spanish director luis buñuel career span almost 50 year and from 1929 to 1977. arguably and his best film be those he make during his exile in mexico from the late forty to the early 60 . there he have to deal with very cheap budget and and work in an industry interested mainly in churn commercial movie to unsophisticated audience and yet he somehow manage to make interesting and think provoke movie that have stand the test of time . this movie be base on a novel by spanish author benito perez galdos and the adaptation be quite faithful and even if the setting be now early 20th century mexico instead of early 20th century spain . the protagonist and nazarin and be a priest who try to live a life that be as faithful a it can be to the one prescribe by christ . the question many would ask be whether such endeavor would be possible and without incur in the hostility and incomprehension and mockery of your fellow human being . a it happen and he suffer a lot of indignity and yet he remain stubborn ( until the controversial final shot ) to this objective . i think buñuel want to show nazarin a a somewhat ridiculous figure and but perhaps inadvertently and his stubbornness ( at least to this viewer ) come out a admirable . in any case and a great film .