high contrast B+W - transfer or creative choice?

I just watched the Anchor Bay DVD (on a 52" LCD) and I was wondering after reading some complaints here, is the high contrast look something Jodorowsky did on purpose, or is it a bad transfer? I didn't notice the other transfer problems people talked about here, no pan & scan, and as sharp as I would expect a 16mm film to look.

I'd like to think the high contrast was on purpose. While normally I like B&W's technically correct rich range of tones, here I thought the high contrast, with big chunks of images falling into a black (or white) hole was perfect for a work that is dealing with archetypes. the rocks and rubble shot this way looked almost like static, a fractal chaos, perfect for a journey through a chaotic world, I loved the way the figures seemed to constantly be forming from and dissolving into the background visual noise.

I know shooting high contrast was on purpose in Aronofsky's "Pi" and effective for different reasons, so I'd like to know from people who have seen other versions of Fando y Lis if it had the same graphic high contrast look.

If they ever invent a time machine I'm going to the premiere/riot of this film (right after a Velvet Underground concert at the Factory and going to see who was on the grassy knoll).

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