The Holy Mountain

holy shit

written by

mansbestfriend

jorodowsky doesn't make a movie so much as he dares you to sit through a spiritual hazing ritual. every frame feels like it's asking "are you enlightened yet?" while actively sabotaging the possibility. monks, frogs in conquistador cosplay, mutilation as metaphor, capitalism as alchemy, jesus clones being mass-produced. it's exhausting, intentional, and kind of funny if you accept that the joke is partly on you. what i respect is how openly manipulative it is. this movie doesn't pretend to be subtle. it weaponizes symbolism. the camera stares at you like it knows you're trying to decode meaning instead of feeling anything. and then, right when you think you've cracked it, the film basically turns around and says "relax. it's a movie. you're not special." that ending is either the most honest thing jodorowsky ever did or the most pretentious mic drop imaginable. possibly both. it's ugly, beautiful, profound, fake-deep, sincere, and self-aware all at once. i hated parts of it. i admire all of it. i will never recommend it to anyone i like. rating: 5 stars