Santa Sangre (1989)
Genre: Drama / Horror
Duration: 123 minuten
Alternative title: Holy Blood
Country:
Mexico / Italy
Directed by: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Stars: Axel Jodorowsky, Blanca Guerra and Guy Stockwell
IMDb score:
7,5 (25.633)
Releasedate: 24 November 1989
Santa Sangre plot
"Forget Everything You Have Ever Seen."
Little Fenix works as a magician in a circus in Mexico City. His father is a hot-tempered knife thrower in a leopard skin that is too small. His mother, a trapezist who is also the high priestess of a religious cult, dedicated to a virgin without arms. When the father plunges into a voluptuously tattooed Fellinian wench, he is emasculated by his wife with nitric acid. Before slitting his throat, he demonstrates his knife dexterity one last time by chopping off her arms. Enough to inflict some trauma on the young son. At the age of twenty, Fenix is allowed to leave the institution, but he is enslaved by his mother. The two perform a grotesque pantomime number, where he lends her his arms and their bodies become one. Together they tread a bloody path of revenge. But are we dealing here with delusions or is it all happening for real?
Actors and actresses
Fenix
Concha
Orgo
The Tattooed Woman
Alma
Young Fenix
Young Alma
Pimp
Aladin
Rubi
Reviews & comments
Halcyon
-
- 9952 messages
- 0 votes
A colorful and at times clownish tale of a serial killer with mommy issues. Fenix is a circus magician who involves promiscuous women in his show and then, on his mother's orders, slaughters them. As is so often the case, childhood traumas underlie a disturbed love-hate relationship with women and, in this case, transvestites. The question, of course, is what is real and what isn't. Jodorowsky turns every scene into a dream, a nightmare, a hallucination, or something in between, shrouded in warm colors and an atmosphere that borders on the absurd. The score is a mishmash of organ music, Mexican hits, and touching yet chilling melodies composed by Simon Boswell. It's especially those last pieces—combined with the visuals (the young Fenix getting an impressive chest tattoo or the adult Fenix as a knife thrower)—that are most impressive, because the rest leans a bit too much towards kitsch for me. Sorry.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
-
- 11558 messages
- 6803 votes
Intriguing.
The first Jodorowsky I've ever seen. He's made several other films I want to see as a director, but this was clearly his best. That's subjective, but it gave me enough motivation to start watching this film. It was an experience, and one that's probably not watchable without brainstorming some theories.
However, I found the acting terrible, to start my review on a negative note. Guerra is absolutely terrible, and instead of an intimidating mother role, I found it a very irritating and theatrical performance that failed to convince me at all. The same goes for Jodorowsky's son. Annoying, overblown performance, and unfortunately, the rest isn't much better.
Cinematically, I find this film to be a mixed bag. I do like the colorful scenes, and the crowd scenes sometimes work out well, but it often feels like a regular film with some colorful backdrops. I also miss some better camerawork that would better capture the surreal stylistic exercises.
The story probably isn't watchable without some input from your own brain. You'll really have to add something yourself to flesh out the film, and I was glad I could watch it with a group that took it seriously. It makes the experience much more educational and enjoyable than just shouting things out at random.
I found it a mixed film with a surreal edge. The murders are beautifully shot, and the creativity certainly shines through. I found the theatrical acting—and I mean truly theatrical—a major turn-off. I'd hoped this film would be more of an overwhelming experience, but it doesn't come close.
Translated from Dutch · View original
scorsese
-
- 13430 messages
- 11265 votes
A good film about a boy growing up among the circus performers where his father and mother also work. An original film. Colorful and eccentric characters. The set design is also quite colorful and here and there a nice burst of violence. Visually, there's plenty to see. The dialogue is a bit sparse and at times a bit long-winded.
Translated from Dutch · View originalLatest News
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