Simon of the Desert
1965 · Movie · 45 min
★ 7.5(253)unSUB Rating
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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Streaming on The Criterion Channel.
< 1 hour to watch.
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Details
- Original title
- Simón del desierto
- Years
- 1965
- Release date
- 1965-08-27
- Language
- Spanish
- Runtime
- 45 min
- TMDB rating (input)
- 7.6/10 (253 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
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