Simon of the Desert

Directed by Luis Bunuel and written by Bunuel and Julio Alejandro, Simon del desierto (Simon of the Desert) is loose interpretation of 5th Century Syrian saint Simeon Stylites who lived on top of a column for 39 years. In this film, it’s a story about a man seeking to prove to God his devotion to him as he faces temptation from the devil as he lives in this land for 6 years, 6 weeks, and 6 days. Starring Claudio Brook and Silvia Pinal. Simon del desierto is a strange yet mesmerizing film from Luis Bunuel.

The film is essentially the story of a man named Simon (Claudio Brook) who has stood on top of a column for six years, six weeks, and six days as he’s being moved to much bigger column to stand on to continue his servitude for God. While standing on this taller column as he’s often met by priests, a dwarf goat herder, and his mother as they watch him bless his surroundings. He’s being tempted by Satan himself in the form of a beautiful woman (Silvia Pinal) as he deals with all sorts of things that would challenge his devotion to God. In turn, he becomes very detached to the world around him as he faces criticism from those who look at him from the earth.

The screenplay by Luis Bunuel and Julia Alejandro is the story of how faith and devotion can overwhelm someone who becomes out of touch with the world of around him. While he has his devotees in priests and people seeking to be blessed and gain some miracle. What Simon doesn’t know is that the people’s he’s blessing aren’t exactly good people. A young priest tries to get blessed by Simon for selfish reasons while there’s a dwarf goat herder who feels that Simon is neglecting him. The priests around him think of Simon as some sort of God-like figure but it adds to Simon’s doubts about his role and the fact that he thinks of himself as unworthy of God’s love. Then there’s Satan who comes in the form of a woman in three different personas as she would often tempt Simon any way she can. Even by possessing a priest in order to get his attention as she would do whatever to get him down from this pillar.

Bunuel’s direction is filled with amazing imagery as the film is largely set in Mexico where Bunuel was making his films at that time. Through the landscape of the Mexican desert, it is a film that is set in a world that is seemingly detached by its surroundings. There’s people who would walk miles to come to Simon but the reaction ends up being disappointing as they would walk back. Bunuel’s use of close-ups and wide crane shots allows the film to be big and full of life. Even in the way he places his actors in a frame to create these images that is about faith and devotion. Bunuel also places the camera on the ground in order to get a point of view from those below including Satan who would do whatever to tempt Simon.

The direction has Bunuel maintain that air of surrealism that he’s known for scenes involving Satan where Satan disguises himself as a schoolgirl wearing racy clothing, a sheepherder claiming to be Jesus Christ, or arriving via casket as a woman in a toga. Satan’s appearances is often filled with an element of craziness but there’s something that is very grounding for the way Satan speaks about man’s plight and the fact that miracles doesn’t necessarily bring happiness no matter how horrible man’s situation is going. The film spends most of its time in the desert and then, Bunuel creates something that is very abrupt where it plays to something that is more relevant to a modern audience. Overall, Bunuel creates a very fascinating yet intriguing film about faith and humanity.

Cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white cinematography to capture the stark imagery that is created for the film from the robes of the priests to the vast landscape of the Mexican desert. Editor Carlos Savage does wonderful work by creating unique cuts to capture the reaction of the people as well as to establish Simon‘s plight. Production designer Jesus Bracho does nice work with the minimal set pieces created such as the home of Simon‘s mother nearby the pillar that Simon is standing on.

The sound work of James L. Fields is terrific for the sparseness that is needed in the desert location to maintain that sense of intimacy for its smaller moments. The film’s music by Raul Lavista is excellent for its mixture of low-key orchestral pieces to ominous cadence drum themes to establish Simon’s detachment from the world.

The film’s ensemble consists of some memorable small roles from Enrique Alvarez Felix as the young priest, Francisco Reiquera as an old witch Satan plays, and Hortensia Santovena as Simon’s mother who tries to get his attention from the ground. Silvia Pinal is incredible as Satan in the way she tempts Simon in every way from posting as a seductive schoolgirl, Jesus Christ as a sheep herder, and a woman in a toga. Pinal’s performance is just full of life as well being someone who is more connected to humanity including in its final moments. Finally, there’s Claudio Brook in a superb performance as Simon as a man who is devoted to God but finds himself in such conflict with himself as he becomes detached with the world around him.

