Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The Holy Mountain

Original title: La montaña sagrada
  • 1973
  • R
  • 1h 54m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
51K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,027
398
The Holy Mountain (1973)
EpicPsychological DramaQuestSupernatural FantasyAdventureDramaFantasy

In a corrupt, greed-fueled world, a powerful alchemist leads a messianic character and seven materialistic figures to the Holy Mountain, where they hope to achieve enlightenment.In a corrupt, greed-fueled world, a powerful alchemist leads a messianic character and seven materialistic figures to the Holy Mountain, where they hope to achieve enlightenment.In a corrupt, greed-fueled world, a powerful alchemist leads a messianic character and seven materialistic figures to the Holy Mountain, where they hope to achieve enlightenment.

  • Director
    • Alejandro Jodorowsky
  • Writer
    • Alejandro Jodorowsky
  • Stars
    • Alejandro Jodorowsky
    • Horacio Salinas
    • Zamira Saunders
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    51K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,027
    398
    • Director
      • Alejandro Jodorowsky
    • Writer
      • Alejandro Jodorowsky
    • Stars
      • Alejandro Jodorowsky
      • Horacio Salinas
      • Zamira Saunders
    • 230User reviews
    • 91Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos2

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:38
    Trailer
    Trailer
    Trailer 1:47
    Trailer
    Trailer
    Trailer 1:47
    Trailer

    Photos111

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 107
    View Poster

    Top cast33

    Edit
    Alejandro Jodorowsky
    Alejandro Jodorowsky
    • The Alchemist
    • (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
    Horacio Salinas
    Horacio Salinas
    • The Thief
    Zamira Saunders
    • The Written Woman
    • (as Ramona Saunders)
    Juan Ferrara
    Juan Ferrara
    • Fon
    Adriana Page
    • Isla
    Burt Kleiner
    Burt Kleiner
    • Klen
    Valerie Jodorowsky
    Valerie Jodorowsky
    • Sel
    Nicky Nichols
    Nicky Nichols
    • Berg
    Richard Rutowski
    Richard Rutowski
    • Axon
    • (as Richard Rutowsky)
    Luis Lomelí
    • Lut
    Ana De Sade
    Ana De Sade
    • The Prostitute
    Chucho-Chucho
    • The Chimpanzee
    Letícia Robles
    • Bald Woman 1
    • (as Leticia Robles)
    Connie De La Mora
    Connie De La Mora
    • Bald Woman 2
    David Kapralik
    David Kapralik
    • Tourist
    Jacqueline Voltaire
    Jacqueline Voltaire
    • Tourist Wife
    Pablo Leder
    • Circus Barker
    Bobby Cameron
    • Fon's Working Girl
    • Director
      • Alejandro Jodorowsky
    • Writer
      • Alejandro Jodorowsky
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews230

    7.751.1K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    Panar1on

    Lush, Hallucinatory, Visionary.

    Alejandro Jodorowsky's sprawling, psychedelic opus almost defies interpretation in any conventional sense. Steeped in symbolism and spirituality it is a piece of art that attempts to redefine the psyche and the human condition through a celebration of the surreal, the grotesque and the beautiful. Its inner meaning is deliberately vague, allowing personal interpretation to take the place of empty preaching and contrived moral messaging. Simply breathtaking.
    10NateManD

    Not just a Film, an Experience!!!

    How can the average person describe the Holy Mountain? They can't, It's one of those films that is so bizarre that one has to witness it at least 5 times to fully appreciate it. Alejandro Jodorowsky takes every form of religion and mysticism and puts it into symbolic imagery, that turns into a two hour mind trip. The film is not thrown together, each scene is so chock full of strange imagery, yet each image has a particular meaning. The plot concerns, the thief, who seems to be representational of Christ in modern times. The thief awakens in the desert, almost crucified by children, he is then rescued by an amputee dwarf. After him and the dwarf share a joint, they travel through different scene after scene of surreal images. In one scenario a police state has taken over downtown Mexico. Innocent people are massacred, and birds fly out of their bullet wounds. The conquest of Mexico is reenacted by frogs and iguanas. The Christ character gets drunk with Roman soldiers, and they make a mold of him to produce statues for profit. And this is all in the first twenty minutes. The occult science of alchemy is another factor of the film. The thief finally meets the alchemist, played by Jodorowsky himself, and the alchemist turns his excrement into gold. The black magic of alchemy involves the nine planets of the solar system. We are then introduced to 7 of the most powerful people in the world named after the planets of the solar system. Each person is corrupt and greedy involved in politics, war or mass marketing. Each person who has their own planet, and a weakness is willing to give up their money and be reborn as a Buddhist monk. In a way these people are alchemists also since they have the ability to turn worthless items such as weapons and cosmetics into riches. Since money is just paper, in a way the magic of alchemy in everyday life convinces us that the dollar bill is of value. Many aspects of life are just an illusion, just as in cinema. In the Holy Mountain Jodorowsky proves to be the master of illusion like a magician. Also his character, the Alchemist has the job of spiritual leader to lead all of the 9 people to the Holy Mountain including the Christ character and the women with the Kaballah tattoos. Also the film is indulgent at times in it's Frued like sexuality and nudity. It is both strange and intriguing, both hilarious and horrifying, and one of the weirdest films your most likely to see. Their is so much that happens in this film, that it's almost impossible to describe. People who are looking for deep meaning in films like Donnie Darko need to keep searching, the films of Alejandro Jodorowsky would be a good start. The Holy Mountain is not only a masterpiece, it's a spiritual journey, and it just might very well change the way you look at the world. Not everyone will like it, so sit back and watch with an open mind. The Holy Mountain is one of the most underrated and important films ever made. 10/10
    abronaim

    Come prepared to chuckle

    If you liked "The Wall" (you know, the Pink Floyd movie), but thought it was a bit of a downer and suffered from the lack of a fat woman humping an excitable, legless, animatronic horse, this movie could be for you.

