MovieChat Forums > Simón del desierto (1970) Discussion > Script flaws?

Script flaws?

posted 20 years ago by BrainDamageEclipse
17 replies | jump to latest

Oh, I loved this movie so much, but couldn't stop thinking about at least two major flaws of the script. (Ok, I know that I should take this story as a metaphor, but these are involuntary thoughts that occured to me)

First: if Simon was on the top of the column for 6 years, 6 months, 6 weeks and 6 days (so we're told when the movie begins), and later we find that he was now standing there for 8 years, 8 months, 8 weeks and 8 days (at the second visit of the Devil), and in this time he never took a bath, and he doesn't seem to clean himself in any way (he is not interested in his body), then I guess he should've been covered with a thick layer of dirt. But he isn't. He is as dirty as if he was standing there for, say, one or two weeks. There are stories of hermits who refused to clean their bodies, and after a while worms were feeding from their bodies. Where are they in Simon's case? His presumably advanced state of dirtiness in only suggested by the ulcers on his legs.

Second: if he stands on the top of the column, where does he accomplish his physiological needs? He can't go behind a tree, right? He mentions his excrements to the goatherd, so he must accomplish these needs.

What do you think?

Everything under the sun is in tune,
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon...

[–] clockwork_orange2001 20 years ago

Hell has frozen over!! Pink Floyd reunion!! :-)

"I think that silent films got a lot more things right than talkies." --Stanley Kubrick

[–] BrainDamageEclipse 20 years ago

Yes, I know. They will rejoin for Live Aid 2, the African charity concert in July, in London. (Wee!) But rumours are that they intend to rejoin for good. (Weeee!!) It would be great.

Now let's hope Led Zeppelin will do it, too ;) (I've listened to Page & Plant's "No Quarter" and "Walking Into Clarksdale" albums, and they both sound terrific - especially "No Quarter".)

I predict that this post will be deleted soon, together with yours, because they're way off-topic :D

Everything under the sun is in tune,
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon...

[–] clockwork_orange2001 20 years ago

Yeah, a Zep reunion would be awesome! Walking Into Clarksdale was a very underated album, and prob not heard by many. Unfortunately Plant seems to be opposed to any reunion, but stranger things have happened.... afterall, Pink Floyd is back!! :-)

Seen any good Bunuel films lately? (there, that should prevent any of these posts from being deleted) LOL.

I think that silent films got a lot more things right than talkies. --Stanley Kubrick

[–] BrainDamageEclipse 20 years ago

Yes, stranger things have happened! Waters was not only against the idea of a Pink Floyd reunion, but also against the idea of a Pink Floyd without Waters. And yet now they are together, although for about 20 years a PF without Waters existed, sold records and performed gigs (and cashed money :D)...

Yes, I have: Un Chien Andalou :))

Everything under the sun is in tune,
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon...

[–] gatewaysux 20 years ago

if I lived on a six by six platform or however big it was, I would poop over the edge if possible.

Know what I like best about you??

Nuthinnn!!!!

[–] akselzaid 19 years ago

returning to the BrainDamageEclipse (i love PF also, haha) question:

in his book (My Last Breath) he says that Simon (the one from the book the movie's based) had his phsycological needs like a bird, and that actually the column looks like a parrot's cage, or something like that
--
aksel

[–] BrainDamageEclipse 19 years ago

Thank you Aksel for the information. Unfortunately, I haven't read Bunuel's book. I'll try to get my hands on it.

Everything under the sun is in tune,
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon...

[–] offramp_tavanipupu 19 years ago

As for the second question - if Simon was eating very little and drinking only water then there might not have been much waste to get rid of.

And since he was on top of a pole, flies might not have gone up there much, so there might not have been too much of a maggott problem. I mean he wouldn't have had the same problems as a hermit who lives in a cave... It was probably pretty hot up at the top of that pole.

[–] DwightFry 19 years ago

Apparently Buñuel considered showing Simón's droppings all down the column, giving it the look of a candle, but abandoned the idea because it was too vulgar.

Non vos riades, que o conto é triste.

[–] SixtusXLIV 19 years ago

No flaw at all. Bunuel was a very rigorous man, See the documentary that comes with CRITERION's "THE DISCREET CHARM...", At least twice...
When Don Luis Buñuel first refers to 6 years, 6 weeks and 6 days. As I write I'm playing the DVD and I speak decent "Castellano".

There is no mention of six months. And this IS VERY IMPORTANT.

We have, therefore "666", This is "THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST" in St. John's Apocalypse.

And the Beast is the Devil which tempts Simon. You, Sir have not understood this movie. Generally, only Catholics can, and once upon a time I was one....Just like as Buñuel I was educated by Jesuits. We both turned Atheists, for better or worse....

Also your motto:

"Everything under the sun is in tune,
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon."

is, pardon me, rather incoherent. If Sun Eclipses were not so rare and innocuous to life on Earth, you and I would all be dead...No wheat, no wine, no beer...

Anyway, fare thee well!

[–] Shadow1517 17 years ago

the quote is from a song man...relax
i'm not a full catholic
but i understood the movie pretty well i like to think...

all of us know of 666

you seem to have a very high opinion of yourself

[–] hombresilla 18 years ago

In relation with Simon's physical appearance, the way his feet are hurt is not the only explicit sign of martyrdom, considering the makeup, the condition of his robe when a peasant rips a piece straight off it, and the explicit mentions of shunning personal care. On another hand, this is shot in a very much similar fashion of classic b/w religious films, which might seem to be a sort of move to get to the viewer, and it's not like the idea of dry excrement piling up underneath the column (or maggots eating the main character up) would particularly help or improve the movie, you know. Sit back and enjoy again.

[–] benwoodiwiss 18 years ago

At the risk of sounding like a Bunuel stalker... the excrement question was put to Bunuel in a series of interviews held by two Mexican journalists, Turrent and Colina, in a book called 'Objects of Desire.'
They asked him if he was censoring himself by not showing 'the excrement pouring down the column like wax on a candle,' and he stated that that was not the case at all. He felt it was the Realist in him that didn't do this, he didn't believe that a man who ate nothing but lettuce would create... ahem 'motions' any larger than a goat's.
So yes, he poops over the side. But it's supposed to be dry, pellet-like motions.

As far as script flaws go, the greatest shame about this film is that the entire script could never be filmed. We're supposed to see a visit from the emperor of Byzantium, Simon move onto a larger column, and a whole load of other stuff that will never be seen. Shame.

[–] oknar1977 10 years ago

They asked him if he was censoring himself by not showing 'the excrement pouring down the column like wax on a candle,'

Yep, and in the movie itself, Simon is explaining to the midget about Simon's fecal matter - that it is not thick at all - alleging it is easily disposed. The midget comments he don't understand him what he is talking about and walks away.

[–] suckerdwsp316 18 years ago

better question is

why is this movie 45 minutes long? did bunuel intend it to be that way, or did he just not finish it?

[–] Aulic Exclusiva 17 years ago

An even more interesting question is why do idiot literalists watch films like this to begin with?

If the Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard, It can also be like a chicken-pox mark.