Simón del desierto
Encyclopedia
Simon of the Desert is a 1965
film directed by Luis Buñuel
. It is loosely based on the story of the ascetic 5th-century Syria
n saint
Simeon Stylites
, who lived for 39 years on top of a column.
Simon of the Desert is the third (after Viridiana
and The Exterminating Angel) of three movies that were directed by Buñuel, starring Silvia Pinal
and Claudio Brook
and produced by her husband Gustavo Alatriste
.
before climbing up his new pillar. He heals an amputee missing both hands, whose first use of them is to slap his child. But the congregation quickly departs unimpressed, leaving Simón alone.
Time goes by and Simón meets a number of regular characters - a handsome priest whom he condemns on grounds of vanity, a dwarf herder and his mother, who comes to live close to him but remains neglected of attention. A woman (Silvia Pinal), Satan
, visits him three times: first as an innocent girl chanting curses in Latin, second disguised as Jesus Christ. She constantly tries to make Simón give up his task and climb down the pillar, but he refuses every time. She even possesses
one of the priests that visit him, who is consequently exorcised
by the priests.
The third time, a coffin trails across the desert and finally stops next to the pillar. It opens up to reveal Satan, clad in a toga, who at last climbs up the pillar and vanishes with Simón for good. In an anachronistic
turn, the couple find themselves sitting inside a crowded, jumping 1960s nightclub
with a live instrumental rock
band on stage. Satan tells Simón that the song the '60s hipsters are dancing to is called "Radioactive Flesh." Simón protests about wanting to go home, but Satan says he cannot.
after a long-term exile in Mexico
in order to direct Viridiana. The film scandalized the Vatican
and the government, which prompted Buñuel into a second exile back to Mexico. There he directed The Exterminating Angel in 1962, and in the line of its predecessor, the film was critical of religion. Simón del desierto was the last of the trilogy starring Silvia Pinal and Claudio Brook (the latter usually in secondary roles) that controversially dealt with religion while retaining certain elements of Buñuel's earlier surrealist
period. The film was based on a novel of Buñuel, and was adapted by Buñuel and frequent collaborator Julio Alejandro.
' 2003 album Electric Version
heavily references the conclusion of the film, with a Simón-like figure lured from his pillar to a nightclub where the song is being played.
film directed by Luis Buñuel
. It is loosely based on the story of the ascetic 5th-century Syria
n saint
Simeon Stylites
, who lived for 39 years on top of a column.
Simon of the Desert is the third (after Viridiana
and The Exterminating Angel) of three movies that were directed by Buñuel, starring Silvia Pinal
and Claudio Brook
and produced by her husband Gustavo Alatriste
.
before climbing up his new pillar. He heals an amputee missing both hands, whose first use of them is to slap his child. But the congregation quickly departs unimpressed, leaving Simón alone.
Time goes by and Simón meets a number of regular characters - a handsome priest whom he condemns on grounds of vanity, a dwarf herder and his mother, who comes to live close to him but remains neglected of attention. A woman (Silvia Pinal), Satan
, visits him three times: first as an innocent girl chanting curses in Latin, second disguised as Jesus Christ. She constantly tries to make Simón give up his task and climb down the pillar, but he refuses every time. She even possesses
one of the priests that visit him, who is consequently exorcised
by the priests.
The third time, a coffin trails across the desert and finally stops next to the pillar. It opens up to reveal Satan, clad in a toga, who at last climbs up the pillar and vanishes with Simón for good. In an anachronistic
turn, the couple find themselves sitting inside a crowded, jumping 1960s nightclub
with a live instrumental rock
band on stage. Satan tells Simón that the song the '60s hipsters are dancing to is called "Radioactive Flesh." Simón protests about wanting to go home, but Satan says he cannot.
after a long-term exile in Mexico
in order to direct Viridiana. The film scandalized the Vatican
and the government, which prompted Buñuel into a second exile back to Mexico. There he directed The Exterminating Angel in 1962, and in the line of its predecessor, the film was critical of religion. Simón del desierto was the last of the trilogy starring Silvia Pinal and Claudio Brook (the latter usually in secondary roles) that controversially dealt with religion while retaining certain elements of Buñuel's earlier surrealist
period. The film was based on a novel of Buñuel, and was adapted by Buñuel and frequent collaborator Julio Alejandro.
