Collector's Crypt Review - SEVERIN'S SANTA SANGRE 4K UHD 4-DISC DIGIPACK
What’s the last horror movie you couldn’t stop thinking about? I’m not talking about one that you despise, or even one that you loved necessarily, but a horror movie that caused you to really think deeply about it. While it may come as no surprise that my answer to this question is the very film this review is about, I found myself reflecting on horror movies that have elicited this kind of deep introspective response.
For me, the list is rather short. That is not to say that the quality of a film is in direct relation to how much it causes this kind of reaction, but it does strike me that there are fewer and fewer horror films that challenge us to think about them beyond their narrative. The closest example of more recent films would be ones such as MIDSOMMAR, MARTYRS, and MOTHER!, but none of them has impacted me as much as Alejandro Jodorowsky’s SANTA SANGRE. With a recently released deluxe 4K package from SEVERIN FILMS there is objectively no better way to experience this one-of-a-kind film. What is it about this movie that caused me to still be thinking about it weeks after my initial viewing, and does SEVERIN’s deluxe treatment of the film do justice to this transgressive cult classic?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A former circus artist escapes from a mental hospital to rejoin his armless mother - the leader of a strange religious cult - and is forced to enact brutal murders in her name as he becomes "her arms".
HOW IS IT?
The synopsis provided above is from IMDB, and I hesitated to use it because it is both accurate and underwhelming at the same time. While the synopsis does hit on the gist of the narrative, SANTA SANGRE is about so much more than that. It’s a film that dabbles in themes as broad as love, family, and religion and at the same time reveling in a Grand Guignol setting that is bathing in the waters of surrealism and absurdity. SANTA SANGRE defies comparison so much so that to even attempt to do so does it an immediate disservice. For fans of transgressive cinema, this is not only an important film it is an essential one. Truth be told, I generally tend to be hot or cold with transgressive films. On the one hand, films like MARTYRS and HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER sit on my list of some of the best horror films ever made. While others such as TITANE and A SERBIAN FILM leave me scratching my head wondering what I’m missing. It should be said that all of these aforementioned films are a matter of preference and taste more than anything, and one’s enjoyment of transgressive cinema has varying degrees of mileage depending on those preferences. This is also why I heap so much praise upon SANTA SANGRE. It is a challenging film in many ways, and yet, the outrageously disturbing content is juxtaposed with some of the most beautifully human moments captured on film. Jodorowsky has created a world that exists to provoke you into feeling something. Sometimes that feeling is contempt, sometimes it’s concern, but you would be hard pressed to walk away from watching this film feeling nothing.
It does bear mentioning that this film is a literal minefield of trigger warnings and is not a film that would be easy to recommend to anyone. Jodorowsky’s vision is completely uncompromised in the way that it completely erodes any shred of reality in service of its world-building and narrative. Take the setting for example, which is meant to be Mexico. While it certainly maintains aspects of Mexican culture, it also gives the impression that this is Jodorowsky’s own creation inspired by various different Latin cultures. Or even how Jodorowsky normalizes so much of what can be considered absurd, like the avenues littered with sex workers who are dancing and singing along with a group of intellectually and developmentally disabled hospital patients like something out of “Singing in the Rain”. The most fascinating thing about all of this is that it is presented in such a matter-of-fact way that it demands to be taken seriously. On more than one occasion I found myself literally saying the phrase “what the fuck” out loud with complete earnestness. I distinctly remember checking the progress bar on my 4K player to see how much of the movie I had watched only to be surprised that I was at the 49-minute mark, and even more surprised that I still have over an hour to go. This is not a testament to slow-pacing, I was just overwhelmed with how much happened in that first 49-minutes that I assumed I must have taken in the majority of the film. In this way, SANTA SANGRE is both an exhausting and surprising watching experience because of how much it demands of the viewer.
Normally I would veer into discussions around what doesn’t work for me, but I just don’t know if that’s applicable for this film. This is not to say the film is perfect, rather, the film itself does a pretty good job of letting the viewer know in the first 15-minutes if this is going to be for them or not. There is an honesty in Jodorowsky’s work here that is hard to disregard, and I suspect in most cases will cause people to keep watching largely out of curiosity more than anything else. It should be made clear though that this film deals with a lot of very visceral subject matter that is presented in an unflinching way. There are scenes that touch on topics such as incest, sexual assault, and graphic violence to name a few. One key difference with SANTA SANGRE is that the most graphic aspects of the film alluded to a more artistic rather than exploitative sentiment. Yes, what you are seeing and what is happening on screen is challenging, but it’s not done for the sake of viewer discomfort like some of the films that were born out of the New French Extremism films made popular in the 2000s beyond. Again, I find myself defending these decisions by Jodorowsky largely because the excess feels necessary and I can’t imagine the film being toned down without losing the overall impact. Whereas A SERBIAN FILM was attempting to provoke the viewer into feelings of disgust, SANTA SANGRE coerces the viewer into empathizing with characters who are sympathetic and at the same time deplorable. Jodorowsky’s world is anything but binary and the world he created in SANTA SANGRE consists exclusively of characters, settings, and feelings that are colored exclusively in shades of gray. Figuratively, not literally that is.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
SEVERIN FILMS pulled out all the stops for this deluxe version of SANTA SANGRE and presented the film in two different high-definition formats. The first is a 4K UHD disc and the other is a standard Blu-Ray. The 4K scan was created from the original negatives and supervised by Jodorowsky himself. The high-def enthusiasts out there will find that the 4K disc does not have HDR10 or Dolby Vision, which apparently was omitted at the request of Jodorowsky. I appreciate that Severin did what Jodorowsky wanted here, even though I think the visual benefits of those formats would make an already beautiful presentation even better. For this review I only watched the 4K disc and not the blu-ray, but I suspect the quality is quite similar considering the omissions of 4K specific visual enhancements. The film is presented in a 1:85:1 ratio with a full HD resolution of 1080p. Seeing as how I had not watched this before I can’t compare to previous versions, but I think it’s safe to say that this is the definitive version and likely will be in perpetuity. It’s also worth noting that the 4K disc is region-free as all 4K discs are, but the additional two blu-ray discs are Region A locked. So if you’re buying this outside of North America it would be best to have a region-free player to take advantage of the amazing special features.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
The 4-Disc Deluxe Edition of SANTA SANGRE comes with a few different audio options. The first is a 5.1 DTS-HD surround sound option in English language, and there are three different 2.0 audio tracks in English, Spanish, and Italian. The film also comes with subtitles in the same three languages. I watched the film with the 5.1 DTS-HD track and it is overall pretty good. The audio track makes good use of the surround sound capabilities, and while it is overall satisfying I can’t help but wonder what a 7.1 Dolby Atmos or DTS:X track may have sounded. It’s a bit of a first world problem to not have these advanced audio options, and I hope that more of the boutique labels like Severin, Arrow, and others follow Scream!/Shout! Factory’s approach by adding those tracks to their 4K releases. I’m sure there is a good reason why they don’t, but here's to hoping!
