Watch The Dance of Reality

In the year 2013, Chilean-French filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky released an autobiographical film titled "The Dance of Reality." Set in the small Chilean coastal town of Tocopilla, the film tells the story of Jodorowsky's childhood during the 1930s and 1940s. It explores themes of family, spirituality, and the search for identity, all against a backdrop of surreal and magical realism.

The film stars Jodorowsky's own son, Brontis Jodorowsky, as his father Jaime. Pamela Flores plays Jodorowsky's mother, Sara, while Jeremias Herskovitz portrays the young Alejandro. The movie opens with a prologue where Jodorowsky himself appears on screen, addressing the audience directly and explaining that the film is a retelling of his own life story.

The story begins in Tocopilla, where Jaime runs a shop selling wigs and dental prosthetics. He is a strict and domineering father who intimidates his son and punishes him harshly for any perceived weakness. Sara, on the other hand, is gentle and loving, but is also plagued by mental illness.

As Alejandro grows older, he becomes increasingly aware of the harsh realities of life. He witnesses poverty, violence, and death, and these experiences deeply affect him. He is unable to reconcile the cruelty of the world with the loving and forgiving God he has been taught to believe in. This leads him on a spiritual journey to find his own truth.

Throughout the film, Jodorowsky weaves together elements of reality and fantasy. Surreal imagery appears alongside historical events, and characters speak in symbolic language. The result is a confusing and at times disorienting experience, but one that is also deeply moving and thought-provoking.

One of the most striking aspects of the film is its use of music. Pamela Flores, who plays Sara, is a trained opera singer, and she performs several songs throughout the movie. Her powerful voice adds an emotional depth to the visuals, creating a unique and unforgettable soundtrack.

Another standout feature of the film is its cinematography. Jodorowsky is known for his use of vivid colors and dramatic camera angles, and "The Dance of Reality" is no exception. The camera swoops and spins around the actors in dizzying fashion, creating a sense of movement and urgency.

Overall, "The Dance of Reality" is a deeply personal and spiritual film. Jodorowsky uses his own life story to explore universal themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning. The film is both beautiful and disturbing, and it has been praised for its unflinching honesty and creativity. It is a must-see for fans of Jodorowsky's unique style of filmmaking, as well as anyone interested in exploring the human condition.

The Dance of Reality is a 2014 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 12 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.5 and a MetaScore of 76.