Word: angelically
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...problem with Angel Heart is that it has greater ambitions than merely updating this genre. It wants to combine The Maltese Falcon with the psychological and intellectual thrills of Rosemary's Baby and Don't Look Now. As Angel progresses deeper into his investigation, he is plunged into the world of voodoo worship and animal sacrifice. He witnesses Epiphany engage in a ritual sacrifice of chickens to the Dark Lord, has recurring hallucinations of orgies and encounters a masked, black-clad creature, culminating in the now infamous scene in which gallons of blood fall on him and young Proudfoot while...
This style can be effective and powerful. In Angel Heart, it is simply ridiculous. The film's momentum is constantly interrupted by sensational images, from jejune religious symbolism to graphic violence and incest, none of which are any more exciting than Angel's plodding investigation...
Parker cannot be held solely responsible for the film's ludicrous content. Credit must also go to William Hjortsberg, whose novel Falling Angel Parker adapted. Surely the author must be held responsible for such linguistic masterworks as Harry Angel, Louis Cyphre (as DeNiro states, "Mephistopheles is a mouthful in Manhattan) and Epiphany Proudfoot as well as the generous amount of scenes set in or around places of worship. One can easily see what attracted Parker to this work. No pulled punches anywhere--it's a veritable primer of platitudes...
Creativity aside, Angel Heart is entertaining in a way. Mickey Rourke gives the best in his series of hard-boiled-ethnic-gumshoe-with-a-heart-of-gold-an d-sort-of-a-racist performances by adding elements of humanity to the character of Angel, giving the film its only sympathetic reference point...
Ultimately, however, Angel Heart is a mental and physical cock tease. Hollywood and Alan Parker have once again fallen victim to their appetite for the sensational and the uninteresting. If you're looking for cheap thrills and sexism, this film is the place to go. But to escape the bad, somewhat salty taste it will leave in your mouth, try the hole in the wall of the nearest peepshow. Chances are, if Angel Heart is any indication, Alan Parker might be in line ahead...