All language subtitles for Simon del desierto (Simon of the Desert) (1965) Criterion 45m 34s .23.976fps.ENG

SIMON OF THE DESERT

For six years,
six weeks and six days,

you've stood on that column, Simon.

Your asceticism has edified us all.

Honor us now by mounting
this other pedestal,

presented to you through
the munificence of this wealthy man.

From your new column

you can continue to inspire
our brothers by your penance

in the footsteps of our father,
Simeon Stylites.

Accept this column

as a gesture
of our family's gratitude to you

for curing me
of an unspeakable disease.

Help me!

Let the holy man pass!

Help us, Father Simon.

Wait.

Your mother wishes to be near you
until the hour of her passing.

Let her embrace you one last time.

It would have been better for you

had you stayed in the peace
of your home, woman.

Be dutiful, Simon,
and receive her with gladness.

Stay near me
if you so desire, Mother.

But I take my leave of you in this life
with this embrace.

My love for you must not come
between my Lord and his servant.

Farewell.

We will meet again in his presence.

Your blessing, Father.

First allow me to bestow
holy orders on you.

Prepare yourself, my son.

Behold him whose ministry -
- No!

I am not worthy.
Holy orders, no!

Behold him
whose ministry is offered you.

I am unfit to receive such grace.

I, an unworthy sinner.

Ascend your Calvary, Simon.
May peace be with you.

Brother Simon.

Let us pray.

Our Father, who art in heaven...

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come...

thy will be done...

on earth as it is in heaven.

O blessed one!

Look at these stumps
that once were hands.

Every day we grow poorer,
and my daughters go hungry.

How did this misfortune befall you?

They were chopped off.

But why?

For stealing.

It's true.

But I am repentant.

Father, relieve my suffering.

Help us.
Have pity on these children.

I can only pray.

Pray with me in silence.

Perhaps God will allow us
to witness one of Simon's miracles.

Amen.

You are whole.

Give thanks to the Lord
and go about your business.

Fabiola, let's go home.

The garden needs digging.
- We'll have to buy a new hoe.

The old one is broken.
Let's go, girls.

Are these the same hands
you had before, Father?

Be quiet, foolish girl.
Leave me be.

- See that?
- What?

- That thing with the hands.
- Oh, that.

Any bread left?
- Yes.

Give me a bit.

We've spent long enough
on these spiritual shenanigans.

Shall we go, Father?

We must accompany Simon's solitude
a while in prayer.

Where did that
one-eyed woman come from?

One-eyed?
You're mistaken, Simon.

She has one eye, I tell you.

She has two eyes, both healthy.

- How do you know?
- Because I looked.

And there was nothing wrong
with either eye.

How could you forget
the commandments that say,

“Lay not thine eyes upon woman,”

and “Be thou not seduced
by a woman's gaze,”

and especially...

“Be thou not burned
in the fire of vain contemplation”?

My brother,

I pray you not to come here again

until your gaze regains
its due moderation.

Good day, Brother Matthew

God be with you, brother.

Where's the milk for the monastery?

Some whore breathed on it
and curdled it.

At the crack of dawn,
I'll bring a fresh jugful.

Have you come to visit
our blessed Simon?

Yesterday I took him a bowl of curd
and a piece of soft bread.

And curse my soul,

the so-and-so paid me no heed.

Don't curse.

Forgive Father Simon.
He must have been praying.

What's wrong with her?

She's got a bad foot.

You like her, don't you?

Her name's Domitila.

Look what a pair of beauties.

You just touch them,

and they firm up.

Abide with God, brother.

Don't love those animals so.

The devil roams this wilderness.

I hear him in the night.

Avert thy wrath.

They could not...

my heart.--

O my Lord -

I can't remember how it ends.

My heart -

Here I am!

I've brought your food,
0 blessed one.

May the peace of God be with you.
- And with you, brother.

I've brought oil and bread
as well as your lettuce.

My body doesn't need
those delicacies.

It is sufficiently nourished
with the lettuce God gives me.

I'm fasting too, Father.

But the problem is,

the less I eat, the fatter I get.

The abbot wants you to eat more.

Thank him for his concern,

but ask his forgiveness.

I know better than he
how necessary it is for me to fast.

I ask your forgiveness as well.

Things have changed a lot in the abbey.
They no longer give us wine.

Our water has cumin and pepper in it.

The abbot says it makes you strong.

What have you been eating
these last five days?

You've hardly drunk any water.

And what's left smells awful.

Do you need anything else, Father?

Go in peace.
Let me fight my battle.

Battle?

An innocent like you
knows nothing of these things.

My son.

You look very clean.

Thank you, Father

But remember that cleanliness
in body and clothing,

innocent enough in ordinary men,

is a sin in those
who dedicate their lives to God.

If you say so, Father.
I'll keep it in mind.

In righteousness
shalt thou be worshipped.

