Searching for the Devil?

MIKE:  Hey, Max.  Do you know a guy named Luis Cypher?

MAX:  Luis Cypher? Hmm...not sure, but that seems to ring a bell.  Why do you ask?

MIKE:  I ran into him on my way to the theater.  He said that I "looked familiar," and then he mentioned you by name. You sure you don't know him?

MAX:  I'm not sure.  I guess it's possible that I could have met him at a gathering for the Order of the Silver Serpent when I was in Europe reading from the Book of the Nine Gates...but otherwise....yeah, I'm not too sure.

MIKE:  You have any sort of insurmountable debt that you might not be telling me?

MAX:  No. But I do have these weird dreams with whirring industrial fans and an apartment drenched in blood.

MIKE:  That doesn't make any sense.  He said something about being a debt collector, but you know me and debt collectors: I just ignore them and walk away.

MAX:  Gosh, Mike.  You are such a chicken.  You know I have a thing about chickens...

MIKE:  We don't need to go down that Pink Flamingo lined road.

MAX:  Ugh. Sick. Roll the films...

MAX:  This evening, we screamers from the balcony, are bringing you a comparative review of two films.  Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate (1999) and Alan Parker's Angel Heart (1987) are both neo-noir movies, and while they were made over ten years apart, they both have a striking similarity in that they involve a classic cinematic antagonist, The Devil.  While these two films can be considered detective stories, there is a supernatural horror element attached to both that ultimately led these to be classified as such.  Perhaps it's for that reason that neither film ever really caught on with audiences.  While The Ninth Gate is slowly building a cult following, it's generally remembered as a late 90's box office flop, which features the much loved Johnny Depp in a leading role.  Similarly, while Angel Heart stars Mickey Rourke (in his more handsome years), Robert DeNiro (as the Lord of Darkness himself) and the beautiful Lisa Bonet, it is mostly known solely to it's absolutely devoted cult following, who continually sought the movie in video stores over the years and ultimately prompted it's release on DVD.  In The Ninth Gate, Johnny Depp plays a rare book dealer named Dean Corso who is commissioned by sinister millionaire Boris Balkan (Frank Langella) to authenticate his copy of The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows, a book that was rumored to have been written in collaboration with Satan.  Angel Heart begins with a similar premise when private detective Harold Angel (Mickey Rourke) is approached by a mysterious gentleman named Luis Cypher (Just sound it out.  That's Robert DeNiro's part). He is commissioned by Cypher to search for Johnny Favorite, a famous crooner gone missing with whom Cypher claims he needs to settle an account.  In both movies, the investigations lead to faraway places that the hard-boiled detectives would have never expected.  As they search, both Corso and Angel find themselves increasingly drawn into a dark web of occultism and murder, from which they may not be able to emerge unscathed.

MIKE:  These films seem to go hand in hand with some of the literary horror fiction that I have been reading lately: there is this theme of going down the rabbit hole, and the further you twist along the dark and crooked path the more engrossed one becomes in the Devil's will.  Both Angel Heart and The Ninth Gate are tales, on the surface, about men seeking out the Prince of Darkness, but really it's the Devil who has been seeking them out.  That is a concept both awesome and terrifying, to me, and all the reason why I really enjoy both of these movies. 

MAX:  l agree.  There is a correlation here between detective and occult stories, in that the answer to the mystery (or solution to the hidden/magical equation) is right in front us, if we only care to look.  In Corso's case, he is a cynical non-believer whose only belief is in wealth and the pursuit thereof. Once he embarks on his journey for Balkan and encounters the nameless blonde femme fatale (otherwise known as 'the girl' portrayed by Emmanuel Seigner), he slowly realizes that there are larger forces at work, and that 'the girl' may in fact be more than she appears to be; where before his goal was purely monetary, Corso starts to crave the secrets, which are promised to the individual who can open the ninth gate.  Where Angel is concerned, his decision to work for the crude and wicked Cypher is equally based in money.  In fact, after he discovers the first murder, he nearly backs out, though he is swayed with an offer of $5,000.  What eventually draws Angel deeper into the "rabbit hole" as you said, are the continual murders of all the people he interrogates, and the set of coincidences, which seem to point to him as a prime suspect.  (Actually now that I think of it, this conflict is present for Corso in The Ninth Gate, as well).  Angel needs to get to the bottom of this Favorite guy's disappearance, so he can clear his own name, and convince himself that he is not actually involved in Cypher and Favorite's affairs.