Simon del desierto is a provocative yet exhilarating film from Luis Bunuel that explores the world of faith and devotion. Featuring marvelous performances from Claudio Brook and Silvia Pinal, it’s a film that truly reveals some of faith’s fallacies as well as the detachment a man faces in his desire to prove his devotion to God. In the end, Simon del desierto is a remarkable film from Luis Bunuel.

Luis Bunuel Films: Un Chien Andalou - L’Age d’Or - Land Without Bread - (Gran Casino) - (The Great Madcap) - Los Olvidados - (Susana) - (La hija del engano) - (Mexican Bus Ride) - (A Woman Without Love) - (El Bruto) - (El) - (Illusion Travels by Streetcar) - (Wuthering Heights (1954 film)) - Robinson Crusoe (1954 film) - (The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz) - (El rio y la muerte) - (Cela s’appelle l’aurore) - (Death in the Garden) - (Nazarin) - (La Fievre Monte a El Pao) - (The Young One) - Viridiana - The Exterminating Angel - Diary of a Chambermaid - Belle de Jour - (The Milky Way) - Tristana - The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - (The Phantom of Liberty) - (That Obscure Object of Desire)

© thevoid99 2012

The Exterminating Angel

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/25/08.

After the release of 1961's Viridiana, Luis Bunuel, who was invited back to his native Spain by the country's leader Francisco Franco, made a film that angered Franco as his film was banned for nearly 15 years. Bunuel along with his film crew and entourage returned to Mexico where he had been working at for more than 15 years. Reuniting with his Viridiana star Silvia Pinal, the two collaborated once again for another film about an upper class dinner party where the guests find themselves unable to leave. Written and directed by Bunuel, El Angel Exterminador (The Exterminating Angel) is a film that explores the world of the upper class and how they've trapped themselves. Also starring Enrique Rambal, Claudio Brook, and Augusto Benedico. El Angel Exterminador is an eerie, surreal ensemble drama from Luis Bunuel.

Edmundo Nobile (Enrique Rambal) and his wife Lucia (Lucy Gallardo) are having a dinner party after a night in the opera. Earlier that night, the butler Julio (Claudio Brook) had just fired Lucas (Angel Merino) while the cooks and servants are all leaving for the night to run their own errands. The guests arrive with Julio and whatever servants are left to run the entire night. Attending are Dr. Conde (Augusto Benedico), Blanca (Patricia de Morelos), Leandro Gomez (Jose Baviera), Raul (Tito Junco), a young couple named Eduardo (Xavier Masse) and Beatriz (Ofelia Montesco), and a mysterious, foreign woman named Leticia (Silvia Pinal) among others. Things go fine as Blanca plays a sonata and everyone gets tired for the night unable to go home.

The morning begins as the guests find themselves unable to leave as an elderly guest named Sergio Russell (Antonio Bravo) is dying. Dr. Conde tries to examine everything that goes on as Julio becomes troubled this strange circumstance in which everyone including himself are unable to leave the room or the house. Russell dies as he's placed onto a large cupboard. Conde continues to examine everything that goes on as everyone is blaming Nobile for what’s going on as only Conde and Col. Alvaro (Cesar del Campo) defend him with Conde trying to maintain calm. Even as they break the water pipe for water as everyone is starved. Leonara (Bertha Moss) meanwhile, is becoming sick as she's also dying from a from a form of cancer with Conde needing to find her pills.

With police and onlookers holding vigil outside of the mansion, inside the mansion. Things become increasingly chaotic when they're trapped inside the room as a bear is outside while a flock of sheep had entered the room. With more deaths and claustrophobia ensuing, everyone wants to kill each other until Leticia calms everyone down as she tries to figure out everything while dealing with the ongoing sense of surrealism that's plaguing their minds.

A satire of sorts on the world of the upper class, Bunuel's admitted contempt for the upper class shows how a certain group of people. Absorbed by their own ideas and their own worlds, Bunuel takes them into a room and traps them where psychologically, they can't get out. What the film is about is a group of people who disintegrate themselves in their own mind as they're psychologically trapped inside a room. Just as the characters unravel, the roles of who they play start to flesh out as the audience get to see who they really are.

