Simon of the Desert is a religious based movie illustrating the difficulty of living a holy life and the temptations of sin. Simon, a man in the 4th century, lives on top of a beam for about 35 years giving the example of a sinless life for all to follow. He becomes known as a saint and people from all over came to visit him and get blessed by him. God has blessed him to remain holy, but the devil has other plans. Simon can recognize when the devil tries to tempt him to sin. Once, the devil came as a vixen and tried to seduce Simon sexually. This was one of the more comical scenes in the film. The tone of the movie was rather solemn and serious, and when she came, she began to tempt him by taking her top off and being absolutely ridiculous and humorous. Most people do not imagine the devil as a sassy Latin girl, but this was the form he came in. The devil's many stunts did not sway Simon. At the end, he was in a club full of sensual dancing in the 1960's, and this still did not prompt Simon to sway from his beliefs. Bunuel, the director, did an excellent job of filming, although it was only a short 45 minutes. He filmed the movie in black and white. The screen shots were also filmed creatively and effectively. The camera angles were used to make Simon look more holy and glorified, while making the woman look more dirty and sinful. This film was a balance between serious moral issues and humor. I enjoyed it and thought it was craftily made.
Review of Simon of the Desert
