel it has to explain everything away, and so is all the better for it.

9/10

Wonderful Movie

[producer-3 · 10/10 · 6 October 2000]

The eerie atmosphere, and alien characters to every day life, draws those who are artistic and learners. The character development and strange situations will keep you glued to the set.

Santa Sangre means `Blood of the Saint'. The saint is a young virgin that a young Fenix sees his Mom worshiping in a strange cult like church. It is explained that this saint was an abused girl that got her arms cut off. This all takes place in a circus, with clowns as stand-ins and musicians playing music wherever Fenix goes. There is a very surrealistic scene when the Circus elephant dies of natural causes. This scene is very spectacular in how it was presented.

Later, Fenix sees his mom get her arms cut off by his father. This of course twists his mind into thinking of his Mom as a saint, but she is a very spiteful woman. This puts him in terrible situations, and he then cannot distinguish between unnecessary death and natural death. They make money when he is older by being his Moms arms during performances.

At any point in the movie, you really cannot tell what is real and what are insane delusions. It will not be reveled until the last few minutes of the film, which will surprise you.

Not too bloody if you get the blockbuster version. You can watch this, or watch some guy hurting himself while falling down funniest home videos, so I guess it's a matter of taste.

beautifully disgusting

[cyrus-13 · 7/10 · 31 March 1999]

I'm not exactly sure what Jodorowsky was going for in this film, yet I was rather blown away. The bloody imagery and Catholic symbolism mixed well though I think this might have been more powerful in spanish. I can't think of any other movies off hand to compare it to so I won't even try. This should be seen to be believed, though not for the weak stomached.

Holy Mother of God, Jesus Christ and everything else that is sacred! What a stunning experience!

[Coventry · 10/10 · 24 February 2006]

This is not just a movie…THIS is a cinematic orgasm! For start to finish, "Santa Sangre" stands for one brilliant sequence after another, a staggering use of color shades, sensational musical guidance, disturbing themes and some of the most original story ideas that never ever featured in cinema before! To sum the film up in simply one word, it would be: AMAZING! I caught myself staring at the screen with my eyes and mouth wide open most of the time and I kept on thinking how I never wanted this movie to end. "Santa Sangre" unhesitatingly catapulted itself in my top-5 movies of all-time and I sincerely think it's there to stay. It's not very often that you encounter a film that is impossible to categorize under simply one genre, yet the masterful director Alejandro Jodorowsky here successfully assembles various genres like it's no trouble at all. To define "Santa Sangre" as just another foreign horror movie would be obvious, but at the same time truly short-sighted, as it contains an equally large amount of genuine drama that is actually a lot more captivating than most Oscar-winning (and hugely overrated) motion pictures. And if that isn't enough yet, this simultaneously is an immensely artistic and experimental effort that brings forward uniquely bizarre visions and dared symbolism.

The story is composed of two main chapters that are set in different eras, but both revolving on protagonist Fenix, who is briefly introduced as a resident in a mental institution. The fist (and most dazzling) part of the film is a 40 minutes long flashback in which we get an illustration of Fenix' unpleasant childhood. He's the son of traveling circus artists, and a promising young magician himself, but they don't exactly form a model family. Fenix' alcoholic and aggressive father has an affair with the obscene tattooed woman and his mother is the leader of a dangerously fanatic cult that worships an armless Goddess. Another violent argument between the parents results in a real tragedy that settles young Fenix up with an everlasting trauma. This brilliantly choreographed flashback is indescribably unsettling, and this without showing much graphic images. Tod Browning's classic film "Freaks" already made clear that a circus can be a truly petrifying place and the wide versatility of eerie characters (midgets, clowns, white-faced acrobats, magicians…) is well represented in Jodorowsky's imagination as well. Particularly Fenix' father is a disturbing man, not in the least because he subjects his own son to bloody rituals that supposedly make a 'real man' out of him. Despite the constant atmosphere of surrealism, these were some of the most shocking 40 minutes of my life.

