well, good to see Python mentioned together with Bunuel.
Kenji: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Simon of the Desert is probably Bunuel’s finest achievement. Well, it’s my favorite at least. It is a hoot. And, I have to imagine that it becomes even funnier when you’ve read “The Desert Fathers”, as I have. It’s been so long since I’ve seen it that I don’t feel prepared to make a deeper comment than that. But, I should be seeing it again within the next month, so I’m looking forward to it.
I haven’t seen it in years but I recall it being his most overtly funny film. Really looking forward to the DVD.
I need to get around to watching more Bunuel, The Discreet Charm was excellent…grabbing the ham from under the table, oh my!
This was a good film, not really that funny at all, the ending wasn’t that great and it should’ve been longer. Also the nudity was unnecessary, especially the old women, that was pretty nasty. I felt that if Simon had beat/overcome the devil/satan in the ending, this movie could’ve been so much more epic and would’ve been a more important film. But since Bunuel was a skeptic, I guess that wouldn’t have happened.
I don’t think Bunuel shouldn’t have changed anything and think that the ending was brilliant.
I dunno man, the ending for something like 400 blows was kinda acceptable, but Simon of the Desert just ended so quickly and abruptly.
As witty a film as the great auteur has in his oevre!
Gurp, I’m trying to recall where I heard this, it may have been an interview with Silvia Pinal, but I believe the reason the film was brief and had kind of an abrupt ending was because they ran out of money. Bunuel planned on a longer film but had to cut things short. I think the film still works great as is but I lament that we’ll never see the longer version he originally intended.
Apparently they cut for lunch and there was no money to eat. If I remember correctly Pinal reveals on the disc that they were considering having Simon of the Desert be part of an three point omnibus film with her as lead in all three. They asked Dassin and Fellini to provide the other two shorts which they conceded but they both wanted to cast their partners, Mercouri and Masina. Pinal wouldn’t have it and admits that maybe she was a little selfish.
Oh I see, that sucks, yeah I guess it still turned out good if you look at it that way, hopefully they can find the longer version, get the rights, and release it through criterion as a re-release.
Well, that’s the rub, Gurp. The longer version only exists as a hypothetical. When Bunuel ran out of money, he made that creatively abrupt ending and didn’t shoot any more film. In a way, I guess it’s more interesting this way. It might be the coolest 45 minute film out there and it’s a neat introduction piece if you want to ease someone into Bunuel’s work.
I see Jay, yeah definetly one of the better 30-45 min films, but I would say The Red Balloon is better for that category. Checked out Exterminating Angel, it was pretty good, next up is Milky Way.
yeah, I saw it. Did I care that much?
Ouch, Tom. Why didn’t you care that much?
Maurice Gianesin
If anybody is in the mood for a “real screamer” I suggest they get a copy of Luis Bunuel’s Simon of the Desert. It is the most irreverant, blasphemous, heretical and downright hysterically funny film I have seen in a long time. When I first saw it I shook my head. The second time I saw it I had a “shit eatin’ " grin on my face. The thrid time I saw it I just had to laugh. What a sense of humor Bunuel has. Anyone who was raised Catholic will completely understand Simon of the Desert. Unlike the grimm, dark, gloomy, stark The Exterminating Angel, Simon of the Desert is totally tongue in cheek.
My favorite scene is Sylvia Pinal dressed up in Jesus drag holding the paschal lamb. There interaction is a complete hoot. I can’t decide if this is Spanish "high camp” or the some of the finest allegory I have seen in ages.
The votes in: some of the finest allegory I have seen in ages. And instead of making them iconic as authors do in many allegories, Bunuel only allows there humanity to shine through making the film a true triumph instead of falling into the kind of films the nuns and priests used to show us about holy people and how holy they were.
The scene involving the “brothers” and Simon is another hoot. Haven’t they got anything better to do than try to decide which one is holiest???? It reminds me of parochial school and trying to decide who would get to crown Mary on May 1st. Believe you me the shit would fly and all the dirt would hit the fan. Only the most pious would win. And there were ways of making people look bad.
Please see Simon of the Desert. I would pay Monty Python and the Flying Circus to do and English remake to make it more accesable to English speaking people.
Mel Brooks would have a field day with this movie. Gene Wilder as Simon and Madelin Kahn as Satan. ( God rest Madelin’s soul. I just loved her. She was and still is “a shining star”. )