He's an idiot, the conceited ass!

In righteousness -

Man is the most despicable
of all thy creatures, Lord.

His very presence
distances me from thee.

My help cometh even from the Lord.

Funny, there are no flies today.

I'm hungry and thirsty once again.

I'd managed to forget my body,

but that wretch made me remember.

No! I'll eat nothing until sunset'.

How long before I am worthy of thee?

How greatly tempted
I am to descend

and feel mother earth under my feet.

And run, and run...

Not so fast.

Do you ever think of me, my son?

Hardly ever, Mother.

I don't have time.

Why are you so proud, my son?

Proud of my freedom.

Or of my enslavement, Mother.

Here I am, Simon!

Watch this!

Cease from thy folly

Count as lost

That which has perished

Thou alone

Above all the hirsute

Thou, son of rabbit-ridden Syria

You good man, Simeon

With the lovely thick beard

And teeth brushed clean

With Syria's urine

- What are you doing here?
- Playing.

- Where did you come from?
- Over there.

- And where are you going?
- Over there.

Who are you?

I'm an innocent little girl, Simon.

Look what innocent legs I've got.

In m y kingdom, Simeon

Neither is everyone what they seem

Nor do they seem

What they are

What a lovely beard

And teeth brushed clean

With Syria's urine

Look how long my tongue is.

I fear you not, Satan.

O Christ!

I'll be back, shaggy locks!

O heavenly father

And Christ our savior

I give praise to you
at the setting sun

To Father, Son and Holy Ghost

It is right thou should be praised

By the holy Voices

Of the Son of God

For the Lord said,

“Whosoever abandons father,
mother, brothers, sisters,

wife, children and property
and follows me

shall be repaid a hundredfold

and shall inherit eternal life.”

In the world, I was a mere slave.

And here I am ready to serve you.

For it is written,

“God helps those who help others.”

Let us not yield in our asceticism

Let us spread it like an arc.

Let us leave our past behind

and ascend ever onwards
and upwards

to follow the eternal calling
of the heavenly voices.

Offer your food and raiment
to the poor and hungry,

for they will open to you the doors
to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Our time on earth is short.

Look, brothers!

The saint's got a pretty full larder.

Cheese.

Bread.

And wine!

He who poses as the champion
of penance on a column

to be above ordinary men...

Samaritan!

Is guided by the hand of Satan.

You've seen the proof.

“Let us not yield in our asceticism
Spread it like an arc.”

I put my trust in you, Simon.

This food can only be

sent by the devil to tempt you.

I need no explanation, brother.

But tell these, your disciples,

if you know why these provisions
were in your bag.

More welcome is slander
to the pious soul

than odious eulogies

that arouse pride.

This gentle one, this humble one,
calls me a slanderer, brothers.

I swear before God that I did not place
these tasty morsels there.

O blessed one,
give us but one word

and we will believe you.

Speak.

I am thy servant, Lord.
Thy will be done.

You see?
He shrinks from a reply.

No one can doubt his guilt now.

Let us pray for him, brothers.

One servant of the Lord
accuses another,

and we who came here to be uplifted

find only scandal.

Let us lift up our prayers
to the Holy Ghost.

May he show us the guilty one.

Let us kneel and pray.

In the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

What's the matter?

Cross yourself, Brother Trifón.

You filthy eunuch!

Yes, I put the food in your bag.

And I haven't finished
tormenting you yet,

son of a whore.

I won't rest until I hear
your own filthy lips

cursing Christ in the holy sacrament
and his so-called mother.

In the belly of the whore.

The Lord shall avenge me.

Down with the sacred hypostasis!

Long live the sacred hypostasis!

- Death to the anastasis!
- Long may it live!

- Long live the apocatastasis!
- Down with it!

What on earth is the apocatastasis?

Hear me, O Lord.

Death to Jesus Christ!

Death to -

Long may he live!

The Lord loveth the righteous.

I exorcise you in the name of Christ.

Flee the body of that man!

Flee, Satan, at the sign of this cross.

Pick him up and take him away.

I'll finish exorcising him
at the monastery in my own way.

Peace be with you, brother.

Zenón!

Listen to me.

Send that beardless youth away.

Me?

It is not fitting for him to live
near the temptations of the devil.

Tell him not to return
until his beard covers his cheeks.

Thank you for your advice,
fruit of your sound judgment.

You may leave the monastery
to return home, Matias.

When your face is covered with hair,
you may return.

Don't love those old graybeards so.

The devil roams this wilderness.

I hear him in the night.

0 God,

my God,

from the dawn
I keep watch for thee-

My soul thirsteth for thee,

and my flesh too,
in all manner of ways.

O Lord.

Lord, my thoughts
stray from thee.

Receive, Lord,
thy most humble of servants.

You are my favorite son, Simon.

Your asceticism is sublime.

I love you and live in you.
You speak for me.

