Nazarin

Director: Luis Buñuel
Year Released: 1958
Rating: 1.0

A priest who comes to the aid of a prostitute begins to mimic Jesus Christ, is branded an 'outcast' and punished in a similar way for 'heresy.' A good deal of Buñuel's films have anti-religious themes, but this is too heavy-handed and the direction is too static to make for a good movie - having directed L'Age d'Or before this (complete with hilariously sacrilegious ending!), it seems like he's repeating himself. The priest lacks charisma, and since the plot doubles that of the Christ narrative (borrowing details to fit the revamped setting, Mexico), it feels both familiar and mechanical.