El Topo *** (1970, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brontis Jodorowsky, José Legarreta) – Classic Movie Review 9843

‘The definitive cult spaghetti Western.’ ‘The legendary cult classic.’ ‘The film that shocked America with its sex and violence.’

Writer-director Alejandro Jodorowsky [Alexandro Jodorowsky]’s peculiar, surreal, heavily allegory-laden 1970 Mexican spaghetti Western film El Topo [The Mole] is about a mysterious black-clad avenging gunfighter El Topo (played by the director) who goes after murderers on a mystical desert journey with his seven-year old son Hijo (the director’s son Brontis Jodorowsky).

El Topo was a cult film at the time in America, where they warmed to its religious symbols, its homages to other directors (Luis Buñuel, Federico Fellini, Sergio Leone), its startling photography (Raphael Corkidi) and its sex and violence.

Its reputation has been eclipsed somewhat over the years, and it doesn’t stand up particularly well, though it is still of great fascination.

The main cast are Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brontis Jodorowsky, José Legarreta, Alfonso Arau, José Luis Fernández, Ali Junco, Gerardo Zepeda, Mara Lorenzio, David Silva, Paula Roma, Jacqueline Luis, Hector Martinez, Juan Jose Gurrola, Victor Fosado, Ignacio Martínez España, Eliseo Gardea Saucedo, and Bertha Lomelí.

Alejandro Jodorowsky was born in Iquique, Chile, on 17 February 1929

Brontis Jodorowsky was born in Mexico in 1962 and began acting at seven in his father’s El Topo, playing Topo’s son.

It was originally an underground film but an impressed John Lennon he persuaded a friend to buy the rights for worldwide distribution.

Many versions are censored, missing most of the sex and violence. The ABKCO Films release is the English-dubbed version.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9843

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