I was fortunate enough to see an actual film print of this movie while enrolled in a Latin American film course at CU Boulder. Bunuel was a filmmaker who enjoyed poking at his audiences - one example of this is in his faux-documentary "Land Without Bread." In "Land Without Bread" he pushes the audience to laugh at the misfortunes of others (some versions), whereas in "Simon of the Desert" he pokes at his Catholic heritage.
This film may not be for everyone (especially those who attribute perceived budget to quality of story-telling...ahem). It is a hilarious criticism of religious fanaticism - a elitist man standing, for weeks on end, on a pilar in the middle of the desert in a desperate attempt to 'be closer to his god.' This is film that you can think about; therefore, those people looking to vegetate and be distracted by flickering lights for a couple hours should leave this one on the shelf - preserve the VHS tape (as it is unfortunately not available on DVD) for those who might enjoy it.
So, what will it take for this man to be tempted away from his god? Where does his weakness lie? Excellent film from an outstanding director!
This film may not be for everyone (especially those who attribute perceived budget to quality of story-telling...ahem). It is a hilarious criticism of religious fanaticism - a elitist man standing, for weeks on end, on a pilar in the middle of the desert in a desperate attempt to 'be closer to his god.' This is film that you can think about; therefore, those people looking to vegetate and be distracted by flickering lights for a couple hours should leave this one on the shelf - preserve the VHS tape (as it is unfortunately not available on DVD) for those who might enjoy it.
So, what will it take for this man to be tempted away from his god? Where does his weakness lie? Excellent film from an outstanding director!