Bunuel's claustrophobic, eerie direction is truly magnificent where things start out slow at first only to give the sense of who these people are. Then as the first act ends with everyone realizing they can't get out. That's when the film really begins as the second act entails moments of death, anarchy, and character study. By the third act, everything unravels leading to a few characters to try and make sense of everything. The ending, like most of Bunuel's films tend to go into the surreal where everything becomes a circle. The film in some ways is also about a memory, particularly in the third act in relation to the first. The film also has moments where it's really mesmerizing whether it's a couple being affectionate with one another sexually, a moment of horror, or a something surreal in a strange dream sequence that emphasizes their state of mind. The result is truly a mesmerizing, harrowing study of character and of the minds from Luis Bunuel.

Cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa does a superb job with the film’s black-and-white photography to convey the sense of horror and tension with hand-held camera, tracking shots, and lighting design as Figueroa’s work is truly amazing. Editor Carlos Savage does a wonderful job with some of the film's cutting style with the use of stock footage intermixed with the guests sleeping along with excellent transitional cutting and fade-outs to help give the film its structure. Production designer Jesus Bracho does a wonderful job in the posh look of the film's mansion interior scenes along with the room where every character is trapped and such. Costume designer Georgette Somohano does a wonderful job in the look of the dresses and suits that are worn where as the film goes on, the look of the clothes start to decay.

Sound editor Abraham Cruz does a fantastic job with the sound work including the cutting of dialogue layered one another during one of the film's surreal sequences. Special effects supervisor Juan Munoz Ravelo does a great job in one of the film's strange sequences that involves a lone hand moving. The film's music by Raul Lavista is minimal for its sweeping introduction in the film's opening credits sequence as well as the upbeat, melodic for parts of the film's first act. After that, there's not much music with the exception of a piano sonata performed on the film.

The film's cast is truly superb in its ensemble with notable small performances from Jacqueline Andere as the young Alicia, Xavier Loya as the young but nervous Francisco, Ofelia Guilmain as Francisco's older sister Juana, Xavier Masse as Eduardo, Ofelia Montesco as Beatriz, Lucy Gallardo as Nobile's wife, Bertha Moss as Leonora, Patricia de Morelos as Blanca, Tito Junco as the slimy Raul, Jose Baviera as Leandro Gomez, Luis Beristain as Cristian, and Antonio Bravo as Sergio Russell. The standout performances come from the characters who try to maintain control and such. Claudio Brook is great as Julio, the butler who tries to do duties while being the one to break a pipe so everyone can get water and such. Cesar del Campo is excellent as Colonel Alvaro, a man who tries to remain calm only to have a brief moment where he becomes unhinged by the claustrophobia of the room.

Enrique Rambal is brilliant as Edmundo Nobile who is trying to maintain calm as he becomes an unlikely target while dealing with the fact that he might be guilty. Silvia Pinal is fine in her role as Leticia though she didn't have much to do in the middle of the film. Pinal's haunting performance in the film's final act is mesmerizing as she tries to pull everyone together to think about the first night. The film's best performance goes to Augusto Benedico as Dr. Conde, the film's moral conscience who keeps his cool and try to examine everything while helping people out and tell them to not panic.

Though not as great as Viridiana, El Angel Exterminador is still a mesmerizing yet haunting film from Luis Bunuel. With memorable performances from Silvia Pinal, Augusto Benedico, Enrique Rambal, Cesar del Campo, and Claudio Brook. It's a film that is truly essential to Bunuel's rich filmography. Those new to Bunuel will get a great example of his surreal take on the world while taking potshots at the upper class. In the end, for a great ensemble film that has its characters be stripped down to the core and give them a taste of surrealism. El Angel Exterminador is the film to watch.

Luis Bunuel Films: Un Chien Andalou - L'Age d'Or - Land Without Bread - (Gran Casino) - (The Great Madcap) - Los Olvidados - (Susana) - (La hija de engano) - (Mexican Bus Ride) - (A Woman Without Love) - (El Bruto) - (El) - (Illusion Travels by Streetcar) - (Wuthering Heights (1954)) - Robinson Crusoe (1954) - (The Criminal Live of Archibaldo de la Cruz) - (El rio y la muerte) - (Cela S'apelle l'Aurore) - (Death in the Garden) - (Nazarin) - (La Fievre a El Pasao) - (The Young One) - Viridiana - Diary of a Chambermaid - Simon of the Desert - Belle de Jour - (The Milky Way) - Tristana - The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - (The Phantom of Liberty) - (That Obscure Object of Desire)

© thevoid99 2011

Viridiana

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/29/07.

