MovieChat Forums > La montaña sagrada (1975) Discussion > I seriously need an explanation

I seriously need an explanation

posted 8 years ago by cartoongirls
7 replies | jump to latest

Alright, I graduated with a straight A in film sciences. I've analyzed David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky, and good old David Cronenberg. But this movie... I don't even know where to begin. The scenes are shot in rapid succession and I'm sure every scene has a meaning, and an explanation could fill an entire book, however, apart from the religious theme, what is the overall meaning/message of possibly the most surreal movie I've seen. Yes I did see El Tropo, and had little problems with it, but The Holy Mountain is nearly impossible for me to decode. Are there any websites out there offering an explanation?

[–] Smart_Monkey 8 years ago

Yeah, it's pretty insane. There are some more clear messages (it's not very hard to see what most of the planets represent). This video explains some things - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F5EbmDSYzI, as well as this one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33eBES6tDSQ. I fücking love it. There's such a clear amount of passion and effort that went into it. It's fun, has a fantastic score, amazing cinematography/shot composition, it's incredibly unique in the best way possible, and it's such an interesting/spiritual experience.

That Really Rustled My Jimmies

[–] Doom-bringer 8 years ago

I'd say any websites offering explanations are simply offering interpretations. My point is aside from Jodo himself, I think no one knows the meaning of a big part of the movie. I mean, I'm sure there's an obscure meaning behind stuff like the guy with ocelot-nipples in Jodorowsky's mind, but I wouldn't (necessarily) agree with anyone else's interpretations.

I think this is one of those movies you just have to watch and try to make some sense of it yourself but without holding to tight to the "whats the meaning of it all" mindset. There's a lot of philosophical themes and mythology but for my money equally amounts of surrealism and absurdism.
I'd say that like with a painting, it makes much more sense to try and interpret the overall meaning/ message/ mood of the movie than specific scenes. I'd say it would be pretty pointless.

Anyways, Love this movie.

[–] sionxxii 8 years ago

The last 5 minutes "explains" it all.

[–] danielgomez-09067 8 years ago

If you didn't get it, it's because you're not well versed in religion, history, and philosophy. He essentially uses these three to explain the ultimate reality--the meaning of life.

There is no meaning but our own reality. Once we realize this we are free.

The mystics all journeyed to the holy mountain to discover this. the holy mountain is a trip that many of us take discover the meaning of life, but once you truly reach the holy mountain, you realize that there is no meaning.

for that reason, Jodorowsky breaks the 4th wall at the end. He wants us, the mystics, to realize that finding meaning to life is absurd. This isn't meant to mean that ascribing meaning to life is futile; Jodoroswky has written many books that would seem to contradict the meaning of this movie. He just contends that there is no universal truth. That is to say that there many ways of experiencing the universal truth.

If you truly want to understand this movie, you need to have a basic understanding of philosophy, religion, and human history.

[–] lindahopeboy 8 years ago

Actually Jodorowsky is one of the few filmmakers who isn't hesitant to explain what every little bit of his films mean. For example, his audio commentaries define all symbolism etc and he even wrote a book explaining everything about El topo!

[–] musicbymartin 8 years ago

I think Jodo is a natural teacher, open, courageous and enthusiastic.

David Lynch might be a good teacher too, but his reluctance to explain his films is because Lynch is unwilling or unable to explain his own dreams.

Alejandro isn't delving into his dreams so much, he's tapping into that part of our mind where stories and mythologies rest, and he really does want his audience to understand.

In The Holy Mountain, Jodo is teaching the thief and company about the meaning of life, enlightening them and the audience. The alchemical magick is the key to enlightenment, but it is not enlightenment itself - the ending teaches that we should shed our mythologies once they have brought us to knowledge.

[–] I_Created_U 7 years ago

The alchemical magick is the key to enlightenment, but it is not enlightenment itself - the ending teaches that we should shed our mythologies once they have brought us to knowledge.

Very interesting!

Funny how gnosticism and/or gnostic elements pervade our art, pop-culture and culture as a whole. Christianity with all its might and power has used the better part of 2 millennia trying to weed out and eradicate those concepts and their advocates, yet they are still to be found everywhere in art, cinema and literature, from a Jodorowsky to an Alan Moore, passing by a Philip K. Dick and many others such as the Wachowski bros for instance.

Much to the dismay of Catholicism and Christianity as a whole, gnosticism is and has always been really the shadowy counterculture of the western industrialized world, which is why its themes and tenants are to be recognized pretty much everywhere, may it be only as a subtle watermark. I find it fascinating.

Thanks for that enlightening comment.

People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs