La danza della realtà

Anyone interested in cult movies must have heard of Chilean artist Alejandro Jodorowsky – even if, during his 57 year association with the cinema so far, he has only delivered two shorts and seven feature films. With my open-air viewing of his latest effort, I have now watched all of them…having just caught up with the quirky LA CRAVATE (1957), the irritating TEATRO SIN FIN (1965), the exotic adventure TUSK (1980) and even the engrossing feature-length documentary JODOROWSKY'S DUNE (2013). As things stand now, I can divide Jodorowosky's filmography into three symmetrical groups: admirable (EL TOPO {1970}, SANTA SANGRE {1989} and, happily, THE DANCE OF REALITY), enjoyable (LA CRAVATE, TUSK, THE RAINBOW THIEF {1990}) and loathsome (TEATRO SIN FIN, FANDO AND LIS {1968}, THE HOLY MOUNTAIN {1973})…

It is not an unknown occurrence in movies that a respected artist takes an inordinately long hiatus from the medium: David Lean, Sergio Leone and Stanley Kubrick are perhaps the most egregious examples…but Jodorowsky's 23 years is probably the lengthiest sabbatical yet! Although he had been threatening to make a sequel to EL TOPO for the last decade – his screenplay of THE SONS OF EL TOPO was even glimpsed sitting on the man's shelves in the aforementioned "Dune" documentary! – it is perhaps unsurprising that it took the now-85-year-old Jodorowsky's most personal project, an adaptation of his own autobiography, to lure him back to the cinema (even if that only came about as a result of a reteaming with his DUNE producer Michel Seydoux). Equally plausible is the fact that, for a man with such a long and varied career, one film would not be enough to tell his whole life-story and, as his young son Adan said in the Q&A which followed the film's screening, Alejandro is currently working on the second installment! I, for one, am looking forward to it…

In keeping with the autobiographical nature of the film, his oldest son Brontis (who played the child in EL TOPO) has the lead role here of Jodorowsky's strict businessman father, Cristobal plays a Buddhist mystic who runs around practically naked, Adan plays a long-haired, bespectacled anarchist and Alejandro himself appears as the ruminating guardian angel of his put-upon younger self! Although I would be the first one to admit that I much prefer the Luis Buñuel brand of Surrealism rather than the self-indulgent obscurantist style propagated by the likes of Federico Fellini, Fernando Arrabal (Jodorowsky's own partner in his "Panic" movement days) and David Lynch (the director who ultimately brought DUNE to the big-screen, albeit disastrously, in 1984!), I have to say that sitting through the not unsubstantial 130-minute duration of THE DANCE OF REALITY made me realize that even Jodorowsky's most outre' ideas in his previous films might well have had their seeds in his troubled childhood in the desert Chilean village of Tocopilla.

The film can be roughly divided into three segments: the first part concentrates on the boy's physical and mental abuse at the hands of his Ukranian-Jewish father (including vignettes involving red shoes and the fire brigade); the second on the father's ineffectual political activities (including an amusing failed assassination attempt at a best-dressed dog contest and a lengthy episode as the Chilean dictator's horse groomer); and, finally, the prodigal father's return homeward (after suffering from a bout of amnesia following much torture at the hands of the tyrannical regime). The father (incidentally, Brontis' appearance here turns him into a virtual dead ringer for Hollywood actor Peter Sarsgaard!) had been a circus performer and is portrayed as a staunch atheistic Communist, the mother only communicates in operatic arias and the young boy is seen sporting a blonde wig at the latter's insistence (in emulation of her own father's mane) and the former's chagrin. While berating his son for looking effeminate and mingling with the local mystics and mutilated soldiers-turned-paupers, Jodorowsky Sr. is shown consorting with whores, transvestites and political subversives in his weekly night-time trysts to the local tavern.

As can be gleaned from a cursory glance at the storyline and as was to be expected from this director, despite the reflective and occasionally even pastoral mood that permeates the proceedings, the film cannot fail but include a surfeit of full-frontal nudity which result in a couple of strong scenes: both father and mother get to shed their clothes but, instead of using it during scenes of sexual activity, the elder Jodorowsky shows his father being humiliated and tortured, himself as a young boy being comforted by his stark-naked, big-breasted mum and the latter miraculously healing her leprosy–stricken husband by urinating on him!! In such a godless environment (where religious relics are dumped into the toilet bowl), even horses can become objects of desire as the Chilean leader is depicted metaphorically having a virtual orgasm while astride his white-maned Bucephalus and, consequently, it is the latter who gets poisoned instead of its owner who is in turn devastated by the loss! The director's typically skewed sense of humour, then, is evident in the recurring presence of a midget barker, forever donning outlandish costumes, in an attempt to draw crowds to Jodorowsky's lingerie shop - but which are mostly unappreciated by his irascible employer!

