Simon, a deeply religious man living in the 4th century, wants to be nearer to God so he climbs a column. The Devil wants him to come down to Earth and is trying to seduce him.
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Title: Simon of the Desert (1965)
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2 wins & 1 nomination.
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Cast
| Cast overview: | |||
| Claudio Brook | ... | Simón | |
| Enrique Álvarez Félix | ... | Hermano Matías / Young monk | |
| Hortensia Santoveña | ... | Madre de Simón / The mother | |
| Francisco Reiguera | ... | Monje viejo / Old monk | |
| Luis Aceves Castañeda | ... | Hermano Trifón / Monk | |
| Enrique García Álvarez | ... | Hermano Zenón / Old monk | |
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Antonio Bravo | ... | Monje / Monk |
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Enrique del Castillo | ... | El mutilado / The Mutilated One |
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Eduardo MacGregor | ... | Hermano Daniel / Monk |
| Silvia Pinal | ... | El diablo / The Devil | |
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Storyline
The ascetic Simón believes he is a sinner and decides to self-inflict a sacrifice, living like a hermit on the top of a pedestal in the middle of the desert to be closer to God and resist the temptations of the world. His followers are peasants and travelers that believe that Simón is a saint capable of performing miracles and they crowd to hear his speeches. However, Satan tries to tempt him with the pleasures of the world. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Plot Keywords:
temptation | dark humor | bare breasts | female nudity | black comedy |Parents Guide:
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Trivia
This is the final film of Luis Buñuel's Mexican period. He made twenty films from Mexico in total. See more »Goofs
When the coffin is floating through the desert toward Simon's pillar, the wire pulling the coffin can be seen several times. See more »Quotes
Simon: Stay near me if you so desire, Mother. But I take my leave of you in this life with this embrace. My love for you must not come between my Lord and his servant. Farewell. We will meet again in his presence.See more »
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Details
Country:
MexicoRelease Date:
9 February 1970 (Mexico) See more »Also Known As:
Simon of the Desert See more »Filming Locations:
Samalayuca, Chihuahua, MexicoEdit
Box Office
Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$1,843Company Credits
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Simon of the Desert (1965)
**** (out of 4)
Bizarre "religious" film from Luis Bunuel is one of the best I've seen from him. Simon (Claudio Brook) climbs a column in the desert to be closer to God but soon has Satan try to tempt him with earthly pleasures. To give anything else away would ruin a few twists and turns along the way but I was pleasantly surprised with this little short. Bunuel has become one of my favorite directors but I find watching his religious films to be very frustrating because he either goes over the top with what I find stupid or I feel he spends way too much time trying to make points but everything here worked pretty well with me. The black humor mixed in with the messages was a great touch and Bunuel did a terrific job with all the temptation scenes. The scene with the nude woman trying to tempt Simon was brilliantly done.