    Despite what you may have heard, "The Holy Mountain" is more absurd than surreal, more funny than disturbing. Don't worry if your tarot cards are gathering dust and you can't remember the difference between wands and swords--such occult knowledge might help you achieve a few "Oh I get that!" moments during the middle of the film, but the heaps of blatant symbolism aren't really the point. In fact, it may just be that the point is: there is no point. When you see a fat man dressed as the Virgin Mary handing out crucifixes under a sign that says "Christs For Sale", you can rack your brain trying to figure out what kind of statement that makes about society--or you can laugh. When you witness "The Government" indoctrinating children with a hatred for the nation of Peru by printing up comic books called "Captain Captain Against The Peruvian Monster", you can lament the plight of innocents being manipulated for selfish ends--or you can laugh! This film bombards the viewer with outlandish images and juxtapositions like these in rapid fire throughout, so it's easy to get bogged down or confused or numb. The secret to appreciating it all is to come prepared to chuckle--some things you'll "get", some things you won't, but most everything is twisted and absurd and, in some way, funny. Now when you get to the end and Jodorowsky winks at you, you can wink right back.

    Basically, if you can appreciate absurdity and profundity and the absurdity of profundity (not to mention enormous, colorful sets), you'll find a lot to like here.

    PS: If you do like "The Holy Mountain", head down to your local comics shop (or browse over to your favorite book/graphic novel e-tailer) and pick up a couple of volumes of "The Incal" or "The Metabarons", both of which were also written by Jodorowsky. They're like this movie--every bit as garish and violent and thought-provoking and funny--but they have actual plots (epic space-opera plots, no less).
    MamadNobari97

    The Hell Did I Just Watch?

    Yep, this is the first movie that I genuinely don't know wtf I watched to even rate it a score!

    And then people say A Clockwork Orange is weird lmao

    (not saying it's bad, not saying it's good, just don't what it was to even rate it)
    8Xstal

    An Unforgettable Pilgrimage...

    ... with a crazy cast and some intriguing and indecipherable messages - you're unlikely to watch anything as off the wall as this, with images conjured from a unique mind you're glad is not your own.

    50 Top Rated Spanish-Language Movies

    50 Top Rated Spanish-Language Movies

    See which classic and contemporary movies have landed on our list of top rated Spanish-language movies according to fan votes on IMDb.
    See the list
    Poster
    List

    More like this

    El Topo
    7.2
    El Topo
    Santa Sangre
    7.5
    Santa Sangre
    Three Mirrors Creature's Flashes of Flesh
    7.6
    Three Mirrors Creature's Flashes of Flesh
    Chelsea Girls
    5.7
    Chelsea Girls
    Three Mirrors Creature's Flashes of Flesh
    7.2
    Three Mirrors Creature's Flashes of Flesh
    Fando and Lis
    6.7
    Fando and Lis
    The Dance of Reality
    7.4
    The Dance of Reality
    Possession
    7.2
    Possession
    Endless Poetry
    7.5
    Endless Poetry
    Jodorowsky's Dune
    8.0
    Jodorowsky's Dune
    Copenhagen Cowboy
    6.7
    Copenhagen Cowboy
    Psychomagic, A Healing Art
    6.3
    Psychomagic, A Healing Art

    Related interests

    Orson Welles in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Epic
    Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
    Psychological Drama
    Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
    Quest
    Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Supernatural Fantasy
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    Fantasy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During the boating sequence, Jodorowsky had intended to shoot a scene where the group leaps into the ocean to "get in the infinite waters." The cast proceeded to leap in, then promptly began to drown. The crew was so busy trying to rescue them that nothing of the scene ended up being shot.
    • Goofs
      In the gold making scene, the Written Woman is appears to be playing the cello. She is not, she is just sawing the bow to and fro while going up and down with the fingering hand.
    • Quotes

      The Alchemist: [final lines] We began in a fairytale and we came to life, but is this life reality? No. It is a film. Zoom back camera.

      [camera zooms out, revealing equipment and crew]

      The Alchemist: We are images, dreams, photographs. We must not stay here. Prisoners! We shall break the illusion. This is Maya! Goodbye to the Holy Mountain. Real life awaits us.

    • Connections
      Featured in Come and Judge (1975)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ21

    • How long is The Holy Mountain?Powered by Alexa
    • Why didn't they show all of the zodiac signs?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 11, 1975 (Mexico)
    • Country of origin
      • Mexico
    • Official site
      • ABKCO Films
    • Language
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • La montaña sagrada
    • Filming locations
      • Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, Mexico
    • Production companies
      • ABKCO Films
      • Producciones Zohar
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $750,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $61,001
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,143
      • Jan 21, 2007
    • Gross worldwide
      • $118,697
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 54m(114 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.