History Film / SantaSangre

* spoiler:DeadAllAlong: Concha.

* BodyHorror: Concha has her arms cut off. Orgo has his groin burned with acid.

* BodyHorror

* [[spoiler:DeadAllAlong: Concha]].

* PsychologicalHorror
* RealLifeRelative: Gosh, young Fenix and adult Fenix look remarkably alike, don't they? That's because they're played, respectively, by brothers Adan and Axel Jodorowsky — sons of director Creator/AlejandroJodorowsky. A third son, Teo Jodorowsky, plays the pimp who inadvertently leads Fenix to the Tattooed Woman.

* [[spoiler:DeadAllAlong: Concha]]

* MeaningfulName: Fenix is obviously a phoenix. Alma means Soul in spanish. Orgo sounds similar to orgasm. And Concha is vaginal slang. (And lets be honest, Concha is [[{{Jerkass}} a total cunt]]).

* PrimalScene: Fenix witnesses a particularly devastating one that intercut with an elephant dying.

* RealLifeRelative: Gosh, young Fenix and adult Fenix look remarkably alike, don't they? That's because they're played, respectively, by brothers Adan and Axel Jodorowsky -- sons of director Creator/AlejandroJodorowsky. A third son, Teo Jodorowsky, plays the pimp who inadvertently leads Fenix to the Tattooed Woman.

Our protagonist is a young man named Fenix -- once Fenix the Boy Magician, of the Circo del Gringo. His father, Orgo, runs the circus and is nominally a knife-thrower, although most of his time seems to be dedicated to drinking and abusing his family. His mother, Concha, is the queen of the flying trapeze as well as a devotee of the Santa Sangre Church, where she and her followers worship a girl whose arms were cut off by rapists. The arrival of a Tattooed Woman and her protegee, the deaf-mute Alma, sparks a chain of jealousy and lust that culminates in gruesome death, all of it witnessed by Fenix firsthand.

So deeply is Fenix traumatized by these events that by the time the film opens, he, now a young man, is confined to a mental institution. He doesn't speak; he doesn't eat normal food; and he seems entirely convinced that he's actually an eagle. One night, he and some of the other patients are taken out on a a field trip into the city. It's during this adventure that Fenix happens to see someone he hasn't seen in years -- not since that last night at the circus. The sight of her shocks Fenix out of his stupor once more, and although his sanity is still in tatters, he finally has a purpose... even if that purpose is not entirely his own.

Beautiful and strange, captivating and disturbing, filled with hallucinations, magic, mystery, and grotesquerie, ''Santa Sangre'' is the sort of movie that lingers long after you've watched it. In some respects it's most aptly described as a thriller; in others, a fantasy; in still others, a slasher. But at its heart it is ultimately a portrait of a very disturbed young man, painted with such sympathy and grace that even the most horrible aspects become beautiful.

''Santa Sangre'' (''Holy Blood'') is a 1989 film by AlejandroJodorowsky, blending together elements of horror, surrealism, and romance. Considered by Roger Ebert to be among the [[RogerEbertGreatMoviesList Greatest Movies Ever]].

* RealLifeRelative: Gosh, young Fenix and adult Fenix look remarkably alike, don't they? That's because they're played, respectively, by brothers Adan and Axel Jodorowsky -- sons of director Alejandro Jodorowsky. A third son, Teo Jodorowsky, plays the pimp who inadvertently leads Fenix to the Tattooed Woman.

* XMeetsY: It's been described as ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' as remade by LuisBunuel.

* NeedsMoreLove: Unfortunately, this movie is rare and its North American [=DVDs=] are out of print.
-Actually its just not carried in stores. You can order in a bluray and dvd for a pretty good price online. Netflix instant used to have it but sadly they took it down.
* Primal Scene: Fenix witnesses a particularly devastating one that intercut with an elephant dying.

Actually its just not carried in stores. You can order in a bluray and dvd for a pretty good price online. Netflix instant used to have it but sadly they took it down.

* AbusiveParents: Orgo, Fenix's father, is a philandering, abusive drunk who, it is implied, was kicked out of the United States for some undisclosed crime. He even carves a tattoo on Fenix when he's merely a child to "make him a man." Concha, Fenix's mother, is ''worse'', being a former member of a blaspheme cult, mutilating Orgo and driving him to suicide, and manipulating Fenix emotionally into killing any woman who dares get close to him. Not to mention that her love for him [[ParentalIncest has a NASTY incestuous tone]]. [[spoiler:Subverted in Concha's case: she was DeadAllAlong.]]

* MonsterMisogyny: All of Concha's victims are females, mostly ones who lust after Fenix. The only possible exception is Fenix's father.

* RealLifeRelative: Gosh, young Fenix and adult Fenix look remarkably alike, don't they? That's because they're played, respectively, by brothers Adan and Axel Jodorowsky -- sons of director Alejandro Jodorowsky.

* TheLivingDead: As Alma weeps over [[spoiler:the Tattooed Woman's]] corpse, said corpse's stomach is plainly moving up and down with breath.

* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Concha may have been justified in killing the tattooed lady, but all her other victims simply made the mistake of flirting with Fenix.

* KnifeThrowingAct

''Santa Sangre'' (''Holy Blood'') is a 1989 film by AlejandroJodorowsky, blending together elements of horror, surrealism, and a rather touching romance.

