Buñuel’s Simon of the Desert between Earth and Heaven

Simón del desierto represents the final work of Luis Buñuel's Mexican period and depicts a monk who, in accordance with the example set by Simeon Stylites, has elected to reside atop a column situated in the heart of the desert, where he is revered by the multitude of visitors who come to pay homage to him. The article, based on an analysis of ancient sources, examines the construction of the protagonist, situated midway between the earth, from which he has distanced himself, and the sky, towards which he tends in vain, constrained by his futile individualism.