El Topo is amazing, but for a first it can be a bit much don't you think? Not knowing Jodorowski's film language yet, plus it hits you right off the bat with the esoteric knowledge.
If you don't know a little bit before jumping in I think a lot of the message is like 
Beautiful. Gorgeous. Makes you want to know so much more. But with every little bit you learn, about life the universe, hell even just having more life experience, adds to the flavor of El Topo.
I can’t see the original note for some reason 🤷
I think you’re right, though, you miss a lot of what El Topo is about the first time you see it.
But that’s one of the things I love about cinema, you can revisit films you watched 10 or 20 years ago, and have a completely different understanding of them. And I think that’s especially true of someone like Jodorowsky, whose works are so open interpretation anyway.
I guess it also depends on what else you’re watching. I remember watching a few Keneth Anger films around the same time and everything seemed to make sense 😂
The feeling that on multiple viewings you get more out of a film is definitely one of my favorite things about films.
It's tied with that ability some films have (think 2001 or Mulholland Dr.) where after viewing people can come out having seen the same things but very different ideas of what the film is about. I love that discussion. I love seeing how other people's brains work and wondering how the fuck did you get that when I got this?!?! I love that.