* HarmfulToMinors: Fenix witnesses his father having sex with his mother, then the death of an elephant, and later his father wandering out of a building, naked, and stabbing himself. All in one day.

Beautiful and strange, captivating and disturbing, filled with hallucinations, magic, mystery, and grotesquerie, ''Santa Sangre'' is the sort of movie that lingers long after you've watched it. In some respects it's most aptly described as a thriller; on others, a fantasy; on still others, a slasher fic. But at its heart it is ultimately a portrait of a very disturbed young man, painted with such sympathy and grace that even the horrible aspects seem beautiful.

Our protagonist is a young man named Fenix -- once Fenix the Boy Magician, of the Circo del Gringo. His father, Orgo, runs the circus and is nominally a knife-thrower, although most of his time seems to be dedicated to drinking and abusing his family. His mother, Concha, is the queen of the flying trapeze as well as a devotee of the Santa Sangre church, where she and her followers worship a girl whose arms were cut off by her rapists. The arrival of a Tattooed Woman and her protegee, the deaf-mute Alma, sparks a chain of lust and jealousy that culminates in mutilation and death.

So deeply is Fenix traumatized by these events that by the time the film opens, he, now a young man, is confined to a mental institution. He doesn't speak; he doesn't eat normal food; and he seems entirely convinced that he's actually an eagle. One night, he and some of the other patients are taken out on a a field trip with an untrustworthy guide. It's during this adventure out into the city that Fenix happens to see someone he hasn't seen in years. The sight of her changes Fenix once more, and although his sanity is still in tatters, he finally has a purpose... even if that purpose is not entirely his own.

Beautiful and strange, captivating and disturbing, filled with hallucinations and artistry and with all the tension of a thriller, the gore of a horror film, and the magic, mystery, and grotesquerie of the circus, ''Santa Sangre'' is the sort of movie that lingers long after you've watched it. At its most basic level it is a portrait of a very disturbed young man, painted with infinite sympathy and a fine eye for eccentricity.

Our protagonist is a young man named Fenix -- once Fenix the Boy Magician, of the Circo del Gringo. His father, Orgo, runs the circus and is nominally a knife-thrower, although most of his time seems to be dedicated to drinking and abusing his family. His mother, Concha, is the queen of the flying trapeze as well as a devotee of the Santa Sangre church, where she and her followers worship a girl whose arms were cut off by her rapists. The arrival of a Tattooed Woman and her protegee, the deaf-mute Alma, sparks a chain of lust and jealousy that culminates in death.

So deeply is Fenix traumatized by these memories that by the time the film opens, he, now a young man, is confined to a mental institution. He doesn't speak; he doesn't eat normal food; and he seems entirely convinced that he's actually an eagle. One night, he and some of the other patients are taken out on a a field trip with an untrustworthy guide. It's during this adventure out into the city that Fenix happens to see someone he hasn't seen in years. The sight of her changes Fenix once more, and although his sanity is still in tatters, he finally has a purpose... even if that purpose is not entirely his own.

Our protagonist is a young man named Fenix -- once Fenix the Boy Magician, of the Circo del Gringo. As a child, he grew up performing in the circus along with his father, the lecherous, knife-throwing Orgo; his mother, trapeze artist Concha, who worships an armless saint; and the world's smallest elephant trainer, Aladdin. The arrival of a Tattooed Woman and her protegee, the deaf-mute Alma, sparks a chain of lust and jealousy that culminates in death and traumatizes Fenix so deeply that young adulthood finds him in the care of a mental institution. He doesn't speak, he doesn't eat prepared food, and he seems to firmly believe that he's an eagle.

The past isn't nearly done with Fenix, however, and neither are Concha, Alma, or the Tattooed Woman...

Beautiful and strange, captivating and disturbing, with the tension of a thriller, the fright of a horror film, and all the magic, mystery, and grotesquerie of the circus, ''Santa Sangre'' is the sort of movie that lingers long after you've watched it.

''Santa Sangre'' (''Holy Blood'') is a 1989 film by AlejandroJodorowsky.

When he was a child, Fenix was a magician for a circus. His father Orgo was a large, brutish knife thrower, and his mother, Concha, was a trapeze artist who also led a church dedicated to a girl who died after her arms were cut off. Fenix falls in love with a deaf-mute, Alma, who is abused by her master, the tattooed lady. One night, Concha sees Fenix's father flirting with the tattooed lady. Waiting until they have sex, she attacks him with acid [[GroinAttack in a sensitive area]]; in retaliation, he slices both her arms off before killing himself. The tattooed lady takes the deaf-mute and leaves, while Fenix watches helplessly.

Years later, Fenix is in a mental asylum with many Down syndrome patients. One night, when the patients are to be taken to a movie, a pimp takes them to the local red-light district, where Fenix sees the tattooed lady, now a prostitute and pimp. The next day, Concha arrives at the asylum and Fenix escapes. Fenix then acts as her arms as they kill the tattooed lady, leaving Alma alone.

Unfortunately for Fenix, Concha is an abusive, protective mother, and God help any women who fall for Fenix...

* ChildrenAreInnocent: At least compared with the cruel adults. See CompleteMonster for more details.