The Holy Mountain (1973)

Director:

Alejandro Jodorowsky

Writer:

Alejandro Jodorowsky

Release Date:

21 August 1974 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A Christlike figure wanders through bizarre, grotesque scenarios filled with religious and sacrilegious imagery...

Plot Keywords:

Mountain | Planet | Holy Mountain | Solar System | Produced By Actor

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Alejandro Jodorowsky	...	The Alchemist (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
Horacio Salinas	...	The Thief
Zamira Saunders	...	The Written Woman (as Ramona Saunders)
Juan Ferrara	...	Fon
Adriana Page	...	Isla
Burt Kleiner	...	Klen
Valerie Jodorowsky	...	Sel
Nicky Nichols	...	Berg
Richard Rutowski	...	Axon (as Richard Rutowsky)
Luis Lomelí	...	Lut
Ana De Sade	...	The Prostitute
Chucho-Chucho	...	The Chimpanzee
Letícia Robles	...	Bald Woman 1 (as Leticia Robles)
Connie De La Mora	...	Bald Woman 2
David Kapralik	...	Tourist
Jacqueline Voltaire	...	Tourist Wife
Pablo Leder	...	Circus Barker
Bobby Cameron	...	Fon's Working Girl
Re Debris	...	Klen's Lover
Guadalupe Perullero	...	Berg's Wife
José Antonio Alcaraz	...	Pantheon's Bar Owner (as Jose Antonio Alcaraz)
Héctor Ortega	...	Drug Master (as Hector Ortega)
Robert Taicher	...	Poet
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Cohn	...	Klen's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Manuel Dondé	...	Wanderer (uncredited)
Ramiro Chávez Gochicoa	...	Boy (uncredited)
Basilio González	...	Crippled man (uncredited)
Marcela López Rey	...	Prostitute (uncredited)
Jane Mitchell	...	Stripteaser (uncredited)
Marcela Ponzarelli	...	Woman at the church (uncredited)
David Silva	...	Fon's father (uncredited)

Directed by
Alejandro Jodorowsky		(as Alexandro Jodorowsky)

Writing credits
Alejandro Jodorowsky		(as Alexandro Jodorowsky)

Produced by
Robert Taicher	....	executive producer
Alejandro Jodorowsky	....	producer (uncredited)
Allen Klein	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Roberto Viskin	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Don Cherry
Ronald Frangipane
Alejandro Jodorowsky		(as Alexandro Jodorowsky)

Cinematography by
Rafael Corkidi

Film Editing by
Federico Landeros

Production Design by
Alejandro Jodorowsky

Costume Design by
Alejandro Jodorowsky		(as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
Nicky Nichols

Makeup Department
María Eugenia Luna	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Roger Rodewald	....	post-production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rafael Villaseñor Kuri	....	assistant director

Art Department
David Antón	....	set constructor (as David Anton)
José Durán	....	set constructor (as Jose Duran)
Manuel Felguerez	....	painter
Manuel Felguerez	....	sculptor
Alain Glass	....	painter
Alain Glass	....	sculptor
Alejandro Jodorowsky	....	painter (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
Alejandro Jodorowsky	....	sculptor (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
Alejandro Jodorowsky	....	set conception (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
Alejandro Jodorowsky	....	set designer (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
Antonio Neira	....	wax sculptor (as Antonio Neyra)
Luis Urias	....	painter
Luis Urias	....	sculptor

Sound Department
C. Robert Fine	....	sound mixer
Gonzalo Gavira	....	sound effects
Howard Lester	....	sound editor
Al Steckler	....	sound supervisor

Special Effects by
Marcelino Pacheco	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Harry Cohn	....	camera operator
Miguel Garzón	....	camera operator (as Miguel Garzon)

Editorial Department
Scot Olive	....	digital intermediate colorist (restoration)

Music Department
Brooks Auther	....	music recording engineer
Al Steckler	....	music supervisor
Henry West	....	music advisor

Other crew
Humberto Gurza	....	animal trainer
Miguel Gurza	....	animal trainer
Allen Klein	....	presenter
Joanne Pottlitzer	....	translator
Pat Sole	....	voice supervisor
'Chema' Hernandez	....	head wrangler (uncredited)
Oscar Ichazo	....	spiritual advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• ABKCO Music and Records

Distributors

• ABKCO Music and Records (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Pretty Pictures (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Amuse Soft (Amyuuzu Sofuto) Hanbai Inc. (Japan) (laserdisc) (VHS distributor)
• Amuse Video (Japan) (laserdisc) (VHS releaser)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• CVR Realvision (Italy) (VHS)
• Caméra One
• Movies Insanity (2012) (worldwide) (video)
• Nikkatsu Video Films K.K. (1988) (Japan) (VHS)
• Nikkatsu
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Raro Video (199?) (Italy) (VHS)
• Raro Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD) (cut)
• Raro Video (2007) (Italy) (DVD) (boxed set) (uncut)
• Raro Video (2007) (Italy) (DVD) (uncut)
• Ropponica (1988) (Japan) (VHS) (as Cine Ropponica K.K.)
• Rosebud Video (France) (VHS)
• Siren Visual Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• Tartan Video (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Visual Corporation

Other Companies

• I.F. Studios Inc.  titles
• Pacific Title  opticals (as Pacific Title Inc.)
• Reeves Cinetel Inc.  sound recording
• A&R Studios, New York  music recording (as A&R Studios)
• Estudios América  filming
• ABKCO Music and Records  original soundtrack album available on (as ABKCO Records and Tapes)
• Postworks New York  2K restoration and color correction (2006)

Also Known As:

"The Sacred Mountain" - International (English title) (reissue title)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

Mexico | USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Dutch

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R | Hong Kong:III | UK:18 (re-rating, uncut) | UK:X (original rating, cut version) | France:-16 | Netherlands:18 | Australia:MA (2007 re-rating) | South Korea:18 | West Germany:18 | Italy:VM14 (2001) | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:18 | Peru:18

Filming Locations:

Mexico

Company:

ABKCO Music and Records

Trivia:

The chanting played during the opening scene ritual includes the lineage of Buddhist teachers. Jodorowsky's name appears exactly as the chant says "Shakyamuni", which refers Siddhartha Guatama, commonly known as "the" Buddha.

Quotes:

Lut, He whose planet is Pluto:[vomits] His feet stink.
The Alchemist:He has beautiful feet.
Lut, He whose planet is Pluto:I can't stand the smell!
The Alchemist:[attacks Lut, breaking his legs] When he puts your bones back together, you will like his smell!

Movie Connections:

References Un Chien Andalou (1929)

Dated, pretentious, astonishing

I don't think this film can be "reviewed" in the normal sense of the word, only experienced as one would a painting or a piece of music. Having only seen it two nights ago, I'm not even sure I've fully processed it. In any case...

To begin, the images, the images. The first 20 minutes contain some of the most astonishing images I've seen, combining Christian iconography, Latin American history, futurism, mysticism, and political commentary. As if Fellini had a sinister twin working with his leftover film and props. As the film progresses I thought the set pieces became a little dated and, frankly, I experienced sensory overload.

I'm sure a lot of viewers would reject this film as pointless or indulgent. Yeah...so? I can't say I understood exactly what Jodoworsky was getting at (if anything), or if it would even make an impact on my view of the world. But if film is to be defined as image over everything else, then Jodoworsky is certainly some sort of master filmmaker. I'd rather watch something like this, filled with ideas (however pretentious), than a plot-driven movie with nothing more on its mind than wrapping up loose ends for the audience.

Now, off to rent Santa Sangre.