MIKE:  I felt Corso was more drawn in by his curiosity of the unknown element, and not by the powers promised in the book.  He is, like you said, an unbeliever who is only on this expedition for the pay check.  I think a contradiction between Angel and Corso is the sympathy, or lack thereof, for the victims (usually someone either character has recently made acquaintances with).  Angel, though driven by money to carry on (must be noted that $5,000 dollars in the early 1950's was a considerable sum), feels sorrow for the people who keep dying around him.  It's not just that he could be linked to the murders, but a genuine they-didn't-deserve-this approach is what he seems to have.  Corso, on the other hand, is put off by the deaths of those he queries, and is more grossed out than remorseful for their...untimely demise.  I do enjoy that both of these stories follow a relatively similar line of storytelling, and that, amongst other similarities, they both start off in New York.  Why is New York the start of so many paths that lead to damnation? 

MAX:  You have a good point in that Corso and Angel are very different characters.  While both of them engage in "dishonorable" professions, Corso has no compassion for others, and is one of those individuals who would, in Balkan's words, "put the wind up Julius Ceasar." A "thoroughly unscrupulous" back-stabber, Corso is already of the Devil's party, without even knowing it.  While I agree that it may be the unknown element that draws Corso in (the tagline of The Ninth Gate is "leave the unknown alone"), I think there is a definite point in the film where he is absolutely convinced by the book's power and begins to recognize his own destiny in relation to it.  In Angel's case, because he is not a very corrupt person per-say, he is actually battling against his fate or destiny.  Since beginning the investigation for Cypher, Angel has dream-like flashbacks of terrifying ritual violence, which seem to indicate that he, himself could be somehow involved in the case.  While Angel does not want to believe this, he has a commitment to figuring out the truth which supersedes his own discomfort.  In both cases, these men are racing willingly into the fires of Hell, though with notably different intentions.  New York is a great starting point for both of these films, as it is often known as a "Babylon" of sin and vice.  The shadowy noir elements present in all the cities in which these movies take place really compliment the growing sense of darkness and dread.  Where Angel Heart is concerned, Alan Parker commented that he chose to move the story to New Orleans because he needed Angel to be somewhere hotter and thus "closer to Hell".  In The Ninth Gate, Corso's travels take him to Portugal, Paris, and ultimately the South of France.  In each place, he encounters affluence and grand scale facades, where corruption and true evil are bubbling beneath the surface.  In my opinion, this is the stuff that good detective (and horror) stories are often made of.

MIKE:  I agree.  When you read any Raymond Chandler story, Marlow, the protagonist, is caught in a murky world where everyone, and I quite mean everyone, has something brewing under the surface.  That's what I think really makes Angel Heart and The Ninth Gate neo-noir films that stand on two firm feet in both the classic noir sense and the classic Devil cautionary horror tale.  Characters, location, atmosphere, and the symbolisms used throughout both films make these classics in a unique genre blend all on their own.  I would say that my only qualm with both movies is that the outcome, or ending, for the films seem a bit obvious if you pay attention to the content: Cypher is sending Angel out to look for a man he claims to have a "contract" with, and then comments to Angel, "We've met before, haven't we?"  To which Angel denies having ever met Mr. Cypher.  Also, in Corso's case, he's hunting down the scattered pages that Lucifer has written, while being followed by an "Angelic?" woman bent on making sure that he does find all of the missing pieces.  She flies briefly, The Girl, as she is titled, but she does fly and not once does Corso ever acknowledge this other than referring to her as his "Guardian Angel."  "If you say so," is her clever reply (might I remind some of you out there that Lucifer is a Fallen Angel).  There are also several images in The Ninth Gate that tie Corso to certain images in certain books (3 in all) that he is tracking down.  A lack of true mystery is missing from these movies, in my opinion, but Angel Heart and The Ninth Gate do a great job of pacing the suspense and action to keep the viewer enthralled.

MAX:  I would hesitantly agree that there is a "lack of true mystery" in these two films.  But while it may not be hard to identify the "Lucifer" figure in these stories, I'm not sure that the outcome of either film would be completely obvious upon a first viewing.  At least it wasn't for me, in either case.  Nonetheless, I think a lot of noir films old and new take liberties where the viewer's "willful ignorance" is concerned.  There are a large number of examples in which the wealthy employer has an obvious ulterior motive and in the case of the femme fatale, well, we always know what's up her sleeve.  I'll concede that the flight of 'the girl' was non-subtle and perhaps not needed.  The somewhat disturbing sex scene that occurs between her and Corso outside of Puivert Castle at the conclusion of the film is enough to suggest her true identity.  On the subject of sex scenes, I know that you had a number of thoughts regarding the infamous one that takes place between Mickey Rourke and Lisa Bonet in Angel Heart, is that right?  Yet another aspect I hadn't thought about before: both of these films feature a very bizarre sex scene. 