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
What would a deluxe edition be if it wasn’t absolutely packed to the gills with extra content? Don’t answer that, it was rhetorical, but this release from Severin is absolutely stacked with supplemental material diving into the vast and mysterious world of SANTA SANGRE. This release is so stuffed, that I haven’t even had time to get through most of it…even though I absolutely plan to.
I’ll provide a full list of the special features included below, and want to call out a couple in particular that any fan of this film is sure to enjoy. The first is a feature made specifically for this release entitled NEW BLOOD, which includes an interview with Jodorowsky himself talking about the restoration process. For folks like me who are curious how people think about restoration, and in particular the way creators view it, this is absolutely essential viewing into the mind of a cinematic genius. These kinds of perspectives are interesting because for many of us the restoration process is still somewhat mysterious, and most directly, something that we are seeing happen more and more with older films. So if you’re curious what this process is like, and what kinds of decisions are made when it comes to restoration without sacrificing artistic intent this special feature is for you.
The second special feature I wanted to mention is on the third disc in this 4-disc behemoth. It’s a feature-length documentary (96-minutes) called FORGET EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN: THE WORLD OF SANTA SANGRE. If you know anything about Severin, it’s that they produce some absolutely outstanding documentaries that are the perfect mixture of clips and commentary, without any sort of narration. This documentary is primarily interviews with the cast and crew, and a good chunk of it is with Jodorowsky himself. There is a lot to unpack here as well since there is so much dense discussion happening. Like the fact that Jodorowsky has not watched the film after his son, who played the pimp Teo, died. Or that all of Jodorowsky’s kids played parts in the film. These are just a few tidbits, of which there are many many more, that are shared in this great retrospective on the film. Everything from meaning to decisions and production challenges is touched on, and regardless of whatever you think of Jodorowsky, he certainly has a perspective worth listening to.
Full List of Special Features:
Disc 1: 4K UHD + Special Features
Audio Commentary with Alejandro Jodorowsky and Journalist Alan Jones
New Blood – Alejandro Jodorowsky on the restoration of SANTA SANGRE
Deleted Scenes with Optional Director Commentary
Theatrical Trailer
Disc 2: Blu-ray + Special Features
Audio Commentary with Alejandro Jodorowsky and Journalist Alan Jones
New Blood – Alejandro Jodorowsky on the restoration of SANTA SANGRE
Deleted Scenes with Optional Director Commentary
Theatrical Trailer
Disc 3: Additional Special Features
Forget Everything You Have Ever Seen: The World of Santa Sangre – 96 minute documentary Directed by David Gregory with Co-Writer / Director Alejandro Jodorowsky, Actors Axel Jodorowsky, Blanca Guerra, Thelma Tixou, Sabrina Dennison, Adan Jodorowsky, Elenka Tapia, Teo Tapia, Co-Writer Roberto Leoni, Composer Simon Boswell, Tattoo Designer Sergio Arau and Unit Publicist Greg Day.
Like A Phoenix – Interview with Producer Claudio Argento
Holy Blood – Interview with Cinematographer Danielle Nannuzzi
Mexican Magic – Interview with Executive Producer Angelo Iacono
The Language of Editing – Interview with Editor Mauro Bonanni
Innocence in Horror – Interview with Screenwriter Roberto Leoni
Santa Sangre 30th Anniversary Celebration at Morbido Festival, Mexico City
Goyo Cárdenas Spree Killer – Documentary on the Real Life Inspiration for SANTA SANGRE
Jodorowsky 2003 Interview
Jodorowsky on Stage Q & A
ECHECK – Adan Jodorowsky Short Film
Simon Boswell Interviews Jodorowsky
“Close Your Eyes”- Simon Boswell Music Video
Disc 4: Original CD Soundtrack
LAST RITES
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s SANTA SANGRE is a wholly unique film in almost every single way, and Severin Films has graced fans and newcomers alike (like me) with a definitive release that is worth way more than what they are charging for it. This is a comprehensive set that every collector of film should at least consider adding to their collection, if you haven’t already.
THE GORY DETAILS
Severin’s 4-Disc Deluxe 4K UHD set of SANTA SANGRE is available NOW from the Severin Films Site. Click here to buy!
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