Re: OT: zen for beginners / Jodo

[Revfever <revfever@ubergadget.com>]

On Nov 25, 2009, at 7:41 AM, nemoguitt@aol.com wrote:

"El Topo" by Alejandro Jodorowsky

wow.....i was thinking about this movie just the other day.....scary!

I guess "scary" to some folks. :-)

.....zen huh?.....

Jodorowsky studied for a long time under a Zen master (this was also in Mexico), and I think(?) was still studying under this same master when he conceived and made the film.

Jodo referred to his film 'El Topo' as an "Eastern", as opposed to the well known Hollywood "Western" films. As a friend of mine put it so  well one time: "'El Topo' is an allegorical, 

metaphysical, Zen, spaghetti Western, splatter film". Any of the blood in the film is not gratuitous, but is symbolic of something.  Actually, most scenes (or all of them?) 

in that film were calculated in advance to be scenes of symbolism, and much was derived, etc, from Zen.  But once again this film is certainly not for everyone, 

so be aware of that for anyone has not seen it. 

( I also would not be too quick to recommend it to a very young person, both for some of it's "intensity" and also some of it's "adult" subject matter and scenes.)

Best,

Rev. Fever

Portland, OR