The second and larger part of the film is slightly less powerful, mainly because Jodorowsky's script tries to convince us of something that clearly is implausible. Under the influence of his mother who returns after many years, Fenix escapes the mental clinic and starts to give shows again with a totally new act. The mother is still very dominating, though, and merely sees her son as an instrument with killer arms that she can use to avenge herself. Only the reuniting with his long lost love can bring some peace and quiet in Fenix' unbalanced life. This second part is far bloodier than the first and the uncanny circus setting has been replaced with grim big city ghettos where drug abuse and prostitution are the most natural things in the world. This surrounding is still disturbing but definitely less overwhelming than the circus, also because you're more familiar with it. The clear references towards Freud and the infamous Oedipus syndrome still work but they aren't new things anymore. Thank God everything is still filmed in a hugely fascinating way, with camera angles and color shades that pretty much make your head spin, and most characters actually evoke real sentiments of compassion and admiration. Especially Alma, I loved her! In conclusion, "Santa Sangre" is a terribly neglected movie that deserves a ranking in the IMDb top-250 (honestly!) and I wish I could reward it with a rating higher than 10 out of 10.

Umm, BIZARRE kind of sums it up!

[dragonmaster0303 · 7/10 · 25 January 2006]

The big question about this film is this: Do you need to be on drugs to watch it or was the director on enough for all of us when he made it? I guess since I'm drug free it must be the latter.

Certainly bizarre, one passage sees a group of down syndrome people excitedly eating fruit, three of whom are then taken into the city where a pimp offers them some cocaine which they snort & then proceed down a street of prostitutes who sing and dance like they're in a Hollywood musical and then the three of them walk off with the biggest, fattest, ugliest hooker you ever did see. Or maybe she was a Madam, to be honest I gave up trying to understand, it barely matters with this one! Oh, there's a midget, an elephant that's torn apart, cripples, a tattooed lady, a mute, a muscle bound female wrestler (or to be more accurate, a man with breasts wearing a wig!), not to mention a band of annoying clowns that follow people around playing songs, in there too.

Did I mention the word bizarre? I didn't even get to the part where it rains chickens. The fact that I've missed out dozens of other things I could've mentioned points to the fact that there are just far too many ideas being thrown together for any real coherence and chances are that you will lose interest several times due to your brain liquidising. Although that said, thankfully the plot is pretty simple, believe it or not, and it is kind of a fun ride all the same.

Add all this to the boy who's so traumatized after witnessing the death of his father (wonderful sequence including wig removing, throat cutting, acid to the genitals & slicing off of arms) he takes to sleeping in a basket and living up a tree like a monkey. I think I'll join him.

Refreshingly unique and loaded with some of the best moments in cinema history.

[MrGone-3 · 10/10 · 26 August 1999]

Jodorowsky improves upon ideas he touched upon in his debut film, "El Topo," with this exquisitely crafted gem. 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.

And now for something completely different

[juliankennedy23 · 7/10 · 28 April 2019]

Santa Sangre (1989) 8 out of 10: Many reviews in 1989 gave Santa Sangre top marks. It was something fresh and new. Roger Ebert probably explains it best in his four-star review.

"When I go to the movies, one of my strongest desires is to be shown something new. I want to go to new places, meet new people, have new experiences. When I see Hollywood formulas mindlessly repeated, a little something dies inside of me: I have lost two hours to boors who insist on telling me stories I have heard before. Jodorowsky is not boring. The privilege of making a film is too precious to him for him to want to make a conventional one. It has been 18 years since his last work, and all of that time the frustration and inspiration must have been building. Now comes this release, in a rush of energy and creative joy."

Santa Sangre is not dull. You will see things you have never seen before and will never see again. It is as if Dali and Fellini got together and remade Psycho. (It is a much better Psycho remake than the tone-deaf Gus Van Sant 1998 disaster. I was going to call it that Vince Vaughn disaster as I usually do, but on second thought perhaps the director needs to be called out as well)

The Good: The acting in this film is often very broad using lots of mime and clown techniques. It is also at times hypnotic. Sabrina Dennison as the adult version of the lead character's childhood love is particularly hypnotic though she is a deaf-mute and doesn't say a word in the film. I am amazed and saddened; that this is her only film.

The other acting is good in a very stylized way. This movie asks a lot from its players, and they deliver like an R rated Mexican soap opera where someone dosed the commissary with LSD.

For a film that jumps back and forth in time and is so well out there, it does have a plot that one can follow. I have seen much more straight forward films that forgot to tell a tale.