While the occasional longueur does make itself felt (particularly during the second half), the film moves at a surprisingly breezy pace thanks to a compelling narrative and one is certainly thankful for it – especially considering the feature film started screening at around 10:00 p.m.! Jodorowsky's visual artistry is as sharp as ever and one barely realizes that the movie was shot on digital. Adan Jodorowsky's score is definitely an asset and, when asked about what inspired him to write it during the following Q&A session, he mentioned not just his father's self-penned music for EL TOPO and THE HOLY MOUNTAIN but also the works of legendary film composer Bernard Herrmann!

if art imitates life, and such is film, then fu'k cinema, for this is a masterpiece. not in film nor art, but in true life, reality, for perspective and our various lives, are variously different and simliar upon existential standpoints. La danza de la realidad, is not cinema, it is an account, a story, in which i truly believe, should, but never will be the inherent future of cinema, such is reality, suffering, misfortune and in my argued opinion -( a term that should be banished from history), a triumph in misfortune, however, synical as my review is, if one could deem it that, is unplaced upon happiness, for it pains my heart, that Snr Jodorowsky is of age, upon which i shall never grace his presence, nor mine, his kin however, i shall strategise to converge a moment in my life, for such cinema is my passion, and i shall see to it, that a legacy, spawned upon true film makers such as jadorowsky, among others, shall proceed, forth unto my lifes constant endeavors. i advise all, worth advising, to view this film, with the heart, soul, suffering, and the ability to believe in the destruction of an indifferent afterlife. forgive my spelling, for what are words if not mere communication. thank you. and may your universe guide you forever unto eternity...

Jodorowsky's works have been a part of my life since I first started venturing into the grown up section of my local public library (here in Denmark) in the early 1980s and discovered the "Incal" comics he was doing with Moebius at that time.

I gotta admit I'm not always convinced. "The Incal" is a wonderful comics classic, but some of his later (serialised) books seem to fizzle out to nothing after they've taken years to complete. They've given me quite a bit of frustration - and the reviewers in the comics press often seem equally frustrated.

I bought his return to movie making "Santa Sangre" when it was first released on VHS back around 1990. And I love this movie! It's in my opinion completely coherent and satisfying, and I've seen it many times.

The long awaited DVD box-set of his older 1970s work was a bit of a disappointment. Some good scenes in the movies, but also a lot of semi- amateurish wannabe-spiritual 1970s-style hippie-rambling. The best part of the box was the very enjoyable documentary "La constellation Jodorowsky", which you might be able to find on you-tube with a bit of luck.

But as for his new movie: It's good. VERY good. Possibly even better than "Santa Sangre". In some ways it seems like a remake of "El Topo", except without the western-trappings and based more closely on his own childhood. The main character (Jodorowsky's father) undergoes much the same transformation as El Topo, but the narrative is much more coherent and gripping. I was lucky enough to attend a screening with Jodo's son (who played El Topo's son, and plays Jodo's father in this movie), and while I was mesmerized by the movie even before listening to Brontis Jodorowsky - who is a funny, cool and sensible down-to-earth guy - the information he gave me made me appreciate it even more.

Basically the first part of the movie is a magical realist version of Jodo's childhood. But then the 'psycho magic' therapy that Jodo practices (in his second career as a kind of Tarot-card - or whatever - therapist) starts to play a part, and the movie becomes a kind of exorcism of the hard asshole'ish macho-part of his dictatorial father - the movie gives the father-character the journey of learning he never had in real life, making him a better wiser man that real-life Jodorowsky is able to make (symbolic) peace with. Anyway, this may sound like a lot of nonsense, but it made a lot of sense when Brontis Jodorowsky talked about it, and it makes for a compelling movie, even without the background information. It's as good as any Fellini-meets-Latin- American-Magical-Realism-movie could ever hope to be.

Basically I'm just happy that Jodo has now made two movies and one graphic novel ("The Incal") that I'm able to embrace and enjoy 100%.