For eight years,
eight months and eight days,

your spirit has burned
atop that column

as the flame burns atop a candle.

Blessed are those who suffer.

I want to die in thee, Lord.

Deign to receive my soul.

Why criest thou, Lord?

I cry for you, my beloved son.

I am saddened by your penance

and by your excessive sacrifice.

Cease them now
if you would please me.

Change your ways.

Change, Lord?

Come down off that column.

Taste earthly pleasures

till you've had your fill.

Till the very word pleasure
fills you with nausea.

Only then will you be
truly close to me.

Satan! I fear you not.

The Lord will render useless
all your intrigues.

How long will you go on
seeking mankind's undoing?

You who before your fall

rejoiced in the divine presence.

If I repent, Simon,

would God restore me
to my former glory?

On no account, Satan.

Repent if you can,

but you'll remain
like this for all of time.

Just look what a filthy cheat
I'm rubbing shoulders with!

You know where you can stuff
an offer like that!

I'm quite happy as I am, you swine!

Slimy sacrament

in the belly of a whore!

I beseech you in the name of Christ,

let a just man pray in peace.

I'll be back, shaggy locks!

If I don't free myself
from the devil today, Lord,

I'll break free tomorrow.

Or in five years, or ten.

Self-restraint, prayer,

charity and humility
will be my weapons.

My eyes must have been blind

to have mistaken
the wolf for the lamb.

I deserve eternal penance.

Until thou callest me to thy side,

I'll use one leg only
to support my body.

I thank thee, Lord,
for providing my sustenance.

Make fertile the soil
that feeds the poor,

and let hail not fall.

I bless you,
poor innocent creature.

Go and sing the glories of the Lord.

Who can I bless now?

Besides being a spiritual exercise,
blessings are good fun too.

And I don't offend anyone.

What am I saying?

I'm beginning to realize
I don't realize what I'm saying.

What am I saying?

Father!

Bless Pelagia's pregnancy.

Let's see if the bitch drops
what she's carrying.

You too have my blessing, brother,

you who are poor in spirit
and worldly goods.

Don't bless me
in the same breath as my goats!

But I respect you and love you,

and tomorrow I'll bring you
a bowl of fresh milk.

Thank you, my son.

But you know it's no use.

I've got a feeling he's not
quite right in the head.

It must come from
stuffing yourself with air.

Believe me, I eat and drink
quite enough to fulfill my needs.

I'm not a spirit or disincarnate,

but a man whose flesh
weighs heavily upon him.

As for the need
to evacuate my bowels,

my excrement is like your goats'
because I'm so withered up.

The only thing I understood
of all that was “withered up.”

What do you want?

I want your forgiveness
and your blessing.

Who are you?

Why must I forgive you?

I was the one
who gazed upon a woman.

God has already forgiven you.

I'd like to give you some rather
unsavory news about God's servants.

The hordes of the Antichrist
are advancing on Rome.

They'll be here before long.

Blessed is the scourge
if it wins us glory before the Lord.

Mankind will forever be entwined
in fratricidal conflict,

and all because of that
cursed “yours” and “mine.”

What do you mean?

Man kills to defend
what he considers his.

I don't understand.

What is “yours” and “mine”?

Look.

I'll explain.

This is your bag, isn't it?

If I say it's not,
we'll start to quarrel.

Let's try it.

Simon, this bag is mine.

Now, you say it's yours.

- It's mine.
- No, it's mine.

All right, take it then.

Your unselfishness is admirable
and very good for your soul.

But I fear that, like your penance,

it is of little use to man.

I don't understand you.

We speak in different tongues.

Go in peace, brother.

Protect me, Lord!

I promised I'd return.

This is the last time.

Get thee behind me, Satan!

Not behind, nor anywhere else.

Abominable lord of darkness!

If the Lord has sent you
to tempt me, so be it,

but you will not succeed.

You disgust me. I can smell
your foul breath from here.

You don't smell too good either.

Prepare yourself, Simon.

We're going on a long, long journey.

In the name of Christ.

Making gestures with your hand
won't help you this time.

Simon of the desert,

you may not believe it,
but you and I are very much alike.

Like you,

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

because I've been in his presence.

As for his only Son,

I could tell you a thing or two.

I believe in God almighty -

Get ready to leave, Simon.

I'm taking you to the sabbath.

There you'll see tongues of flame

and the gaping
red wounds of the flesh.

Enough!

Let's go.

They're coming for us.

What are you thinking about, Simon?

Nothing.

What's this dance called?

“Radioactive flesh.”

It's the latest dance,

the final dance.

- Get thee behind me.
- Get thee gone.

Have fun.
I'm going home.

Better not.
You'll get a nasty surprise.

What is it?

Another tenant's moved in.
You'll have to stick it out.

You'll have to stick it out
till the end.

THIS IS A MEXICAN FILM
MADE BY MEMBERS OF THE S.T.P.C.