Hardcore film fans know that there are certain directors that you go to if you really want to be challenged and taken on a journey like no other. Cinema’s crazy Chilean uncle Alejandro Jodorowsky is one of the most unique figures who has ever put ideas to film, and we are not even taking into account his time as a philosopher, a puppeteer, a mime, a psychologist, and a spiritual guru, among a great number of other things. His status as an artistic icon stems from the journey he took audiences on with films such as El Topo and The Holy Mountain, two avant-garde classics marked by mind-corrupting images of violence and mysticism that takes a very special type of viewer to appreciate. With his films being an acquired taste, it makes sense that he took off nearly the entire decade of the 80s before returning to filming in 1989 with one of his greatest and most accessible works, the surreal psychological horror film Santa Sangre. Despite being “more accessible,” the film features some classic Jodorowsky weirdness that keeps your mind racing long after the credits have stopped rolling.
Appropriately enough for the cerebral Jodorowsky, the film begins in a mental asylum with a naked man (Axel Jodorowsky, the director’s son) sitting in a fake tree that has been fixed in his cell. This figure casts aside a normal enough looking steak and veggies meal in favor of devouring a raw fish. This disturbed individual is Fenix, and we are taken back in time to his childhood as “The Boy Magician” in his family’s circus troupe. His circus family are those who have been cast aside by society due to their unique personalities and attributes. His mother, Concha (Blanca Guerra), stars in the show as a high-flying aerialist, while in her downtime she leads a cult-like bastardization of the Catholic faith which worships a martyr/rape victim whose arms were severed during her murder. The titular “santa sangre” (otherwise known as holy blood) resides in a pool inside the cult’s church. Fenix’s father is the adulterous ringleader Orgo (Guy Stockwell), who is having an affair with the Tattooed Woman (Thelma Tixou). When Concha douses Orgo’s crotch with acid, he reacts by cutting off her arms and killing himself right in front of his son. To say Fenix is traumatized by the ordeal would be an understatement.
When we reunite with Fenix in the future and understand why he has lost his mind, we see him spot his armless mother outside of the asylum which he flees to reunite with her. From here, Jodorowsky crafts this film with echoes of Psycho but through the phantasmagorical lens that only Jodorowsky can pull off. What starts as a cabaret act in which Fenix stands behind his mother to “give” her arms soon turns deadly when she exerts her control over him to begin killing the women who catch his eye in an alluring manner. The plot is over the top, but it is one that can be easily deciphered and analyzed for any number of themes about oedipal dynamics, obsession, guilt and more. One of the reasons this film is a bit different than the typical slasher film is the way in which it tackles the confrontation of evil. The aim of this film is not to derive pleasure in these evil deeds, but confront them with good. For Fenix this comes in the form of Alma (Sabrina Dennison), a deaf and mute woman who was close with Fenix as a boy and now provides him with the unconditional love he needs to get out of his dark experiences.
While the narrative is somewhat conventional by Jodorowsky standards, this would not be a proper picture of his without its fair share of shocking and perplexing developments that will haunt you. One particularly elaborate sequence involving a dying elephant and its subsequent funeral leads to some chaotic places that seems to be commenting on class disparity – the ripping apart of an elephant corpse by the hungry masses. There is also a visually arresting and narratively pivotal sequence in which the victims that Fenix has been burying in his private graveyard return to torture him. Clad in white paint, these figures are strangely beautiful in their grotesque nature. Jodorowsky is exploring a lot of themes within this film, some of which will be readily apparent while some you will have to sit with and explore, if this film proves itself worthy of such a mental commitment for your personal taste. As a narrative, he elegantly balances the psychological drama with the dark humor and even the giallo horror elements. You may love this film, or you may hate this film, but it would be shocking if you were bored by this film. Jodorowsky is a filmmaker that you should not delve into lightly, but if you connect with his sensibilities it is very rewarding.
Video Quality
Severin Films presents Santa Sangre with a glorious 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K scan of the original camera negative supervised by director Alejandro Jodorowsky. The most surprising aspect of the disc is the lack of HDR for increased color output, but the disc does not suffer greatly for it. The film ranks high among presentations I have ever seen for classic films on 4K UHD. The new master features some bold colors in the production design and costumes that pop off the screen with a vibrant intensity. While the setting can be very beige-oriented, especially in the hospital, it proves to be a stunning sight when viewed here. The black levels are outstanding with nothing in the way of crush present, and white levels are solid as a rock with no evidence of blooming.
The level of detail and clarity is stunning with a pleasing amount of natural film grain intact. The grain mostly resolves quite well, but there are some moments that look a bit swarm-y in some of the brightest backgrounds. The texture on display in the costumes and within the production design are a revelation. Even facial details such as the texture of clown makeup present with impressive clarity. This transfer does feature a few stray specks that do not amount to much in the long run. This presentation is true to the original look of the film with the added resolution making elements seem more immediate. There does not appear to be much in the way of jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. This presentation is a stellar effort from the good people at Severin Films.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in English, along with DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio tracks in Spanish and Italian. The 5.1 track provides an expansive soundscape that does not sound artificial in the least. The track does not feature constant activity in the side and rear channels, but they come alive when it makes sense. The eclectic score from Simon Boswell is used well to establish the mood of the story, and this track handles it elegantly throughout the duration of the film. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. The environmental sounds such as the wind and crackling of fire are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Severin Films has given this film a perfectly preserved audio presentation that brings the movie to life in an exciting manner.
