Rent The Dance of Reality (2013)

Both glorious and irritating - The Dance of Reality review by Alphaville

Nearing his 90s now, the incorrigible Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky has lost none of his verve and imagination. Expect startling images, sweeping camerawork and sumptuous surreal scenes of epic proportion. Jodorowsky also appears as himself, talks to the camera, does voiceover… he never does things by half. Unfortunately it won’t make any sense to anyone but him (it’s about his childhood). In his own words: ‘Something is dreaming us. Embrace the illusion.’ Newcomers to his work may find it hard to do so. It ranges from deliriously cinematic through impossibly irritating to downright boring.

It’s his first completed feature film for 26 years but seasoned Jodorowsky hands will feel at home with scenes containing, Nazis, amputees, maggots… Newbies may well watch proceedings open-mouthed. Anyone for a full-frontal female urination scene (his mother’s ‘healing waters’) performed as an opera? If you haven’t seen a Jodorowsky epic before, perhaps it’s better to start with The Holy Mountain (1973).

Mad and moving - The Dance of Reality review by DM

Love his earlier works... this holds up well against El Topo and a Holy Mountain, and is equally crazy, disturbing, sad and hilarious. Great performances, scenes that I’ll never forget, beautiful score.. Could have shaved twenty or so mins off but a minor quibble. Wish he had got to make more films...