the leading man is my tpye

Truly Dreadful Film

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Buñuel, in this classic surrealist film, captures the spirit of the turbulent 60s, while imposing his criticisms of The Church, Spanish culture. Unfortunately, they ran out of money mid production, leaving a traditional ending up in the wind (though, when talking about Buñuel, traditional is almost always up in the wind). The narrative is somewhat classic in that it follows a time based plot which focuses on several central characters. The cinematography captures the desert and the scenery of rural life in Mexico. The acting, although somewhat surreal, is excellent, and further underlines the criticisms that Buñuel was attempting to pull out of this film.In trying to dissect this film, it's difficult to give a play-by-play, but the elements of the film play well with one another, giving the impression of a well thought out, and excellently executed film, which, in some ways, asks more questions than it answers.A must watch, Simón del desiert is a classic in the history of surrealist films.

Most Christians, today, go to church (some tithe), they say prayers (usually not enough of them), they try their best to be good Christians and live life like the bible and our preachers teach us to (but not all read the bible consistently or go to church consistently). Very few Christians, that I know of, fast. I think it is safe to say that nobody in the world is attempting something like Simon by standing on a column for almost a decade. With today's media, something like that would have already gained world wide attention and publicity.Everybody has temptations to deal with, but they are in the form of the world and the desires that are in the world. If anyone claimed that Satan was torturing them, they would probably be considered insane. Simon is so well disciplined he is not tempted in normal ways. The way Simon is set apart from other Christians makes it believable that it would take Satan himself to tempt Simon and cause him to stray. I think this makes for a very good movie. We get to see Luis Bunuel's version of Satan as a temptress. We also see how devoted Simon is. He treats everybody the same and rebukes even holy men.I think Satan is sent by God (or allowed by God) to tempt Simon because Simon has surpassed normal temptation. Therefore, temptation of a higher degree (for lack of better words) must come to Simon to test his perseverance and build his effectiveness as a Christian even further. This is the basic premise for making an effective Christian. They go through trials or hard times, but with the help of God (by trusting God and taking cover in God's refuge) they overcome, persist and persevere.I thought the ending was neat. Satan takes Simon on a journey that takes them to a club of some sort. Simon is being shown the world outside of his normal column and what it is becoming. The youth dancing to vulgar music. To the normal person the youth or the music do not seem vulgar. But, to Simon the whole scene stinks of the devil's schemes of subversion. And, the devil loves the revelry.

Simón del desierto (Simon of the Desert Luis Buñuel, Mexico 1965, 45 min.) was, if nothing else, an extremely entertaining film. Simon is an extreme religious man who secludes himself on top of a column to be close to God and further from the sins of the world. The film depicts the trails Simon must suffer to achieve this status of practical Sainthood. He hardly eats and drinks, he neglects his mother and other mortal relationships, he performs miracles but they are taken advantage of. Throughout this self-inflicted punishment the Devil, played by Silvia Pinal, is trying to seduce Simon. She seduces him with lust, food, drink, and promises of all that he desires.I am not going to lie when I was confused by the end of the film. I wasn't sure what the conclusion was supposed to entail. Simon and the Devil are at a Dance Club in some city in the future. Does this mean Simon succumbs to the Devil, that his hell is now where he is now? Perhaps it was another way the Devil tries to make him falter to sins by taking him to a perfect example of sins of the flesh and pleasure.Other than that confusion at the end I really enjoyed the film. The film was riddled with humor as long as the audience isn't offended. One of the best parts was when a peasant is miraculously given his hands back, then in the next moment uses them to abusive his children. The story definitely makes a satirical statement on Christianity. The concept twist of a biblical story was interesting, the characters were unique, and the story had a good pace considering its images.

Simon del Desierto was a very different movie to me. Interesting though. I found many parts funny. Comedy is always good to have in film. It also relayed a neat message. This man stands on this pillar for days, weeks, even months just barely eating and drinking only taking in enough to survive. He is trying to be as close to God as possible. To be sinless for the most part. But as he is up on his pillar praying and fasting and just trying to lead the people to do a Jesus would he is constantly being tempted by the devil. The devil reveals himself to the man in many forms. Coming once as a seductive woman trying to get into his thoughts and make him surrender himself to her but he prays to get this devil away from him and his prayer is answered and the devil turns into its true form which was a dirty, nasty, old hag lady. The devil never stops though coming up with different plans of making this man mess up all he is working for. He even posses one of the other clergy men and puts poison into the man on the pillars food but he is caught again and the pillar man orders the devil leave the man and he is cast out of that guys body in and exorcist kind of manner. It is very creepy. But then there comes a time when it seems like his prayers were not answered and all of the sudden he is on a skyscraper in like New York at a party sipping on a drink and the devil is there with him in the form of another attractive lady. That is the part in where it kind of lost me but over all this movie was pretty interesting.