Under the Sun of Satan ending explained

What happens

Donissan dies in the confessional, worn out by a lifetime of struggle. The faithful treat him as a saint, and his old superior, Menou-Segrais, is left to judge what he has seen. The film won't tell you which verdict is right.

The last image

Donissan lies dead in the confessional while the faithful gather around him and Menou-Segrais looks on.

Three readings

1 · A true saintHis insight and his prayer over the dead child were real grace, paid for with his life.

2 · A broken manFear, self-contempt and exhaustion destroyed him, and the people around him mistook that for holiness.

3 · Unanswerable on purposeThe film hands the question to Menou-Segrais and to you, with nobody left to ask.

What it says

The film is about whether holiness and evil can be recognised in ordinary lives, so it can't hand you a verdict. It ends on other people's reactions, leaving you with the uncertainty Donissan lived with, and no comfort.