St. Simon Stylites spent much of his life atop a tall column, seeking salvation. Buñuel's wicked satire throws tasty temptation at the feet of this fasting saint. The devil appears in many guises-as an innocent girl rolling a hoop, a worldly harlot who bares her breasts, even as the Great Shepherd himself-trying to coax him from his penitential pedestal. In the apocalyptic final moments, this wily fable crucifies all of society, not just simple Simon.