' 2003 album Electric Version
heavily references the conclusion of the film, with a Simón-like figure lured from his pillar to a nightclub where the song is being played.
film directed by Luis Buñuel
. It is loosely based on the story of the ascetic 5th-century Syria
n saint
Simeon Stylites
, who lived for 39 years on top of a column.
Simon of the Desert is the third (after Viridiana
and The Exterminating Angel) of three movies that were directed by Buñuel, starring Silvia Pinal
and Claudio Brook
and produced by her husband Gustavo Alatriste
.
before climbing up his new pillar. He heals an amputee missing both hands, whose first use of them is to slap his child. But the congregation quickly departs unimpressed, leaving Simón alone.
Time goes by and Simón meets a number of regular characters - a handsome priest whom he condemns on grounds of vanity, a dwarf herder and his mother, who comes to live close to him but remains neglected of attention. A woman (Silvia Pinal), Satan
, visits him three times: first as an innocent girl chanting curses in Latin, second disguised as Jesus Christ. She constantly tries to make Simón give up his task and climb down the pillar, but he refuses every time. She even possesses
one of the priests that visit him, who is consequently exorcised
by the priests.
The third time, a coffin trails across the desert and finally stops next to the pillar. It opens up to reveal Satan, clad in a toga, who at last climbs up the pillar and vanishes with Simón for good. In an anachronistic
turn, the couple find themselves sitting inside a crowded, jumping 1960s nightclub
with a live instrumental rock
band on stage. Satan tells Simón that the song the '60s hipsters are dancing to is called "Radioactive Flesh." Simón protests about wanting to go home, but Satan says he cannot.
after a long-term exile in Mexico
in order to direct Viridiana. The film scandalized the Vatican
and the government, which prompted Buñuel into a second exile back to Mexico. There he directed The Exterminating Angel in 1962, and in the line of its predecessor, the film was critical of religion. Simón del desierto was the last of the trilogy starring Silvia Pinal and Claudio Brook (the latter usually in secondary roles) that controversially dealt with religion while retaining certain elements of Buñuel's earlier surrealist
period. The film was based on a novel of Buñuel, and was adapted by Buñuel and frequent collaborator Julio Alejandro.
' 2003 album Electric Version
heavily references the conclusion of the film, with a Simón-like figure lured from his pillar to a nightclub where the song is being played.
1965 in film
The year 1965 in film involved some significant events, with The Sound of Music topping the U.S. box office.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:...
film directed by Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
. It is loosely based on the story of the ascetic 5th-century Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Simeon Stylites
Simeon Stylites
Saint Simeon Stylites or Symeon the Stylite was a Christian ascetic saint who achieved fame because he lived for 39 years on a small platform on top of a pillar near Aleppo in Syria. Several other stylites later followed his model...
, who lived for 39 years on top of a column.
Simon of the Desert is the third (after Viridiana
Viridiana
Viridiana is a 1961 Spanish-Mexican motion picture, directed by Luis Buñuel and produced by Mexican Gustavo Alatriste. It is loosely based on Halma, a novel by Benito Pérez Galdós....
and The Exterminating Angel) of three movies that were directed by Buñuel, starring Silvia Pinal
Silvia Pinal
Silvia Pinal is a Mexican actress, who had roles in several of Luis Buñuel's movies such as El ángel exterminador and Viridiana...
and Claudio Brook
Claudio Brook
Claudio Brook was a Mexican actor. Born in Mexico City, Brook had a prolific career, making around 100 film and television appearances in his 38 years. He won two Ariel Awards. He died from stomach cancer in 1995....
and produced by her husband Gustavo Alatriste
Gustavo Alatriste
Gustavo Alatriste was a Mexican actor, director, and producer of films. He was married from 1961 through 1967 to the actress Silvia Pinal...