One of Spain's greatest and controversial artists, Luis Bunuel was a film director whose films of surrealism, religion, and imagery has captured the imagination of many. Yet, during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Bunuel left Spain to sought artistry only to find freedom 10 years later in Mexico. During that period, he would make acclaimed films like Los Olvidados (The Forgotten Ones), El (This Strange Passion), Ensayo de un Crimen (The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz), and Nazarin in 1958. In 1961, Bunuel finally makes a return to Spain during the time of the Franco where he made one of his most controversial films about a nun trying unsuccessfully to help the poor entitled Viridiana.

Written by Bunuel and Julio Alejandro, Viridiana tells the story of a nun who is sent by her convent to visit her uncle. The image of the nun reminds the uncle of his deceased wife. The visit shakes the nun's idealism as she hopes to do good in helping the poor. Directed by Bunuel, the film explores religion and its strictness as well as dark behaviors in some of its characters towards an innocent young woman. Starring Silvia Pinal, Fernando Rey, and Francisco Rabal. Viridiana is a superb yet controversial masterpiece from the legendary Bunuel.

Viridiana (Silvia Pinal) is expected to take her vows in the next few days until her Mother Superior suggests she should visit her uncle whom she hasn't seen in a long time. Her uncle Jaime (Fernando Rey) is living alone with a maid, her daughter, and a farmer as Viridiana decides to make the visit for a few days. Upon arriving, she meets the maid Ramona (Margarita Lozano) and her daughter Rita (Teresa Rabal) as Viridiana looks eerily like her late aunt. Jaime's newfound obsession of his wife and how his niece looks like her brought some troubling behaviors as Ramona watches. Noticing her often strict behavior and dedication to her faith, Jaime makes a plan to have her stay a bit longer. On Viridiana's final night, he attempts to seduce her but only receive an insult from his niece. Ramona drugs her later on as Jaime's attempt to seduce while asleep fails again.

With Viridiana finally leaving and learning about the truth of what happened last night, Jaime's guilt takes over as he feels he's sinned and does a final sinful act. Viridiana is then forced to come home to learn about what her uncle has done. With Viridiana now running the house with Ramona, Rita, and their farmer. Viridiana hopes to redeem herself by not returning to the convent and make her uncle's home into something that would help the poor. Taking on a group of beggars, she decide to help them while Jaime's estranged son Jorge (Francisco Rabal) arrives to become the new Don. With girlfriend Lucia (Victoria Zinny), Jorge hopes to bring the farm back to shape. Unfortunately, Jorge feels irritated by the beggars Viridiana has taken in while feeling tense with her. Lucia departs as Jorge finds himself attracted to Ramona.

When Jorge decides to leave town with Viridiana, Ramona, and Rita to conclude some business matters, the beggars decide to get into the house and enjoy a moment of debauchery until Jorge and his company return. The moment causes shockwave's as Viridiana's faith is now shaken to the core.

While the film reveals troubling themes such as incest, faith, and debauchery, the film is really about an innocent young woman whose good intentions are shaken to the core as she ends up questioning her own idealism. Even in a world that is cruel and indifferent to her faith. The film also explores moments of debauchery where although the beggars aren't necessarily bad people, they have a desire to live the rich, carefree life that Jorge and his late father had. There, it destroys everything that Viridiana had intended which is followed by a very horrific, sinful act that destroys her spiritually and emotionally. Then there's some of the film's sexual content which is done in a suggested way. Even in the film's final scene suggested something that was indeed Bunuel's intentions.

The direction that Bunuel made is not just observant but also filled with cynicism on faith, especially Catholicism at the time of Franco-era Spain. Largely because of how the repression of the government at that time caused the sense of alienation among the beggars. Even when the spiritual ideals of Viridiana is clashed in one wonderfully edited sequences with the newfound, industrious attitude that Jorge had. Then there's the infamous dinner sequence which includes a spoof of the Last Supper sequence that is followed by debauchery at its most unbridled. There, Bunuel captures anarchy in its purest form. It was there where the film, at that time, caused a lot of controversy followed by what would happen towards the end. The result is a powerful picture by Bunuel.

