Produtzioni Intersound, 1989

starring: Axel Jodorowski, Blanca Guerra, Guy Stockwell, and Thelma Tixou

directed by: Alejandro Jodorowski

the plot: As a child, Fenix (Jodorowski) was a “boy magician” in his family’s circus. His mother, Concha (Guerra), is the star trapeze artist and a religious fanatic who worships a saint with no arms. His father, Orgo (Stockwell), is the circus owner, a knife thrower, and a philanderer. During a performance, Concha sees Orgo flirting with the Tattooed Lady (Tixou). Later that evening, she finds the two of them in bed together and, in a rage, flings acid at Orgo. He cuts off her arms and kills himself. Fenix spends years in a mental hospital, virtually catatonic. Finally, he recovers and ventures back into the outside world. His mother is still alive and Fenix moves in with her. They form a new stage show—Fenix acts as Concha’s arms and hands, and the two appear to be of one body. The act extends offstage, though, and Fenix finds that his mother is in full control of his arms and hands. Soon, he is unwillingly conscripted into her bloody campaign of revenge and must resist her fearsome hold over him.

why it’s good: “Santa Sangre” is by turns fascinating, disturbing and, in a small way, uplifting. Dig down past the surreal circus performers, the creepy Hitchcockian plot, and the weird religious fanaticism and you’ll find the story of a man trying to break free of his parents’ malevolent, damaging influence and come into his own. There’s a heart, strange and twisted as it may be, that drives the film and makes it more than just a surrealist reinterpretation of “Psycho.” All those elements make “Santa Sangre” utterly unforgettable, and Jodorowski’s images form a kind of dark poetry. In one sequence, Fenix is sent outside while his father frolics with the Tattooed Lady. There, he finds some animal handlers tending to a dying elephant. A somber funeral is held, in which the entire circus dons black variants of their normally colorful costumes, and the elephant, enclosed in a massive coffin, is ceremoniously thrown into a ravine while a crowd cheers. As moments like this accumulate, “Santa Sangre” feels like a fun house mirror, where the real world is distorted and strange but still identifiable. It helps that the cast, including Stockwell, Guerra, and Sabrina Dennison as Fenix’s love interest (who, of course, also has a tragic past), grounds the film. Their performances are strong and forceful and make the phantasmagoria of the bizarre all the more real. As macabre and, at times, darkly humorous as “Santa Sangre” is, there’s a speck of optimism and redemption to be found in it, proof that even the worst nightmares can have a happy ending.

why you should own it: Unavailable on VHS or DVD for years, “Santa Sangre” appeared on DVD earlier this year courtesy of Severin Films. The DVD features hours of extra material, including interviews with Jodorowski, short films, and deleted scenes. “Santa Sangre” is a must own for Jodorowski fans, but it’s also a fine introduction for those discovering the director for the first time.