The Bad: As I get older and less concerned about what people may think of my tastes and opinions I grow closer to admitting I am not a Fellini fan. This lack of appreciation for Fellini is problematic since Santa Sangre is basically Fellini fan fiction filmed. One's tolerance for clowns and circuses will be tested quite quickly by the happenings on screen.

While the story is apparent with all the symbolism swirling around it, it is also quite simple - a fable. If you are looking for original characters and twists that are not obvious or even internal logic prepare to be disappointed, Santa Sangre is about the journey, not the tale held within.

The Ugly: The film has a few prominent scenes with Down Syndrome actors. They seem to be enjoying themselves, and the cast could not be kinder to them. I do find it unsettling as I am unsure that they had agency in their participation in the proceedings. It's a tough subject and unlike the facepalm when you see the clown in minstrel blackface, not one that has gotten easier to read in the subsequent decades.

In Conclusion: I enjoyed myself, and I doubt I will forget Santa Sangre anytime soon. It is bizarre upon reflection that it was the performance of a mime that probably tipped this one to a see again recommend score. Recommend I do alas with more reservations than a more burned out reviewer may have.

Pain and self-destruction were never this surreal and beautiful.

[insomniac_rod · 10/10 · 3 March 2007]

SANTA SANGRE is visually shocking, deeply moving in substance, and haunting in atmosphere. Truly, an unforgettable experience. Please, watch it with regular expectations and don't let anyone tell you what's it about. That way, the viewing experience is more than satisfying. It's memorable, and will haunt you forever.

Jodorowsky's direction is masterful. I can't remember any other film with such classy, inventive, macabre, camera angles such as these. EVERY SINGLE scene is memorable and that's why it might get dull for some people; I just wanted more running time than just two hours. The bizarre nightmares (the graveyard mimes, the falling chickens, etc.) demonstrate Jodorowsky's unique powerful imagery and bizarre early Buñuel influences. Nonsense visual shocks were never this real and haunting. He created a bizarre world for his main character.

Fènix's situation is an anthem for unwanted self-destruction. It always makes me sad because he is a tormented soul that couldn't face his inner fears mainly because of his condition. He wasn't a serial killer by choice, he just followed his naive but macabre feelings mainly because of "his mother's" orders. The Freudian references were just consequences of his hallucinations and displayed how much he depended of his mother (as a child, it's perfectly shown when he runs and holds her after the church demolition). He's a devastated human being with a beautiful twisted mind.

Every single scene is perfectly ambiented and that's highly important for the plot. Dialogs are important but not essential and that could give you an idea of how visually impressive and memorable is. The atmosphere of the movie is dark by nature but the colorful art direction and extremely detailed cinematography make it a unique visual experience. The scenes where the church is demolished and the poetic elephant funeral are perfect examples. The settings are dark but beautiful. The church is simply impressive; the holy blood river, the shrine... the place where Fènix's dad tattoos him, And that's just to name a few. The symbolism in each scene is something unique. Impressive, delightful direction, art direction, cinematography, score. The acting is from another world. Axel Jodorowsky and Blanca Guerra steal the show with memorable, blowing mind experience. Axel is simply magnificent. His performance is unreal, moving. Guerra delivers the best performance in her honorable career. The girls who played Alma are simply fantastic (not to mention beautiful). Their eyes can tell many things and display strong emotions. Now, that's a lesson in corporal acting.

Some scenes have haunted me for long time and even gave my nightmares. Some of them have truly moved me; for example, when Fènix and a clown are holding each other and Fènix while crying says "my mommy is dead", that's when he realizes about everything. A moving, sad, tender scene. Some of them didn't have a reason to exist but Jodorowsky thought they would be necessary to re-affirm Fènix's confrontation with his twisted mind and the struggle with his mother for control of his life (for example, the anaconda struggle scene). "Everyone I know goes away in the end, and you could have it all, my empire of dirt".

The music is simply brilliant (some of Mèxico's most influential songs and lyrics). I never thought of a weirdest way to play "Besame Mucho". Some of these songs are haunting alone but the way Jodorowsky uses them is much more intense. My favorite piece of score is when Concha is about to throw acid on her husband's genitals; the same score repeats when Concha tries to stab Almita (near the ending).

The middle part of the movie focuses on making you believe you are living a dream in the flesh.

