{"id":86816,"date":"2022-09-04T22:04:08","date_gmt":"2022-09-05T05:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=86816"},"modified":"2022-09-05T09:48:46","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T16:48:46","slug":"simon-of-the-desert-1965","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=86816","title":{"rendered":"Simon of the Desert (1965)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Let a just man pray in peace!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-of-the-Desert-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-of-the-Desert-Poster-204x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"204\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-86817\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-of-the-Desert-Poster-204x300.png 204w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-of-the-Desert-Poster-87x128.png 87w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-of-the-Desert-Poster-183x270.png 183w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-of-the-Desert-Poster.png 647w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 204px) 100vw, 204px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nIn the 5th century Syrian desert, an ascetic &#8220;stylite&#8221; named <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Simeon_Stylites\">Simon<\/a> (Claudio Brook) stands on top of a pillar while people come to make requests of him or distract him, and he is repeatedly tempted by the devil (Silvia Pinal) in various guises.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Black Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Christianity<\/li>\n<li>Luis Bu\u00f1uel Films<\/li>\n<li>Surrealism<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that this &#8220;bizarre, laugh-out-loud Luis Bu\u00f1uel comedy&#8221; &#8212; the final film made during Bu\u00f1uel&#8217;s extensive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0059719\/trivia?item=tr2578361\">&#8220;Mexico period&#8221;<\/a> &#8212; features a protagonist (&#8220;wild-bearded Simon&#8221;) who at times &#8220;comes across as a fool,&#8221; given that &#8220;he blesses everything, even the food in his teeth&#8221;: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Lettuce.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Lettuce.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"969\" height=\"729\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-86823\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Lettuce.png 969w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Lettuce-300x226.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Lettuce-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Lettuce-768x578.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Lettuce-359x270.png 359w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and whose &#8220;belief in God is so masochistic that at one point he decides to stand on one foot until God gives him a sign.&#8221; However, he points out that &#8220;Bu\u00f1uel does not really mock him; rather&#8230; he pities him for being so loyal to a God who doesn&#8217;t seem to care he exists.&#8221; While &#8220;the devious devil repeatedly turns up to test and tempt him&#8221;: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Pinal.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Pinal.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"969\" height=\"723\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-86822\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Pinal.png 969w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Pinal-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Pinal-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Pinal-768x573.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Pinal-362x270.png 362w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; &#8220;God is off on vacation, leaving Simon vulnerable.&#8221; He asserts that &#8220;equally sad is [the] fact that the people he helps &#8212; all typically weird Bu\u00f1uel characters &#8212; don&#8217;t appreciate what he does for them; it&#8217;s a common Bu\u00f1uel theme&#8221; &#8212; as in <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1544\"><em>Viridiana<\/em> (1961)<\/a>, for instance &#8212;  &#8220;that good, even saintly works, are wasted on ignorant, self-interested, self-professed Christians.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Hands.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Hands.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"979\" height=\"731\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-86820\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Hands.png 979w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Hands-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Hands-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Hands-768x573.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Hands-362x270.png 362w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 979px) 100vw, 979px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Peary concludes his review by noting that this &#8220;brief film&#8221; (just 43 minutes long) &#8220;ends with [an] unsatisfactory jolt,&#8221; but he argues that &#8220;until then, [the] parable is great fun and thought-provoking.&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0059719\/trivia?item=tr2578362\">The film&#8217;s truncated running time was due to financial constraints.<\/a>) <\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ll admit that I&#8217;m not quite sure what to make of this shorter-than-typical-length feature, which may have been better suited as part of an omnibus. (Pinal &#8212; whose husband Gustavo Alatriste was the film&#8217;s producer &#8212; has noted this was under consideration.) Peary&#8217;s assertion that God &#8220;doesn&#8217;t seem to care [Simon] exists&#8221; may be true, but to what end? Are we meant to reflect on how religiosity serves its own functions, separate and apart from any kind of &#8220;evidence&#8221; from a higher power or gratitude from the world? If Simon himself is satisfied with his life of martyrdom, should that be sufficient, regardless of what he actually accomplishes? Personally, I&#8217;d rather watch movies about <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=78462\">real-life heroes who seemed to legitimately deserve their sainthood<\/a>, though Bu\u00f1uel&#8217;s take on the topic is an intriguing satire that&#8217;s worth a one-time look.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gabriel Figueroa&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Tired.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Tired.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"983\" height=\"727\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-86828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Tired.png 983w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Tired-300x222.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Tired-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Tired-768x568.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Simon-Desert-Tired-365x270.png 365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 983px) 100vw, 983px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it&#8217;s recommended. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0059719\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/490281\/simon-of-the-desert#articles-reviews?articleId=93551\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.criterion.com\/current\/posts\/1013-simon-of-the-desert-damned-if-you-do\">Criterion Essay<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/490281\/simon-of-the-desert#articles-reviews?articleId=222835\">TCM&#8217;s DVD Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/simon-of-the-desert\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Let a just man pray in peace!&#8221; Synopsis: In the 5th century Syrian desert, an ascetic &#8220;stylite&#8221; named Simon (Claudio Brook) stands on top of a pillar while people come to make requests of him or distract him, and he is repeatedly tempted by the devil (Silvia Pinal) in various guises. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Black Comedy Christianity Luis Bu\u00f1uel Films Surrealism Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: Peary writes that this &#8220;bizarre, laugh-out-loud Luis Bu\u00f1uel comedy&#8221; &#8212; the final film&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=86816\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=86816"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86845,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86816\/revisions\/86845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=86816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=86816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=86816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}