Plot Summary
El Topo is a 1970 Mexican acid Western film directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky. The story follows El Topo, a black-clad gunfighter, who embarks on a journey through a desolate desert landscape with his naked young son, Hijo. After encountering a town ravaged by violence, El Topo seeks vengeance against the bandits responsible for the massacre, particularly targeting their leader, the Colonel.
After defeating the Colonel and rescuing a woman named Marah, El Topo’s quest for love leads him to challenge four master gunfighters, each representing different philosophies and religions. As he defeats them through cunning rather than skill, he becomes increasingly troubled by his actions and the consequences of his violence. Click here
In the second half of the film, El Topo awakens years later in a cave inhabited by deformed outcasts who view him as a god-like figure. Determined to help them escape their underground prison, he tunnels to freedom but ultimately witnesses their slaughter at the hands of a violent cult upon their emergence into society. In despair and guilt over his past actions, El Topo avenges the outcasts before immolating himself in an act of self-sacrifice. The film concludes with Hijo riding off with El Topo’s lover and child, suggesting a cyclical nature of violence and rebirth.
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