Simon of the Desert (1965)
A film by Luis Buņuel
Simon is a wise and healing ascetic who stands on top of a pillar in the desert. He shouts out his prayers, amusingly at times. On one occasion he starts a prayer and then half way through says, "I forgot the rest". He also cures people. He gives a handless thief some new hands, the thief's wife then says, "Now you can do the gardening", and the man announces, "I can now spank my son". Some of the scenes reminded me of Monty Python's Life of Brian.
Throughout the film Simon is visited and tempted by Satan, who masquerades as a beautiful blonde woman. She entices Simon and he repudiates her. The film draws to an outlandish and abrupt conclusion (probably because the funding dried up) as Simon is transported by Satan to a modern New York disco. Hilarious. A very funny and irreverent poke at religion from Buņuel.
"It is Buņuel at his best: stylite and stylist face each other from their respective pedestals." - John Simon
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
