--- title: "El Topo: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/el-topo/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/el-topo" critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # El Topo (1970): what the critics said Critics' score 68 from 9 reviews: 5 positive, 4 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics lean positive on El Topo, with praise centring on its startling imagery and dense, conflicting symbols. The favourable reviews find its difficulty part of the appeal: the private mythology can be bewildering, but it also gives the film an immersive force. Jodorowsky’s direction and performance draw praise for their invention and hypnotic energy, while the desert imagery offers something concrete to admire amid the allegory. The divide concerns how much that fascination compensates for obscurity and self-indulgence. Eye for Film acknowledges dated aspects but finds intelligence in the handling of clashing symbols; The Guardian is less persuaded by the film’s reputation, though its symbolism and disturbing cult-horror scenes still exert a pull. The spread runs from enthusiasm to qualified disappointment, with no wholly negative assessments in the supplied tally. Even the warmer accounts leave room for bewilderment. ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 March 2007. The critic praises the film as a vital, visionary cult classic, despite its difficulty. He singles out its dense allegory and imagery for continuing to challenge and intrigue. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/el-topo-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Fernando F. Croce Rating 3/4. 11 December 2006. Croce sees the film as a delirious, inscrutable work whose impact depends on whether its private mythology connects with the viewer. He praises its immersive force and its memorable, often startling imagery. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/el-topo/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The page is identified as a Great Movies review, but its verdict cannot be determined from the blocked content. No praised or criticized element is available to report. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-el-topo-1970) ## Sight and Sound — Philip Strick Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2020. Strick finds the film absurd and bewildering, but ultimately energetic and inventive. He singles out Jodorowsky’s inventive direction and hypnotic performance for praise. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/el-topo-archive-review-stormy-surrealism-desert-heat) ## The New Yorker — Pauline Kael Fi1m's normalised score 66/100 (inferred from the text). 20 November 1971. The archive identifies this as Pauline Kael’s review of “El Topo,” but the review itself is unavailable here. The accessible listing does not reveal her verdict or what she singles out for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1971/11/20) ## Time Out — Ben Walters Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 3 April 2007. The available description notes the film’s formidable reputation as a seminal midnight movie, but does not reveal the critic’s verdict. No specific element is singled out for praise or complaint in the accessible text. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/el-topo-1) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 63/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 1971. The headline frames the article as questioning whether El Topo is a con. The blocked page provides no further information about the critic’s verdict or what they praise or criticize. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/23/archives/is-el-topo-a-con-is-el-topo-a-con.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2020. Bradshaw finds the film less impressive than its legendary reputation, though its opaque symbolism still fascinates. He especially singles out the desert imagery and the disturbing cult-horror scenes. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jan/09/el-topo-review-alejandro-jodorowsky) ## Eye for Film — Anton Bitel Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 31 March 2007. Bitel calls the film one of Jodorowsky’s finest, despite its dated aspects and self-indulgence. He praises its haunting imagery and the intelligence with which it juggles clashing symbols. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/el-topo-film-review-by-anton-bitel) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/el-topo.md