Simon of the Desert

Simon of the Desert (Simon Del Desierto) (1965)

Runtime: 45 minutes

Directed by: Luis Bunuel

Starring: Claudio Brook, Silvia Pinal (RIP), Enrique Alvarez Felix, Hortensia Santovena, Francisco Reiguera

From: A few different Mexican companies

RIP Silvia Pinal. I hadn’t seen any films from this legendary Mexican actress before she passed away, age 93; Mexican cinema in general is a blind spot for many but the outpouring on social media once her death was announced Thanksgiving night educated me that she was a huge star and highly-regarded in her native country. Plenty on Letterboxd likely only know her for her Luis Bunuel pictures.

What may leave some AGHAST is that this is the first Bunuel I’ve ever seen. Longtime readers probably will realize that surreal absurdist movies are just a repellent for me. Of course I realize that’s not what Bunuel exclusively did but when there’s so much I’d like to see in the future… however, a religious-themed picture where the titular Simon is a pious man in the 4th century that stands on top of a pillar in the desert for years to pay penance… it’s only ¾ of an hour long so it was not a huge time investment either way.

It proved to be very good for what it was. Unsurprisingly, it was quite cynical when viewing the topic of religion. Business did pick up when Pinal appeared as a temptress attempting to bring Simon off the pillar. She was in fact… Satan! I won’t reveal much more except to say that in general Pinal was the highlight. That character was believable as the evil enemy of unfiltered Godley passion.

As for the surrealism, it’s only the final minutes where this occurs; the movie takes a WTF turn which I didn’t mind as there was a thematic purpose to it. The movie was full of symbolism and was about a dense topic so it was fine for a single viewing but subsequent viewings may be more enriching. As Pinal did a few non-Mexican pictures, those could be tackled in the future by me. I’m now also more willing to see Bunuel.