.
Synopsis
Simón, the son of Simeon Stylites, has lived for 6 years, 6 weeks and 6 days atop an eight-meter pillar in the middle of the desert, praying for spiritual purification. A congregation of priests and peasants salute him and offer him a brand new pillar to stand on and carry on his mission. He comes down the pillar and is offered priesthood, but refuses because he considers himself unworthy, and forsakes his aging mother for the love of GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
before climbing up his new pillar. He heals an amputee missing both hands, whose first use of them is to slap his child. But the congregation quickly departs unimpressed, leaving Simón alone.
Time goes by and Simón meets a number of regular characters - a handsome priest whom he condemns on grounds of vanity, a dwarf herder and his mother, who comes to live close to him but remains neglected of attention. A woman (Silvia Pinal), Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
, visits him three times: first as an innocent girl chanting curses in Latin, second disguised as Jesus Christ. She constantly tries to make Simón give up his task and climb down the pillar, but he refuses every time. She even possesses
Demonic possession
Demonic possession is held by many belief systems to be the control of an individual by a malevolent supernatural being. Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories or personalities, convulsions, “fits” and fainting as if one were dying...
one of the priests that visit him, who is consequently exorcised
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
by the priests.
The third time, a coffin trails across the desert and finally stops next to the pillar. It opens up to reveal Satan, clad in a toga, who at last climbs up the pillar and vanishes with Simón for good. In an anachronistic
Anachronism
An anachronism—from the Greek ανά and χρόνος — is an inconsistency in some chronological arrangement, especially a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other...
turn, the couple find themselves sitting inside a crowded, jumping 1960s nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
with a live instrumental rock
Instrumental rock
Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which features very little or no singing.Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style, most notably Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link...
band on stage. Satan tells Simón that the song the '60s hipsters are dancing to is called "Radioactive Flesh." Simón protests about wanting to go home, but Satan says he cannot.
Background
In 1960 Buñuel returned to his home country SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
after a long-term exile in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in order to direct Viridiana. The film scandalized the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
and the government, which prompted Buñuel into a second exile back to Mexico. There he directed The Exterminating Angel in 1962, and in the line of its predecessor, the film was critical of religion. Simón del desierto was the last of the trilogy starring Silvia Pinal and Claudio Brook (the latter usually in secondary roles) that controversially dealt with religion while retaining certain elements of Buñuel's earlier surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
period. The film was based on a novel of Buñuel, and was adapted by Buñuel and frequent collaborator Julio Alejandro.
Cultural References
The video clip for the song The Laws Have Changed from The New PornographersThe New Pornographers
The New Pornographers is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia.-History:The band's first four albums each ranked in the top 40 on The Village Voices Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a...
' 2003 album Electric Version
Electric Version
Electric Version is the second studio album by the Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers. It was released on Matador/Mint on May 6, 2003....
heavily references the conclusion of the film, with a Simón-like figure lured from his pillar to a nightclub where the song is being played.
External links
Simon of the Desert is a 19651965 in film
The year 1965 in film involved some significant events, with The Sound of Music topping the U.S. box office.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:...
film directed by Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
. It is loosely based on the story of the ascetic 5th-century Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Simeon Stylites
Simeon Stylites
Saint Simeon Stylites or Symeon the Stylite was a Christian ascetic saint who achieved fame because he lived for 39 years on a small platform on top of a pillar near Aleppo in Syria. Several other stylites later followed his model...
, who lived for 39 years on top of a column.
