El topo (1970)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Alejandro Jodorowsky

Writer:

Alejandro Jodorowsky (written by)

Release Date:

15 April 1971 (Mexico)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Western

Tagline:

See the naked young Franciscans whipped with cactus. See the bandit leader disemboweled. See the priest ride into the sunset with a midget and her newborn baby. What it all means isn't exactly clear, but you won't forget it.

Plot:

The gunfighter El Topo ("The Mole") and his young son ride through a desert to a village, whose inhabitants have been massacred...

Plot Keywords:

El Topo | Desert | Monk | Tunnel | Bizarre

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Alejandro Jodorowsky	...	El Topo
Brontis Jodorowsky	...	Son of El Topo, as a boy
José Legarreta	...	Dying Man
Alfonso Arau	...	Bandit #1
José Luis Fernández	...	Bandit #2
Alf Junco	...	Bandit #3 (as Alí Junco)
Gerardo Zepeda	...	Bandit #4 (as Gerardo Cepeda)
René Barrera	...	Bandit #5
René Alís	...	Bandit #6
Federico Gonzáles	...	Bandit #7
Vicente Lara	...	Bandit #8
Pablo Leder	...	Monk #1
Giuliano Girini Sasseroli	...	Monk #2
Cristian Merkel	...	Monk #3
Aldo Grumelli	...	Monk #4

Also Known As:

The Gopher
The Mole

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Klangfilm)

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Australia:MA (2007 re-rating) | South Korea:18 | West Germany:18 | Italy:VM18 (1974) | Australia:R (DVD rating) | Netherlands:18 | UK:18 | Hong Kong:III | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Estudios América, Mexico City, México D.F., Mexico

Company:

Producciones Panicas

Trivia:

Used sets left over from Day of the Evil Gun (1968).

Quotes:

[first lines]
El Topo: [to his son] You are seven years old. You are a man. Bury your first toy and your mother's picture.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream (2005)

Overly Ambitious, but Still Interesting

7 out of 10

Highly controversial in it's day this thing has certainly tamed quite a bit. The blood, violence, nudity, and sexuality really seem like no big deal. The effects aren't real good either and coupled with some real chopping editing you hardly see anything that 'shocking'. In many ways this looks like just another amateurish artifact from a bygone era.

Yet content wise it is actually quite alerting. Director Jodorowsky shows a definite talent. Yes it certainly does seem to bite off more than it can chew especially with such a limited budget. It is saturated (almost bogged down) with heavy symbolism and a seeming need to blow everything up to an almost epic proportion. His ambitions just don't and can't equal the final result. Yet this is still far from a failure. Even while being hampered there are certain scenes that leave a very strong impression.

Has a reputation of being convoluted and yet it is really quite lyrical. Once one adjusts to it's mesmerizing use of symbolism it becomes fascinating. It's heavy allegorical nature is both intriguing and provocative. There is a very unique vision here, which raises it well above the fray despite the other limitations.

The story seems confusing and hard to explain, but really it isn't. It's a story of a mysterious gunmen who comes out of nowhere to avenge a town that has been massacred. Once finished with this he takes the perpetrators women and goes off into the desert. Here he must prove himself against four different masters that all seem invincible. Yet it is to women and lust that he falls victim. Defeated and demoralized he turns to spirituality and ends up fighting to save some deformed people from a town that has literally barricaded them into a underground cavern.

If nothing else the whole thing keeps you going. It is fun and interesting to see one man go through such different stages much like a lot of people. It also gives you a sort of complete view of the person by showing you all his different sides. There is a lot of religious correlations and a overall negative view of women. There is also, surprisingly, a lot of comedy and lighheartedness.

It does fail to leave a overall strong impact. There is also a very cold, alienating tone to it and the characters are all rather unpleasant. Yet for those that like to take a ride into the different they won't be disappointed. The castration of a pompous Colonel is amazing. The showdowns with the masters are memorable and the game of Russian roulette amongst a group of churchgoers isn't bad either.

The film promotes a rather curious statement made by it's director and used on most of it's posters and box covers. It states "If you are great El Topo is a great picture. If you are limited than El Topo is limited." This statement has always seemed quite amusing simply because it allows no room for anyone to criticize the film. If they do they will simply be labeled as 'limited'. I give this film 7 out of 10 points, which makes me , I guess, 70 percent great!