History Film / TheHolyMountain

* AdaptationExpansion: A major inspiration for the movie was ''Mount Analogue'' by René Daumal, a book that is a surreal MindScrew in its own right. Notably Daumal died before he completed the novel, and as a result the published work ends mid-sentence. Actually providing an ending was all up to Jodorowsky.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs:
** [[invoked]] Massively subverted, Jodorowsky took LSD during the filming of several scenes and the main cast was made to eat hallucinogenic mushrooms during the death/rebirth scenes after the group has formed. Neptune was also on LSD during the castration scene and (according to the commentary track) almost actually cut off the other guy's testicles with a real pair of scissors.
** A preacher on Lotus Island advocates drug use, stating that LSD was the actual PhilosophersStone. He is depicted rather negatively as he sees fit to simply languish in his narcotic-induced higher consciousness rather than create something from it.

''The Holy Mountain'' is a parade of symbolism, be it meaningful or just there to confuse everyone. Coupled with the dream-like narrative and Jodorowsky's tendency to cram the scene full of whatever he wishes. The result is quite bizarre. The film is also either a spiritual or an outright actual sequel to ''Film/ElTopo'', another trademark Jodorowsky film made three years earlier. ''The Holy Mountain'' was bankrolled by Allen Klein, manager for Music/TheBeatles, as Music/JohnLennon and Music/GeorgeHarrison admired ''El Topo''. The film was shot sequentially, entirely in Mexico.

* BrickJoke: In the first act, a foreign tourist is raped by a police officer and doesn't seem terribly bothered by it, even having her husband take pictures of her and her attacker. The following act reveals that her lack of distress was likely due to the fact that [[spoiler:Axon had castrated all the cops under his command, retroactively ousting the rapist as a desperate impotent.]]

The film opens with a man dressed in black (The Alchemist) shaving two women in a rather psychedelically decorated room. The very next thing is a naked man (The Thief) lying in a pool of his own urine, covered by bees. This should tell the audience that, oh boy, they are in for something completely different. The plot is about The Thief, who is somewhat of a Jesus figure, and his midget companion who has no limbs. They travel, meeting The Alchemist and seven other strange people, who are pursuing a mysterious goal that involves reaching the titular Holy Mountain.

* {{Corpsing}}: As The Alchemist [[spoiler:commands the film camera to zoom out to reveal the film crew]], Axon of Neptune's actor begins chuckling.

* AdaptationExpansion: A major inspiration for the movie was ''Mount Analogue'' by René Daumal, a MindScrew in its own right. Notably Daumal died before he completed the novel, and as a result the published work ends mid-sentence. Actually providing an ending was all up to Jodorowsky.

-> ''You know you cannot escape death, but immortality can be obtained. We must unite our forces to assault the Holy Mountain and rob its wise men of the secret of immortality.''

* MindScrew

* TheImmodestOrgasm: When Fon of Venus brushes the cheek of one of his factory workers, she begins clutching herself and gasping… while suddenly appearing in a bombshell dress, fighting off other plant workers.
* MindScrew: Much of the film.

* YourCheatingHeart: Klen of Jupiter has a mistress who he pays $1000 a week to spend time with him.

* NoOSHACompliance: The Alchemist reisdes within an extremely tall building with an open, round entrance at the top. The Thief makes it up there by riding a large hook that is retracting into the top of the building. He gets down via The Alchemist's ''helicopter.''

* PaedoHunt: A scene featuring a boy around the age of 10 stroking the naked buttocks of a girl his age while both are in bed, positioned as if they had just had sex, was deleted from the film to avoid this trope.

* AGodAmI: The Alchemist's goal is to travel, with his nine disciples, to Lotus Island to dethrone the immortal gods ruling there, and take their place.

* [[GainaxEnding Gainax Everything]]

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