Hello wanderers and welcome back to the 13th Floor! Today's post is going to be a wee different the rest. Instead of recommending another morally ambiguous horror flick I'm going to be recommending a morally ambiguous western. I am absolutely nutty about westerns, especially spaghetti westerns. The film I'm going to be recommending is more taco then spaghetti since its a mexican production. The film in question is Alejandro Jodorowsky's "El Topo" and it is one helluva trip so buckle in!
"El Topo" opens with a heart warming scene where El Topo (portrayed by Jodorowsky himself) is inducting his young son into manhood (portrayed by Jodorowsky's own son). How does ole El Topo bring junior into manhood you ask? Do they compare Johnson sizes? Not quite. Its a little more sophisticated then that I'm afraid. He asks the young lad to strip down to his birthday suit and asks his son to bury his beloved teddy bear and an old photograph of his deceased mother. I shit you not.
Imagine fellas, you're in your basement playing X Box when your old man enters....
Father: Son do you wish to become a man?
Son: Sure do pop!
Father: Fantastic! Take off your clothes and meet me out in the desert!
As I mentioned above El Topo's son is portrayed by the director's own spawn. Imagine that conversation....
Father: Son would you like to be in one of daddy's movies?
Son: Gadzooks would I ever!
Father: Fantastic! Take off your clothes and meet me out in the desert!
Those kooky Europeans what will they think of next?
After this bizarre little Bar Mitzvah, El Topo and Junior set out on a fun filled adventure to find the four gun masters so El Topo can kill them and become the greatest rootin tootin gun master in all the land! The west these two traverse isn't the same west seen in old John Wayne films. Its a surreal and shape shifting west filled with all sorts of crazy characters.
Each gun master represents an eastern religious philosophy. Each one of these gun totting weirdo's are given a chance to share their knowledge with El Topo before he kills them.
"El Topo" isn't necessarily an easy film to watch. It is surreal and heavy with symbolism. Jodorowsky had once said he aimed to simulate an LSD high with his films and he accomplishes this quite well in "El Topo". Watching this flick with a straight and sober mind is a trip in itself. In the first act of the film El Topo is shown as the God of the Old Testament. He's angry and vengeful with a hard on for ass whoopin. In the second half of them Film our protagonist undergoes a certain rebirth where he becomes a Christ-like saviour to a community of deformed underground dwellers. El Topo helps these folk build a tunnel leading into a town run by religious fanatics who have persecuted and humiliated the poor mole people.
No I am not high on goofballs this is what the movie is actually about. If you want your mind sodomized for a couple of hours watch this movie! Is it confusing? yes Do I have to figure it all out for myself? Sure do sonny boy! Don't let all that scare you away. "El Topo" is one of the most entertaining art films I have seen. Its an arty western but it has more blood shed and 70's boobs you can shake a stick at!
I found this scene in particular to be heavily symbolic and rich with philosophical undertones.*DISCLAIMER* The rewind and pause buttons on my remote are mysteriously worn out. Any tips on how to fix them would be greatly appreciated *END DISCLAIMER*
To all my stoner brothers and sisters out there looking for the perfect 4/20 film look no further! "El Topo is best viewed with some electric cabbage and your preferred munchies *DISCLAIMER* I recommend twizzlers and jalapeno chip dip *END DISCLAIMER*
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