Simon of the Desert is the third (after Viridiana
Viridiana
Viridiana is a 1961 Spanish-Mexican motion picture, directed by Luis Buñuel and produced by Mexican Gustavo Alatriste. It is loosely based on Halma, a novel by Benito Pérez Galdós....
and The Exterminating Angel) of three movies that were directed by Buñuel, starring Silvia Pinal
Silvia Pinal
Silvia Pinal is a Mexican actress, who had roles in several of Luis Buñuel's movies such as El ángel exterminador and Viridiana...
and Claudio Brook
Claudio Brook
Claudio Brook was a Mexican actor. Born in Mexico City, Brook had a prolific career, making around 100 film and television appearances in his 38 years. He won two Ariel Awards. He died from stomach cancer in 1995....
and produced by her husband Gustavo Alatriste
Gustavo Alatriste
Gustavo Alatriste was a Mexican actor, director, and producer of films. He was married from 1961 through 1967 to the actress Silvia Pinal...
.
Synopsis
Simón, the son of Simeon Stylites, has lived for 6 years, 6 weeks and 6 days atop an eight-meter pillar in the middle of the desert, praying for spiritual purification. A congregation of priests and peasants salute him and offer him a brand new pillar to stand on and carry on his mission. He comes down the pillar and is offered priesthood, but refuses because he considers himself unworthy, and forsakes his aging mother for the love of GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
before climbing up his new pillar. He heals an amputee missing both hands, whose first use of them is to slap his child. But the congregation quickly departs unimpressed, leaving Simón alone.
Time goes by and Simón meets a number of regular characters - a handsome priest whom he condemns on grounds of vanity, a dwarf herder and his mother, who comes to live close to him but remains neglected of attention. A woman (Silvia Pinal), Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
, visits him three times: first as an innocent girl chanting curses in Latin, second disguised as Jesus Christ. She constantly tries to make Simón give up his task and climb down the pillar, but he refuses every time. She even possesses
Demonic possession
Demonic possession is held by many belief systems to be the control of an individual by a malevolent supernatural being. Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories or personalities, convulsions, “fits” and fainting as if one were dying...
one of the priests that visit him, who is consequently exorcised
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
by the priests.
The third time, a coffin trails across the desert and finally stops next to the pillar. It opens up to reveal Satan, clad in a toga, who at last climbs up the pillar and vanishes with Simón for good. In an anachronistic
Anachronism
An anachronism—from the Greek ανά and χρόνος — is an inconsistency in some chronological arrangement, especially a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other...
turn, the couple find themselves sitting inside a crowded, jumping 1960s nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
with a live instrumental rock
Instrumental rock
Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which features very little or no singing.Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style, most notably Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link...
band on stage. Satan tells Simón that the song the '60s hipsters are dancing to is called "Radioactive Flesh." Simón protests about wanting to go home, but Satan says he cannot.
Background
In 1960 Buñuel returned to his home country SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
after a long-term exile in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in order to direct Viridiana. The film scandalized the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
and the government, which prompted Buñuel into a second exile back to Mexico. There he directed The Exterminating Angel in 1962, and in the line of its predecessor, the film was critical of religion. Simón del desierto was the last of the trilogy starring Silvia Pinal and Claudio Brook (the latter usually in secondary roles) that controversially dealt with religion while retaining certain elements of Buñuel's earlier surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
period. The film was based on a novel of Buñuel, and was adapted by Buñuel and frequent collaborator Julio Alejandro.
Cultural References
The video clip for the song The Laws Have Changed from The New PornographersThe New Pornographers
The New Pornographers is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia.-History:The band's first four albums each ranked in the top 40 on The Village Voices Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a...
' 2003 album Electric Version
Electric Version
Electric Version is the second studio album by the Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers. It was released on Matador/Mint on May 6, 2003....
heavily references the conclusion of the film, with a Simón-like figure lured from his pillar to a nightclub where the song is being played.
External links
Simon of the Desert is a 19651965 in film
The year 1965 in film involved some significant events, with The Sound of Music topping the U.S. box office.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:...
film directed by Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
. It is loosely based on the story of the ascetic 5th-century Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Simeon Stylites
Simeon Stylites
Saint Simeon Stylites or Symeon the Stylite was a Christian ascetic saint who achieved fame because he lived for 39 years on a small platform on top of a pillar near Aleppo in Syria. Several other stylites later followed his model...