Helping Bunuel in his unique yet surreal vision is cinematographer Jose F. Aguayo whose black-and-white photography is exquisite in some of the film's exterior sequences and interior scenes. Yet, some of the camera work in showing the shadows is amazing as well as the close-ups to reveal the emotions and shock. Editor Pedro del Rey does amazing work in the film's editing, notably the scene of Viridiana's prayer cut back-and-forth into the moments of industry to convey her lack of realism. Production designer Francisco Canet does some wonderful work in creating the film's rich look in the home of Don Jaime's. Sound engineer Aurelio Garcia Tijeras does excellent in work in capturing the sound to contrast what's going on and where the scene's at. Composer Gustavo Pittaluga brings in an operatic score that is played on record throughout the film to convey the film's sense of emotion and debauchery in the third act.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled with great performances by Jose Calvo, Jose Manuel Martin, Luis Heredia, Joaquin Roa, Maria Isbert, and many others playing the beggars whose moments in the film are a highlight. Victoria Zinny is fine in a small role as Jorge's frustrated girlfriend while Teresa Rabal is great as Ramona's young daughter Rita. Margarita Lozano is in excellent form as the loyal Ramona whose shift of servitude changes as she finds herself attracted to Jorge in which, she is allowed to be herself. Francisco Rabal is great as the charming yet cynical Jorge who is willing to find some kind of power, even as he tries to seduce both Ramona and Viridiana. The late yet legendary Fernando Rey is great as Jaime. A man whose surreal state of mind over his wife's death and guilt causes him to question his own morality and persona. Though it's a small, supporting role, Rey is in fantastic form.

Finally, there's the legendary Silvia Pinal in one of her great performances. Pinal brings a lot of restraint to her role as this innocent young woman unaware about the real world. Pinal's also exudes sexuality with her amazingly gorgeous looks though she only shows a bit of skin throughout the entire film. Her character goes through the biggest amount of development and through this restrained, very non-dramatic performance, it feels natural and just right. It is clear that while she is playing the title character, it's Pinal's performance that is the heart of the film.

When Bunuel was asked to return to Spain by Francisco Franco to make a film suitable for his country, Bunuel said yes but when he presented the resulting film Viridiana with plans to premiere at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival. Franco was extremely angry and had the film banned for many years in Spain while was denounced by the Vatican. The then-Fascist government of Spain tried to have the film banned in its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival but failed. Viridiana ended up sharing the prestigious Palme D'or along with Henri Colpi's The Long Absence. The controversy over Viridiana helped give the film international attention as a film that had to be seen. In 1977, the film finally premiered in Spain at the time when Bunuel had made his final film Cet Obscur Objet du Desir (That Obscure Object in Desire) in France. Bunuel retired until his death in 1983.

Viridiana overall, is an amazing film from Luis Bunuel. Featuring great performances from Silvia Pinal and Fernando Rey, it's a film that might not be as shocking in today's times. Yet, when audiences have to consider what's going on and what Bunuel suggested at the time, the shock value is still there. What is really surprising that when it won the Palme D'or that year, another film that won the year before that featured similar was Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita that also reveled in debauchery and denounced by the Vatican. That film was also banned in Spain for several years until it was shown in 1981. In the end, for a film to reveal innocence lost in the real yet surreal world, Luis Bunuel's Viridiana is the film to check out.

Luis Bunuel Films: Un Chien Andalou - L'Age d'Or - Land Without Bread - (Gran Casino) - (The Great Madcap) - Los Olvidados - (Susana) - (La hija de engano) - (Mexican Bus Ride) - (A Woman Without Love) - (El Bruto) - (El) - (Illusion Travels by Streetcar) - (Wuthering Heights (1954)) - Robinson Crusoe (1954) - (The Criminal Live of Archibaldo de la Cruz) - (El rio y la muerte) - (Cela S'apelle l'Aurore) - (Death in the Garden) - (Nazarin) - (La Fievre a El Pasao) - (The Young One) - The Exterminating Angel - Diary of a Chambermaid - Simon of the Desert - Belle de Jour - (The Milky Way) - Tristana - The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - (The Phantom of Liberty) - (That Obscure Object of Desire)

© thevoid99 2011