movie review: Santa Sangre

VAGRANCY FILMS
GRINDHOUSE VS. ARTHOUSE

Santa Sangre
directed and written by: Alejandro Jodorowsky
starring: Axel Jodorowsky, Blanca Guerra, Adan Jodorowsky, Sabrina Dennison
1989/ Mexico/ Rated R/ 123 minutes

Although Santa Sangre was released twenty-one years ago, I was lucky enough this past Monday, October 18th, to have seen it played again in a theatre. I was a Santa Sangre virgin, and admittedly I was very excited for this screening. I was not disappointed in the quality of the show, the print was lovely. The colours were vibrant, although not always accurate, with some people occasionally glowing teal. I was crammed into a small theatre, with the kinds of cup holders that tip over if the cup doesn’t perfectly fit. So to get that out of the way, the perfect set up to enjoy this film for the first time.

Santa Sangre is about a young man and his mother, who are/were circus performers. The movie follows the protagonist (Fenix) through two different times in his life: as a child who performs as a magician in a circus with both of his parents, and Fenix all grown up, with his mutilated mother, who is clearly suffering for some sort of mental trauma.

Always theatrical.