Simon of the Desert
1965 · Movie · 45 min · ★ 7.6 · 95% critics
In a stark desert, a devout holy man lives atop a tall column, hoping to draw closer to God through isolation and sacrifice. As visitors gather below, he faces repeated temptations and growing doubts in a story that blends spiritual struggle, dark humor, and the surreal.
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Details
- Original title
- Simón del desierto
- Years
- 1965
- Release date
- 1965-08-27
- Language
- Spanish
- Runtime
- 45 min
- Critic score
- 95/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.6/10 (239 votes)
About
You may like this if you enjoy surreal, provocative stories that mix religious satire with dark humor, especially if Viridiana or The Exterminating Angel worked for you; Not for you if you want clear answers or a conventional plot.
Pros: darkly funny satire; strikingly original premise; memorable surreal tone | Cons: abrupt ending; uneven pacing; may feel confusing
Themes
- faith
- nightclub
- miracle
- goat
- prophet
- devil
- rock band
- desert
- religious fundamentalism
- saint
- hypocrisy
- temptation
- +1 more
Awards & recognition
- Grand Jury Prize of the Venice Film Festival · 1965
Cast & crew
Claudio Brook
as Simón
Silvia Pinal
as The Devil
- HS
Hortensia Santoveña
as The Mother
Enrique Álvarez Félix
as Brother Matías
Francisco Reiguera
as The Devil as an Old Witch
Luis Aceves Castañeda
as Priest
Antonio Bravo
as Priest
- EC
Enrique del Castillo
as The Mutilated One
Enrique García Álvarez
as Hermano Zenón/Old monk
Eduardo MacGregor
as Hermano Daniel/Monk
Directed by Luis Buñuel