An artistic masterpiece. This movie is probably unlike
any that's ever been made, both for the look and story (which actually spans
many genres). It presents such a bizarre and surreal spectacle of visuals
(including a memorable elephant funeral), which are incredible in their own
right, but what truly makes them stand is there's so much motion and tension
in/created by them. It's really hard to describe this movie, especially without
ruining it. Maybe I just need to say it's an experience and leave it at that.
Certainly it's totally engrossing and you'll react to what you are seeing
one way or another. There's not a lot of talking (especially since a key
character is a mute), but there doesn't need to be because the visuals are
so atmospheric and powerfully emotional that they say it all.
Alejandro Jodorowsky did an awesome job here. Rarely
do you see such attention to detail. There's hardly a wasted frame, and everything
included in the director's version, no matter how unconventional, grotesque,
or "explicit," needs to be there (so, as always, avoid chastized versions).
The film is certainly not for everyone (not for adults that want more regurgitated
happy Hollywood movies or people that aren't mature enough for unrated movies),
but it's an experience that will stay with you for years. Recently, The (brainless)
Cell seems to have lifted from Santa Sangre, but it had the visual aspect
(in portions) without doing much of anything with them or the rest of the
movie, so it doesn't hold a candle to this classic.
