ENDLESS POETRY (2016) by Alejandro Jodorowsky

Steve here. Since the original discussion for ENDLESS POETRY on November 30th was snowed out, we're gonna give Peter's wonderful Chilean Magical Realism finale another try. Hopefully the weather gods are on our side this time. Happy holidays everyone!

***

“What a perfect title for a deliriously ravishing ode to youthful self-discovery and passionate embrace of the artistic life and all of its sensations in dedication to the making of art. This is Jodorowsky’s story and it is absolutely who he is as an artist.” Belle McIntyre, Musée Magazine

“It doesn’t look like an old man’s film to me: there is gusto and energy, a need to excite, shock, bewilder. You can sense here something you rarely experience, even in the very best films: how much the director is simply enjoying himself.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

“Endless Poetry is easily Jodorowsky’s best film, fully realizing his view of the world like nothing he’s made (or written) has ever done before. It’s a challenging film, but beyond its cinematic labyrinth lies the purest beauty. Jodorowsky has opened the window to his soul as wide as it
can be flung, giving us what might be the most astounding peek inside the life and worldview of an artist as we’ve ever seen.” - James Roberts, Glide Magazine

***

[Peter]

“I don’t know where I’m going, but I know who I’m going with.
I don’t know where I am, but I know I’m within myself.
I don’t know what God is, but God knows what I am.
I don’t know what the world is, but I know it’s mine.
I don’t know my worth, but I know not to compare myself to others.
I don’t know what love is, but I know I rejoice in your existence.
I can’t avoid the blows, but I know how to withstand them.
I can’t deny violence, but I can deny cruelty.
I can’t change the world, but I can change myself.
I don’t know what I’m doing, but I know that what I’m doing makes me.
I don’t know who I am, but I know I am the one who doesn’t know.” - Alejandro Jodorowsky

What better way to end Chilean magical realism month than with Jodorowsky’s
phantasmagorical and absurdist cornucopia of a coming-of-age movie, ENDLESS POETRY. Jodorowsky audaciously recounts (invents?) the narrative of a young Alejandro, struggling to break free of the existential shackles imposed by his father and to attempt that most difficult of feats, i.e. to truly be oneself. Fellini-esque characters and cheeky sight gags abound, and Jodorowsky can’t help but insert himself in key scenes, imparting his wisdom like a surrealistic Gandalf; but for all of that, the film never loses its warmth and humanity. As the wizard of weirdness once wrote: “One does not go to the theater to escape from himself, but to re-establish contact with the mystery that we all are.”

You can watch ENDLESS POETRY at the following link:

https://fsharetv.cc/w/endless-poetry-episode-1-tt4451458

Happy viewing!