Best movie ever!

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

The most ironic thing I see in this Buñuel is how strenuously Simon fights his sexual urges, violently awakened in the occasion by a sultry, curvaceous, Devil...while standing on what must be the biggest phallic symbol a hundred miles around. I think such image resumes the best what SOTD is all about: the fact that the farthest we humans think we have gotten away from our own nature—through physical effort, willpower--the tighter we are attached to it. That's the tragedy and comedy of our human condition, that we can't escape our nature, that of being minds and souls striving to reach a spiritual reality while being incapable of escaping our animal trappings, urges. We may expel them through the front door, thought they have gone for good, yet in the meanwhile they have gotten back by the kitchen door. That's, I think, the subject on which Buñuel focused his film, consciously or not--the futility of all asceticism, the lack of meaning of any human search for spiritual transcendence or purity--rather than just trying to mock established religion. Buñuel is that misleading to many; they think for ex. that The Exterminating Angel is about nothing, just a joke, while it really focuses on the mental traps we build for ourselves.Now there's nothing insulting in saying that Buñuel wasn't aware of what he was doing when shooting this or his other films. That's how real genius generally works, with the artist not even realizing what he's doing. True genius is not rational but intuitive. The artist does his artwork in a given way, including diverse elements, some of which apparently shouldn't be there, not because the logical mind tells him to do so, but simply because "it seems right". Such a thing, image, sound, fits there nicely so he'll add it to the whole. It's only when the art wok is complete that is makes sense, or should maybe.SOTD works very adequately that particular no man's land straddling the humane and the divine, between the everyday and the transcendental; something that has always intrigued me, because also an inescapable element of our human condition. For ex., one thing that has always intrigued me is how Man creates--or acknowledges, if you are a believer--the divine only to smirch it, to make it pedestrian in the next step. I'm thinking, for ex., about an old "recipe" for hard boiled eggs--put them in boiled water the time for three Hail Marys. Or wondering how Jesus handled events that usually make any of us fume; for ex, while he was still a kid, helping Joseph in his carpenter shop, did he let go a swear word when he hit his thumb instead of the nail?. That's another angle on which SOTD works; when, for ex., Simon mixes his prayers with trivial comments about his body functions, symptoms; or about the stupidity of someone around, about even the sudden realization that he may be talking nonsense instead of reaching new peaks of wisdom. But the best ex. is that of the thief hitting his kid with his miraculously given back hand. Buñuel's message here is clear: Man can't just handle divinity, transcendence; all he can do is to build mockeries of them. Just like the pillar--phallus on which Simon carries out his futile endeavor.The cinematography here is adequate without being superb--many shots from atop the pillar and the corresponding under it, looking up, as to emphasize the only two possible locations for every character—but we have to marvel at Figueroa's work, when all what he had in front of his lenses was the pillar and the desert. As for direction, Buñuel seems to have given great freedom to his actors, just told them what to do, do a few takes and then select the one he liked better. This is particularly true for Pinal and Brook. One has to admire also the great versatility of Mexican actors, for whom no scene seems to be too shocking, absurd or surrealistic. Both elements together make for great comic moments, amongst others, Simon pompously giving the could shoulder to his mom--his "mission" is far more important--and Pinal's Devil acting as a happy-go-lucky, carefree girl. The ending may be interpreted in many ways, but I think the idea behind it is, how things in life that tempt us--and to which we resist for a time, as Simon does towards earthly pleasures--appear trivial, ordinary once we succumb to them. Pinal herself, a sultry vixen while only a temptation, becomes a regular gal in night clothes when she finally gets him where she wants him. Man can't handle the transcendental I said, because even the transcendental he turns it into the pedestrian.In all a daring, imaginative, if short, surrealistic movie; one that will surely leave an impression on you, whatever that impression may be. Also said to have inspired Monty Python's Life Of Brian. Unfortunately that inspiration doesn't seem to have gone deep enough to make this last go beyond the lame joke and the man-in-drags routine. 8/10.

