Simon of the Desert (1965)
★★½ — Simon of the Desert (1965)
Luis Buñuel made Simon of the Desert during his remarkably productive Mexican period, a run that also produced Viridiana (1961) and The Exterminating Angel (1962) and cemented his reputation as one of cinema's most persistently subversive voices. The film draws loosely on the life of Simeon Stylites, the fifth-century Syrian ascetic who famously lived atop a pillar for decades, and Buñuel treats the source with his characteristic irreverence. At just 45 minutes, the runtime was not entirely by design: funding from producer Gustavo Alatriste ran dry mid-production, leaving Buñuel to fashion an abrupt, surrealist ending that became, in many ways, the film's most celebrated element. Silvia Pinal, who had collaborated with Buñuel on both Viridiana and The Exterminating Angel, reunites with him here to play a shape-shifting devil, rounding off what is often considered an informal trilogy between the three films.
Simon of the Desert (1965) might be the most accessible entry point into Luis Buñuel's surrealist canon. A lean, 45-minute satire that trades the opaque absurdity of L'Âge d'Or for sharper, more grounded wit. The film follows the pious ascetic Simón (Claudio Brook), who stands atop a pillar in the desert seeking spiritual purity, only to be relentlessly tempted by the devil, played with mischievous glee by Silvia Pinal in a series of increasingly provocative guises. Buñuel skewers religious hypocrisy and performative piety with a light touch: the humor is dry, the imagery striking, and the critique of self-righteousness feels both timeless and refreshingly unsentimental. What works here is Buñuel's restraint. The film moves briskly, the symbolism lands with clarity, and there's a genuine playfulness to the way Simón's devotion is tested, not with fire and brimstone, but with schoolgirl taunts and bureaucratic absurdity. For once, the surrealism serves the satire rather than obscuring it. But then… the ending. Without warning, the film cuts to a 1960s nightclub and a jarringly anachronistic rock number. It's deliberately provocative, yes, but also frustratingly arbitrary, undermining the careful buildup with a punchline that feels more smug than insightful. It's the kind of Buñuelian provocation that reminds you why his work often alienates as much as it fascinates. Witty, visually inventive, and surprisingly engaging for a film about a man standing on a pillar. Just wish it had stuck the landing. A rare Buñuel that almost wins you over, right up until it decides not to.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 1965 | Watched: 2026-03-15
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Luis Buñuel: Land Without Bread (1933) · L'Âge d'or (1930) · The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) · Un Chien Andalou (1929)
More from Mexico: Nightmare City (1980) · Violet Perfume: Nobody Hears You (2001) · Babel (2006) · Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
More from the 1960s: Viy (1967) · Persona (1966) · Carnival of Souls (1962) · Daisies (1966)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
More drama: Viy (1967) · Wonder (2017) · A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Beautiful Boy (2018)
