Scene Analysis: 'El Topo' (1970)

Two of the defining features of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s El Topo (1970) are its graphic, often shocking imagery and wacky characters, encapsulated by this screenshot. In the film’s opening scene, an entire town has been slaughtered – blood fills the desert ground in puddles, human bodies are strewn everywhere, and animal corpses lay twisted and disemboweled. The perpetrators of this horrific act are a group of bizarre, hedonistic men led by an overweight Colonel.

In this particular scene, about fifteen minutes into the film, these men harass and torture a group of four monks. One of the men lets out a disturbing hyena-like laugh. Another man rips a page out of the Bible, wiping his face with it and then crumpling it up and tossing it behind him. The four men play a record on a gramophone they retrieved, walking slowly and menacingly towards the monks, who are at this point tied up. The men use their swords to sever the ties binding the monks. 

The monks are visibly frightened as the men take off their hats, bow, and point their guns. Medium shots and wide shots are used to show the variety of characters and their body language towards one another. The monks are then forced to dance with the men. An establishing shot is used to showcase the setting of the settlement’s mission. The men further ridicule the monks – one man embraces the monk; another kisses a monk on the hand; another sensually bites the monk’s chin and nose; finally, one man gazes longingly at the monk’s lips and kisses him on the mouth.

A monk is stripped down, shown nude from behind. A blanket or some article of clothing is wrapped around his waist; he is draped in a throw, giving him the appearance of the Virgin Mary. One of the antagonizing men cuts his finger, wiping the blood across the monk’s lips to make them appear more feminine. In the final segment of this scene, the now-naked monks are thrown over the shoulders of the men and then spanked with paddles, leaving their bare butts bloody.

This entire scene, particularly the desecration of the image of the Virgin Mary, is a testament to the men’s hedonism as they engage in sacrilegious acts and debauchery. It slightly reminds me of Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971). This act of disrespect for the monks most likely reflects a disregard for the Christianity that was thrust upon Latin America during its colonization. While I personally identify as an atheist, this scene did make me feel uncomfortable as did many of the other incredibly graphic, violent scenes in El Topo.