Rent The Dance of Reality (2013)

Surrealism with a Human Face (and a Hint of Wes Anderson) - The Dance of Reality review by griggs

A mythological take on his childhood in Chile, The Dance of Reality sees Jodorowsky return to filmmaking after more than two decades, and he’s clearly not lost his taste for the surreal. It’s packed with visual metaphors, absurdist humour, spiritual musings, and dreamy fantasy detours—all delivered with his usual madcap flair. He dabbles in CGI too—not exactly state-of-the-art, but effective enough to stage a moment even Hitchcock might have admired.

With Jodorowsky, it sometimes feels like he’s making films for his own amusement, but on this occasion, he opens the door to the joke wider than ever. Warmth and tenderness are buried beneath all the wild imagery and philosophical wanderings. It’s still strange and dense, but there’s a soul here, a genuine attempt to connect. In fact, it’s probably his most welcoming film—surrealism with a human face. Whether intentional or not, it feels like Jodorowsky’s been watching Wes Anderson in the intervening years, the sets, the colours, the framing, and the plot structure. A wild, wise, and whimsical trip—often baffling, occasionally brilliant, and never dull.

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...

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).