It is typical of every religion to preach that self-sacrifice is the path to find God. That giving up all the "pleasures" of the world will purify man. Wonder where those teachings came from, but it is quite a common trait, no matter what religion. Embrace asceticism, rid yourself of the so-called "worldly pleasures" or "sins" and achieve your spiritual or religious goals! The ultimate path to salvation is here! The Catholic teachings are no different, and Luis Bunuel has always been highly critical of organized religion. He has dedicated so many of his films as tools to launch razor sharp, scathing attacks on these beliefs or the Church in general.Loosely based on the real life story of the 5th century ascetic Saint Simeon Stylites, who spent 39 years atop a column ,"Simon of the Desert" is no exception. Picture a bearded monk, Simon (Claudio Brook), devoting his life to ascetic ways. He has already spent six years, six weeks and six days atop a pillar in the middle of the desert, praying for spiritual purification. He has gained a good amount of followers; mostly peasants, some priests and other village folk who believe that he has been blessed with special powers. They come to him for help or deliver some food from time to time. He is offered a brand new, taller pillar as a token of their faith and respect for his sacrifice. Simon continues his act of good faith, keeps delivering sermons and can even seemingly perform miracles.....Sounds like a serious, religious, deeply meaningful, preachy biography of a Saint? Not in the Luis Bunuel universe! Trust Bunuel to turn something that sounds very deep and heavy into a darkly humorous, absurd mock-fest that is unrelenting and uncompromising in its ways so much so as to scandalize half the audiences who could be believers! So this whole God-fearing stuff takes a dramatic turn as some of the priests and peasants start getting critical of Simon and think it is all in vain. Simon is taken to be an arrogant man by some, and a few others think he is faking it. Simon himself begins to deem his actions futile on several occasions. What's more...the Devil shows up too, and tries to "tempt" Simon in his many ways by appearing in the form of a beautiful woman (Silvia Pinal) in an attempt to seduce Simon out of his saintly ways! Will Simon yield to the temptation? Bunuel takes only about 45 minutes to drive his point across and does it with his masterful touch. Accompanied by Gabriel Figueroa's beautiful camera-work, Bunuel makes unpredictable transitions from realism to surrealism to hilarious absurdism all in the miniscule time frame that was available to him. Apparently Gustavo Alatriste, the producer could no longer fund the film for some reasons and that is how Bunuel was forced to abruptly end the film (with a bizarre ending that has been criticized in several write-ups, but do not be misled...it does have its place..and its own charm based on the interpretation), while in reality he wished to add more material to the film. Whatever the reasons, the end result is a highly original, savagely funny and one of the most eccentric works of cinema from the twisted mind of Luis Bunuel.Pay especially careful attention to certain scenes in which Simon mutters random religious ramblings on seeing some ordinary creatures like an insect (that has absolutely no idea of what is going on!) and later tries to do the same with an inanimate object but gives up! Or the scene in which Simon performs a miracle and gives a cripple a new pair of hands...and the eventual consequence of it! Or that brutally funny scene in which some of the priests don't seem to know the meaning of a particular Biblical reference. Every scene drips a lot of really clever writing....and there is no question that this is an exemplary work of genius from the great director.Bunuel's pick of actors add to the amazing experience with their superb performances, especially Claudio Brook, Silvia Pinal and the midget Jesus Fernandez."Simon of the Desert" is the kind of film that leaves you wanting more. Another 45 minutes of running time perhaps? Check out this masterpiece...do not waste anymore time.Score: 10/10.

Simón del desierto (Simon of the Desert Luis Buñuel, Mexico 1965, 45 min.) was, if nothing else, an extremely entertaining film. Simon is an extreme religious man who secludes himself on top of a column to be close to God and further from the sins of the world. The film depicts the trails Simon must suffer to achieve this status of practical Sainthood. He hardly eats and drinks, he neglects his mother and other mortal relationships, he performs miracles but they are taken advantage of. Throughout this self-inflicted punishment the Devil, played by Silvia Pinal, is trying to seduce Simon. She seduces him with lust, food, drink, and promises of all that he desires.I am not going to lie when I was confused by the end of the film. I wasn't sure what the conclusion was supposed to entail. Simon and the Devil are at a Dance Club in some city in the future. Does this mean Simon succumbs to the Devil, that his hell is now where he is now? Perhaps it was another way the Devil tries to make him falter to sins by taking him to a perfect example of sins of the flesh and pleasure.Other than that confusion at the end I really enjoyed the film. The film was riddled with humor as long as the audience isn't offended. One of the best parts was when a peasant is miraculously given his hands back, then in the next moment uses them to abusive his children. The story definitely makes a satirical statement on Christianity. The concept twist of a biblical story was interesting, the characters were unique, and the story had a good pace considering its images.

Simon del Desierto was a very different movie to me. Interesting though. I found many parts funny. Comedy is always good to have in film. It also relayed a neat message. This man stands on this pillar for days, weeks, even months just barely eating and drinking only taking in enough to survive. He is trying to be as close to God as possible. To be sinless for the most part. But as he is up on his pillar praying and fasting and just trying to lead the people to do a Jesus would he is constantly being tempted by the devil. The devil reveals himself to the man in many forms. Coming once as a seductive woman trying to get into his thoughts and make him surrender himself to her but he prays to get this devil away from him and his prayer is answered and the devil turns into its true form which was a dirty, nasty, old hag lady. The devil never stops though coming up with different plans of making this man mess up all he is working for. He even posses one of the other clergy men and puts poison into the man on the pillars food but he is caught again and the pillar man orders the devil leave the man and he is cast out of that guys body in and exorcist kind of manner. It is very creepy. But then there comes a time when it seems like his prayers were not answered and all of the sudden he is on a skyscraper in like New York at a party sipping on a drink and the devil is there with him in the form of another attractive lady. That is the part in where it kind of lost me but over all this movie was pretty interesting.