Eraserhead

[peter johnson]

While I have not read Jodoworsky's annontated script, as I know I said before somewhere else on the board, what El Topo is is a Zen parable, presented with the possibility of triggering Enlightenment, or Samsara, on the part of the viewer.

I say this because I've read and studied a lot of Buddhist philosophy, and there are numerous scenes in El Topo that aren't just similiar to Zen fables and koans, but are almost word-for-word verbatim retellings of classic short tales from Joshu, etc.  The scenes where he has his potential assassin help him build the wall & the house, for but one example.  Ditto the post-coital dialogue between the Mole and his dwarf bride in the Underworld.  I cannot believe this is in any way accidental or coincidental. 

You cannot speak meaningfully of "purpose" in Zen, as that implies attachment to goals, but I think the meaning of El Topo is to be found in Zen Buddhism -- check out a few books like "Chop Wood/Carry Water" & see if you don't agree.

peter one hand/denny clapping

[Rev. Powell]

Peter,

You're at least partly right.  AJ admitted to referencing the Koan in the story about the son helping El Topo build the tunnel.  And surely interpreting the film as one giant koan is one of the best ideas I've heard.

If you read the script, you'll find out that AJ intended tons of references not only to Zen but to every world religion, and lots of Jungian archetypes as well.  But they are so well hidden and obscure that no viewer could possibly get the symbolism without AJ explaining it.  To take an example Danny Peary used, he says that a particular rock formation he uses symbolizes Pontius Pilate's hands.  It's pretty much impossible to catch that without the writer explaining it.  And in the end all of the references don't add up to a coherent story; he just seems to throw them in as they occur to him.  For that reason, I like to think of it as a surrealist work with images that are inspired by religion, rather than a movie with a hidden spiritual meaning to be deciphered. 

[BeyondTheGrave]

Ahh EraserHead and El Topo. I have EraserHead on DVD and have seen El Topo.... Can't even to begin to explain them. I have a small petty mind. Just want to say at least I saw them