, who lived for 39 years on top of a column.
Simon of the Desert is the third (after Viridiana
Viridiana
Viridiana is a 1961 Spanish-Mexican motion picture, directed by Luis Buñuel and produced by Mexican Gustavo Alatriste. It is loosely based on Halma, a novel by Benito Pérez Galdós....
and The Exterminating Angel) of three movies that were directed by Buñuel, starring Silvia Pinal
Silvia Pinal
Silvia Pinal is a Mexican actress, who had roles in several of Luis Buñuel's movies such as El ángel exterminador and Viridiana...
and Claudio Brook
Claudio Brook
Claudio Brook was a Mexican actor. Born in Mexico City, Brook had a prolific career, making around 100 film and television appearances in his 38 years. He won two Ariel Awards. He died from stomach cancer in 1995....
and produced by her husband Gustavo Alatriste
Gustavo Alatriste
Gustavo Alatriste was a Mexican actor, director, and producer of films. He was married from 1961 through 1967 to the actress Silvia Pinal...
.
Synopsis
Simón, the son of Simeon Stylites, has lived for 6 years, 6 weeks and 6 days atop an eight-meter pillar in the middle of the desert, praying for spiritual purification. A congregation of priests and peasants salute him and offer him a brand new pillar to stand on and carry on his mission. He comes down the pillar and is offered priesthood, but refuses because he considers himself unworthy, and forsakes his aging mother for the love of GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
before climbing up his new pillar. He heals an amputee missing both hands, whose first use of them is to slap his child. But the congregation quickly departs unimpressed, leaving Simón alone.
Time goes by and Simón meets a number of regular characters - a handsome priest whom he condemns on grounds of vanity, a dwarf herder and his mother, who comes to live close to him but remains neglected of attention. A woman (Silvia Pinal), Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
, visits him three times: first as an innocent girl chanting curses in Latin, second disguised as Jesus Christ. She constantly tries to make Simón give up his task and climb down the pillar, but he refuses every time. She even possesses
Demonic possession
Demonic possession is held by many belief systems to be the control of an individual by a malevolent supernatural being. Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories or personalities, convulsions, “fits” and fainting as if one were dying...
one of the priests that visit him, who is consequently exorcised
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
by the priests.
The third time, a coffin trails across the desert and finally stops next to the pillar. It opens up to reveal Satan, clad in a toga, who at last climbs up the pillar and vanishes with Simón for good. In an anachronistic
Anachronism
An anachronism—from the Greek ανά and χρόνος — is an inconsistency in some chronological arrangement, especially a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other...
turn, the couple find themselves sitting inside a crowded, jumping 1960s nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
with a live instrumental rock
Instrumental rock
Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which features very little or no singing.Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style, most notably Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link...
band on stage. Satan tells Simón that the song the '60s hipsters are dancing to is called "Radioactive Flesh." Simón protests about wanting to go home, but Satan says he cannot.
Background
In 1960 Buñuel returned to his home country SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
after a long-term exile in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in order to direct Viridiana. The film scandalized the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
and the government, which prompted Buñuel into a second exile back to Mexico. There he directed The Exterminating Angel in 1962, and in the line of its predecessor, the film was critical of religion. Simón del desierto was the last of the trilogy starring Silvia Pinal and Claudio Brook (the latter usually in secondary roles) that controversially dealt with religion while retaining certain elements of Buñuel's earlier surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
period. The film was based on a novel of Buñuel, and was adapted by Buñuel and frequent collaborator Julio Alejandro.
Cultural References
The video clip for the song The Laws Have Changed from The New PornographersThe New Pornographers
The New Pornographers is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia.-History:The band's first four albums each ranked in the top 40 on The Village Voices Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a...
' 2003 album Electric Version
Electric Version
Electric Version is the second studio album by the Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers. It was released on Matador/Mint on May 6, 2003....
heavily references the conclusion of the film, with a Simón-like figure lured from his pillar to a nightclub where the song is being played.