The film sets up a style of the director himself literally embracing his younger self and talking to the camera and his younger self in the midst of things going on. Add to this his comical intense cruel-to-be- kind, father and his mother who sings all her dialog and you have a unique narrative that is funny strange and compelling for the first third of the film. But then the story shifts to only the dad's story taking care of a horse and this section bogs down, as other sections tend to whenever the older and younger self aren't part of the action at all. And mom's singing gets a little tiresome as well though her singing voice is very good. Music in the film is uniformly fine. Then you get into some graphic nudity, urination and torture scenes, all of which seem to go on forever, and I fell out of love with it.

But it's almost redeemed by a final section where finally the older and younger director/character return for a farewell scene involving a dock and a boat. If this does turn out to be his last film it's one of the great film exits in history.

So it's too bad the script loses focus right in the middle and that the whole thing feels way too long. Might be a film that plays better if you don't watch it all in one sitting.

Visuals are typically vivid but now have a video quality that the HD "photography" that is distracting at first when comparing the richer film colors of his earlier work.

A worthy film that unfortunately can't sustain a strong first third.

I could pretty much say that for every other film from Alejandro Jodorowsky. Lucky enough I was able to familiarize myself with his previous films; 'El Topo' and 'The Holy Mountain' a month ago, before hearing his latest 'The Dance of Reality' will play at the Melbourne Internation Film Festival; direct from its Cannes premiere.

I can't really recommend this to you if you aren't very familiar with Jodorowsky's other films. He always if not Often plays on Allegories; El Topo appears as an allegorical Western playing on a very mystic and strange backdrop full of religious ideals and encounters, while also exploring how much of this comes from human deeds on a spiritual journey to enlightenment. I'd gladly revisit that film again and consider it his "Masterpiece". 'The Holy Mountain' on the other hand has just as much of a cult following as 'El Topo' does, Instead That film focuses on spiritual conflict and pilgrimage to attain a spiritual level greater than man above the solar system's landscape. Both films have even been noted to be part of the ever wondrous hippie generation. Jodorowsky truly is an icon for what he achieved expressing within his films; very Avent-Garde spiritual understanding within our mind's visions giving greater tones to such surrealist imagery of psychedelia. Sure enough his films aren't for everyone and must be approached with a curious and Adult mind to fully understand.

'The Dance of Reality' marks Jodorowsky's first film in almost 23 years. Its an autobiographical film based upon the Jodorowsky's memoir of he name. The Film focuses on his upbringing in Chile, Young Alejandro (Jeremías Herskovits) is a curious boy trying to understand the values of life and childhood. His Father Jaime (Brontis Jodorowsky) is very strict, arrogant and abusive due to his obsession with communism and Stalin, he teaches the young Alejandro the meaning of manhood growing up and the lessons in life. His Mother; Sara (Pamela Flores, all her dialogue is sung) is more gracious and loving towards both Alejandro and Jaime.

The plot seems to focus on both father and son character development. Alajandro is growing up to becoming a fine young lad with good moral values taught by both his parents. Jaime on the Other hand thinks he can do anything within his power and might but eventually ends losing is all not learning his lesson from such reckless deeds, eventually trying get out the hard way. The 84 year old 'Jodorowsky' himself, serves as the film's narrator or spiritual guidance to his younger self.

In some way 'Dance of Reality' explores Jodorowsky's allegory of life and childhood as well as his old man's mistakes. You could say most of these themes have already been explored when looking back at 'El Topo', Although that film was more a metaphor for Jodorowsky's upbringing.

'Dance of Reality' directly takes Jodorowsky's native Chile setting and brings it up close examining his childhood and early spiritual understanding as well as what type of person his father was.

This film mainly has many of the similar motifs and symbolism found within Jodorowsky's other films (e.g. limbless or missing limbed humans and visible genitalia, Why? Cause he can!). Psychedelia and surreal imagery play a significant parts within the films substance. The narrative is easy to understand from a direct perspective rather than an exercise on the weird and wonderful. The film for one is fascinating, very engaging and self centered. The character development of Alajandro and Jaime is so drawn in; its hard to distinguish the line of fantasy and reality. Supporting and minor characters also play memorable roles in this film. I guess it was worth the wait for Jodorowsky's first release in years.

I can see this film being praised and divided by critics and audiences alike. Jodorowsky shows things within his films that even the most repentant or squeamish mind may find uncomfortable to watch. If given the right audience were to view this film they won't be disappointed. This film is Unlike anything I've ever seen; it has left me Awe Struck, amazed disturbed at the same time. One Thing for certain is Alejandro Jodorowsky is like no other film maker thats ever lived