Overview
A hermit on a pedestal faces the ultimate test of faith against the temptations of the world.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- irreverent
- surreal
- witty
- arthouse film night
- surrealist cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film as a startling, charming, and richly inventive short satire whose concentrated form gives its theological provocation unusual force.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Simón's ascetic speeches and supposed miracles are repeatedly undercut by Satan's comic temptations and the film's irreverent treatment of faith.
Simón lives atop a pedestal in the middle of the desert, turning his isolation into both a religious spectacle and a surreal image.
Peasants and travelers crowd around Simón, treating his speeches and miracles as evidence of sainthood while he remains physically isolated from ordinary life.
Satan appears in shifting forms and offers Simón access to pleasures that conflict with his self-imposed penitence.
Films like Simon of the Desert, and why
The Milky Way
surreal religious satire, blasphemous humor, and confrontations between spiritual aspiration and bodily temptation
The Exterminating Angel
Buñuelian surrealism, anticlerical satire, and provocative attacks on religious hypocrisy
The Holy Mountain
absurdist spiritual allegory, sacrilegious comedy, and stylized challenges to institutional faith
Movie Details
- Director
- Luis Buñuel
- Release Date
- 1965-08-27
- Runtime
- 45 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (250)
Cast
- Claudio Brook
- Silvia Pinal
- Hortensia Santoveña
- Enrique Álvarez Félix
- Francisco Reiguera
- Luis Aceves Castañeda
- Antonio Bravo
- Enrique del Castillo
- Enrique García Álvarez
- Eduardo MacGregor
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Simon of the Desert about?
- A desert ascetic's quest for perfect holiness becomes a wickedly surreal duel with temptation, spectacle, and the absurdity of sainthood.
- What is Simon of the Desert like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Simon of the Desert as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Simon of the Desert violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Simon of the Desert.
- What did critics think of Simon of the Desert?
- Critics broadly praise the film as a startling, charming, and richly inventive short satire whose concentrated form gives its theological provocation unusual force.
- Which films are like Simon of the Desert?
- Films with a similar feel include The Milky Way, The Exterminating Angel, and The Holy Mountain.
- How long is Simon of the Desert?
- Simon of the Desert runs 45 minutes.
- Where can I watch Simon of the Desert?
- In United States, Simon of the Desert streams on Criterion Channel.
