Nxg

CLASSIC MOVIE

Movie: Angel Heart

Cast: Robert De Niro, Mickey RourkeGenre: Thriller/CrimeDirector: Alan ParkerYear: 1987
Technically, this is one of the finest films ever. This film noir classic is maybe the first ever big budget film to explore Satanism and black magic rituals. It may sound like a cheap horror or voodoo flick but like they say, “Never judge a book by its cover”. The film is based in the year 1955 where Mickey Rourke plays Harry Angel, a sleazy, low profile private detective who is hired by a mysterious man named Louis Cyphre (Lucifer if you pronounce the words together) to find a man named Johnny Favorite AKA Johnny Liebling, who owes a debt to Cyphre and was severely injured in World War II and hospitalized with profound neurological trauma. But when each person Angel has interrogated about Favorite’s whereabouts turns up dead, he finds out that Favorite might have owned more than just a debt to his client. The plot is pretty straight forward and fast paced but each time a body is recovered, the viewer gets a feeling this is not just a normal whodunit. The movie cleverly misleads the viewer by laying down very obvious clues that make the viewer think he is aware of what’s going on. The final twist in the movie is much unexpected and is at the same time., meaningful. As he digs deeper and deeper into the case, Angel delves into an unknown world of voodoo and Satanism, which add to the mysterious and motiveless deaths of those close to favorite. Throughout the film angel experiences eerie nightmares which turn out to be the biggest clue of them all. The film is a technical masterpiece which literally absolves the viewer and haunts him long after the end credits roll by. The cinematography is phenomenal. The two aspects of the film that make it such a classic are the haunting background score and the art direction. The flawless art direction makes you wonder if the movie was really taken back in 1955. The music, led by Courtney pine’s eerie saxophones and backed by Trevor Jones’ superb orchestration is one of the most memorable aspects of the film. The tight screenplay is the greatest aspect of the film. The film is fast paced and well planned. The horrifying climax is one of the best twist endings in history. The film was successful but because of the controversies surrounding it because of the shocking satanic imagery, went under. Now the film enjoys a cult status due to its highly successful DVD release. In a nutshell, the film is a crisp, thrilling and haunting masterpiece which is not to be missed. Shiva Nallaperumal, XII, Bala Vidya Mandir

Popularity: 1% [?]