DVD Review - Carlos Castaneda: Engima of a Sorcerer

 ***Complimentary copy received in exchange for an honest review***

A best-selling Author for 30 years, Carlos Castaneda inspired millions to break free from social dogma, fueling controversy over his work's authenticity and assertions of perceiving non-ordinary reality, during an apprenticeship with Yaqui sorcerer, don Juan Matus. Genius, guru, cult leader or fraud? No one really knows. Over three years in the making, this shocking expose' explores Castaneda's mythic impact, controversial teachings and cult following. Candid interviews backed with dazzling animation and experimental footage offer an intense visual and intellectual experience.

Where to Buy

You can find Carlos Castaneda on Amazon, DVD EMPIRE, MOVIES UNLIMITED or http://www.indicanpictures.com/store/


My Thoughts 

Enigma of a Socerer is a documentary told from the point of view of some of Carlos Castaneda's former followers and members of his workshops. The people are giving their honest opinions about their experiences.  Those opinions varied from reverent to "what was I thinking" attitudes. Even though for a documentary, there was more opinion that actual fact, the stories being shared were still interesting. There were no actual interviews with Carlos or any examples of his work aside from a few quotes that I assume came from his books.

 I went into this DVD with no former knowledge of Castaneda. Watching it has left me intrigued enough to want to seek out some of his books and get a better feel for who he is. I really enjoyed some of the quotes from the conversations between Carlos and Don Juan (A spirit guide of sorts) as they seen to coincide with many of my own personal practices.

 The major problem I had with this DVD is the presentation. There is a lot of psychedelic imagery and twirling and twisting backgrounds throughout the film. It hurt my eyes and made it hard to concentrate. At some points the background music was also louder than the people speaking. This made it hard to hear, especially when some of the people are speaking with thick accents. It seemed very amateurish film-making. Yet, it still left me wanting to seek out more information about Castaneda.  I was torn between two and three stars for this film. I went with three because anything that encourages me to seek out new knowledge seems worth at least a three star rating.

***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. The opinions expressed in the review are my own and were not influenced in any way.**