The ending deserves a standing ovation. The moment where Concha tries to stab Alma is simply nerve tensing and macabre. Alma just standing with her arms wide open, the background lightning and dark. A memorable moment! Also, the very last scene when Fènix realizes that he has finally the control of his hands is a beautiful scene that metaphors how he recovered his own life. The biblical quote/passage re-affirms it.

The movie can be divided in two different periods. First deals with the tormented childhood of the principal character. Meet Fènix, a young, tender, boy who lives with his family in a circus. He's an aspiring magician whose only friends are a pretty deaf-mute girl, and a midget named Aladino. Fènix parents are disturbed people who are a display of Mèxico's lower discriminated class. The father is a ragging alcoholic who abuses and cheats on his wife. The mother suffers from sick jealousy and she worships a strange saint whose status is explained through a "retablo" (a typical Mexican tradition that deals with painting and drawing the events of WHY someone has reached a saint status). Fènix's life is colorful but sad. He learns how to be a man in the hard way, and he witnesses how his mother gets in trouble to the point of risking her life just to defend the saint's "holy blood". He also deals with the death of an elephant he loved too much. His life is predetermined to be painful : dealing with prostitutes, alcoholic beggars, and more social wastes. But his life changes when he witnesses how his father kills himself after cutting her mother's arms. At the same time, his only friend and (future) tender love interest goes away.

The second part is stronger in content because of the nasty death sequences and strong criticism against society (down syndrome boys inhaling coke and hooking up with prostitutes, drunken soldiers, pimps in Pachuco style, discrimination, etc.). It also has a resolution for Fènix's inner struggle against his mother.

My favorite movie of all time, hands down. Join the macabre, beautiful, dark, symbolic, haunting world of SANTA SANGRE. An underrated masterpiece that deserves recognition and a shrine.

Strange+ bad= entertaining

[PeterJackson · 7/10 · 16 August 2000]

This is one strange film that (surprisingly)never actually bores. Is there a story of importance in this film? I shouldn't know. What was the director trying to accomplish? Beats me. Did it work? Yes, in a certain, bizarre way. I saw this movie recently in a theater nearby.(in a flashback-series) A dozen or so people were in the theater(half of them stayed til the end). When it started out, I expected a Spanish, totally incomprehensible mess. But not only did the actors speak English, the film also succeeded in delivering some of the goods. It seemed the director did his best to put every possible freak(played by Jodorowsky's entire film I think)in the picture. Whatever you can think of, it's there! All of this was so over-the-top that this actually bad film became "good", with some (unintended?)very funny scenes in it. I know, there's a lot of blood and there are some very sadistic scenes in it, but I happen to like films that don't play by the rules(across the edge). Although it's not the best horror film I have ever seen (BRAINDEAD,EL DIA DE LA BESTIA and even BAD TASTE are better, funnier and more clever), but it's certainly something worth seeing. That is: not for the faint of heart. 4/10 OR 8/10?(my vote was 7 but it could have easily been something else)

Buffoonery

[jeffreycraiganderson · 3/10 · 8 June 2015]

I love Alejandro Jodorowsky, the person, who is charismatic and funny and interesting. But, man, he must have been smoking some righteous substances when he made this amateurish and borderline incoherent mess. After looking at the glowing reviews, I feel compelled to exclaim that the emperor has no clothes here. In a way, I get why the adulation. Jodorowsky is a seriously cool guy, and it is commendable whenever a filmmaker goes out on a limb to make something with zero mainstream appeal. He is probably a genius, based on the quality of his comics more so than his movies. But come on. Bad is bad. I never for a single moment forgot that I was watching a movie during this. The histrionic acting was laughable. I did not care about a single character. The symbolism was obvious and clunky. The special effects were cartoonish. I became increasingly bored and had to pause the film twice just to get up the energy to finish it. I did like one scene - the piano scene - which was genuinely impressive. His son apparently can act when given the right material. But the rest of it was insufferably dumb.

a masterpiece, indeed

[dmuel · 13 December 1999]

This is a startling work, a truly artistic masterpiece, which did achieve some mainstream recognition for Jodorowoski but not what the film deserved. Filled with unsettling images, grotesque displays of violence and sexuality, and subtle but comic references, Santa Sangre is Jodorowoski's most coherent work. It is also a thoroughly artistic work, with a greater emphasis on representation than drama or morality. If you have not seen this movie, rent it. You will not soon forget it whatever your final evaluation might be. Too bad its not available on DVD (hint).