Special Features
Disc One & Two (4K UHD Blu-Ray & Blu-Ray – Identical Content)
- Audio Commentary: Director Alejandro Jodorowsky & Journalist Alan Jones sit down for a very entertaining and informative commentary track in which the auteur discusses working with his son, the shot that almost cost him his life, sitting down with a serial killer for inspiration for this story, the story behind the film’s writing credits and so much more that will have your head spinning. A must-listen for fans of the director.
- New Blood – Alejandro Jodorowsky On The Restoration of Santa Sangre: A 32-minute featurette in which the auteur goes beyond what the title of the supplement promises and talks about his filmmaking process as a whole, among a great number of other things in this expansive monologue. Jodorowsky is a fascinating individual and just listening to him speak for this long is a treat.
- Deleted Scenes with Director Commentary: An eight-minute collection of unused material is shown here with insights from Jodorowsky & Jones. The footage is in very rough shape, but it is interesting to get any glimpses at new material at all.
- Theatrical Trailer: A three-minute trailer for the film that gives you a glimpse of what is offered in this narrative.
Disc Three
- Forget Everything You Have Seen – The World of Santa Sangre: A 1-hour-and-37-minute documentary featuring interviews with Co-Writer / Director Alejandro Jodorowsky, Actors Axel Jodorowsky, Blanca Guerra, Thelma Tixou, Sabrina Dennison, Adan Jodorowsky, Elenka Tapia, Teo Tapia, Co-Writer Roberto Leoni, Composer Simon Boswell, Tattoo Designer Sergio Arau and Unit Publicist Greg Day. This is an absolutely fabulous documentary that dissects all of the elements of the film that fans would want to know from Jodorowsky’s coffee with a serial killer that inspired the film to the production and release.
- Like A Phoenix: A 38-minute interview with Producer Claudio Argento in which he discusses his career leading up to Santa Sangre and what lead him to producing this film, the effect it had on his career, what it was like working with Jodorowsky, what it was like filming in Mexico CIty and many more fascinating anecdotes. This is a top-notch interview session.
- Holy Blood: A 42-minute interview with Cinematographer Danielle Nannuzzi in which he discusses securing a job on this film, his collaboration with Jodorowsky, how he achieved certain lighting conditions, memories of shooting certain scenes and more.
- Mexican Magic: A 36-minute interview with Executive Producer Angelo Iacono in which he discusses his career at the time, coming on board Santa Sangre, finding the right shooting locations, the performers in the film, his feelings about the knife throwing sequences and more.
- The Language of Editing: A 21-minute interview with Editor Mauro Bonanni in which he discusses his humorous entry into editing Santa Sangre, his love of Jodorowsky, his experience working with the auteur and more. He also takes you through a couple of scenes in depth to explain some of the challenges of editing this picture.
- Innocence in Horror: A 29-minute interview with Screenwriter Roberto Leoni in which he talks about Jodorowsky transforming his material, what he was trying to accomplish with the story, his feelings on the dynamics between a writer and director, the “Jodorowsky style” and more.
- Santa Sangre 30th Anniversary Celebration at Morbido Festival, Mexico City: A 10-minute piece in which some of the performers and other key figures come to the festival to introduce the film and share some thoughts on the story. There are also one-on-one interviews and footage of some circus performers similar to those in the film.
- Goyo Cárdenas Spree Killer: An 18-minute documentary on the real life Inspiration for Santa Sangre which can be a bit creepy but quite compelling.
- Jodorowsky 2003 Interview: A 33-minute archival interview in which he discusses some dark aspects of his family history, the mixture of darkness and comedy in his films, the way in which he is happy to deceive Hollywood, his relationship with US audiences and much more.
- Jodorowsky on Stage Q & A: A 26-minute interview in London from December 2002 in which Jodorowsky discusses important moments from the film, production woes, some humorous talents of a gifted woman and much more.
- ECHECK – Adan Jodorowsky Short Film: A four-minute silent short film from Jodorowsky’s son with optional audio commentary from Alejandro Jodorowsky
- Simon Boswell Interviews Jodorowsky: An 8-minute conversation with Alejandro Jodorowsky in which he discusses his interactions with The Beatles, Dennis Hopper and more.
- ‘Close Your Eyes’ Simon Boswell Music Video: A six-minute video which features footage from the film.
- BLINK JODOROWSKY – Short by Simon Boswell: A two-minute piece which is a close-up on Jodorowsky’s face as he slowly blinks.
Disc Four
- Santa Sangre Original Soundtrack
Final Thoughts
Santa Sangre is a really far out film, but it actually stands as one of the most accessible from Alejandro Jodorowsky. The legendary auteur delivers some truly striking images that will stick with you long after the film has ended, and the story that is being told is served by these sumptuous visuals in a really remarkable way. There are some horrific moments, but it never ceases to be completely enthralling. Severin Films has released a remarkable 4K UHD Blu-Ray package for the film that features a top notch A/V presentation and a collection of special features that will knock your socks off. If you are looking to dip your toe into the Alejandro Jodorowsky pool, this is a great initial step. Recommended
Santa Sangre is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Severin Films has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
