Alejandro Jodorowsky is one of a kind. There’s simply no other film-maker quite like him. Whilst his films range from the obtuse to the downright impenetrable, the Chilean has a unique aesthetic eye and lyrical style. Endless Poetry is the second of Jodorowsky’s five planned cinematic memoirs. Following on from The Dance of Reality, the slightly messy opening chapter of the cycle, Endless Poetry moves his story into adolescence and adulthood.
After arriving in Santiago, life has changed for the now teenage Alejandro (Adan Jodorowsky), his operatic mother (Pamela Flores) and domineering father (Brontis Jodorowsky). As his parents struggle to make ends meet in a poor area of the capital, Alejandro struggles to find his place in life. His father is adamant that he’ll study medicine, but Alejandro’s has the heart of a poet. After several confrontations, he runs away to follow his dreams.
Whilst Endless Poetry carries on from where The Dance of Reality leaves off, it’s much more of a cohesive and coherent experience. Arguably Jodorowsky’s most accessible work yet, don’t for one second think that the use of an unusually linear narrative makes it any less extraordinary. There are still moments of the sublime. Endless Poetry is another glimpse into the life and mind of a rather extraordinary man.
Endless Poetry is released in cinemas from Friday.