MIKE:  Well, I'm just saying that's MY qualm with the films, but that in no way takes away from the suspense these two movies use to get to their end points.  Again, I love these films.  The sex scenes...I don't even know where to begin about that.  I think The Ninth Gate sex scene at the end of the film is the hottest of the two; The Girl, played by Emmanuelle Seigner, is a total babe, and any excuse to see her boobs bouncing is a good excuse, even though her eyes seem to be ablaze with a supernatural glow, while a castle burns in the back ground.  It's creepy because you know the image that it represents in the book, but still rather hot to watch.  The sex scene in Angel Heart, on the other hand, is very disturbing and full of nightmarish images of blood and gore.  I should point out that this was Lisa Bonet's first "grown-up" movie she did after her time on "The Cosby Show," and "A Different World."  As hot as she looks in this movie (I had a bit of a crush on her as a kid) it's marred by the grotesque clips that accompany her sex scene with Rourke.  It was quite controversial back in the day, because Bonet was such a sweet, innocent girl on "The Cosby Show."  We all gotta grow-up sometime. 

MAX:  Yes, from what I read in Roger Ebert's review, it seems like the blood drenched sex scene between Rourke and Bonet (and the controversy that caused with the MPAA) seemed to overshadow the film itself.  That is unfortunate, since as Ebert pointed out, the tedious blood really was necessary for the scene, given that it was a direct reference to the voodoo/satanic ritual, which is central to the outcome of the film.  Parker loaded Angel Heart full of symbolism to illustrate various points.  There are chickens and eggs, ominously spinning industrial fans, the sound of a beating heart, and a slow descending gated elevator, which appears to be making its way to the abyss.  Similarly, in The Ninth Gate, Polanski did the very same thing.  As I believe you mentioned all the illustrations in the book of the Nine Gates manifest themselves in the actual scenes of the film:  There's 'the girl', the fearsome dog, and the man hanging upside down from one leg (Corso's friend Bernie is murdered in this disturbing fashion).  While both of these films follow the formula of the private investigator story, they are also unmistakably nightmarish.  Whether it's Deniro's glowing eyes as Luis Cyphre, or the way in which 'the girl' Emmanuel Seigner's face seems to demonically contort, there are certain points that are more supernatural than literal.  "The suspense" you mention that these two movies use to get to their "end point", often borders on the realm of surrealism, and I think that is an important distinction between these films and others in the neo-noir genre. 

MIKE:  Both Angel and Corso are atheist (possibly once church goes, but both vocally express their contempt of religion), and I think it's this character trait that allows the directors to take surreal approach in revealing the dark truth.  Cypher, in Angel Heart, makes the statement that, "They say there's enough religion in the world to make men hate each other, but not enough to make them love," which I think is something that translates well for both films.  Corso and Angel both doubt the existence of the Devil, yet both are sought by him.  One would have to speculate that if these two characters had erred on the side of caution, to have a little more religion (maybe just a better understanding of the whole mythology of it) then they might have been on their toes and more astute to what was happening.  I would argue though, that The Ninth Gate doesn't quite make it seem like a bad idea to allow the Devil to show you the way.  Okay, granted there is no REAL explanation to what happens after you've opened the ninth gate other than  Balkan's ideological philosophy that the you gain all the powers that the Devil has (why anyone would EVER think that the Devil would actually grant them powers is beyond me, but people just aren't that bright.  He was banned from Heaven because he hates mankind, you idiots!).  Point being, I think surrealism is needed in a situation where the main character doubts the existence of supernatural forces and is thrust into a world where the Devil is very much real.

MAX:  Agreed.  The main idea between these two mysteries is that there are forces greater than either of the protagonists ever thought possible in their stark, atheistic (and classically film noir) mindset.  In the case of Corso and The Ninth Gate, you are absolutely right in your assessment that allowing the Devil to show you the way is looked at in a more positive light.  While Balkan's attempt to gain satanic powers ends in a flaming inferno, we are led to believe at the conclusion of the film that Corso will be granted at least a closer look at whatever secrets the book is said to reveal.  In a sense, this is what frustrates me so much about The Ninth Gate, because I really want to know what happens once Corso is finally granted access to the kingdom of shadows.  On the other hand, no matter what kind of explanation Polanski could have provided for what lies beyond the ninth gate, audiences would have been inevitably disappointed.  The decision to leave the ending as a supernatural cliffhanger was actually very wise.  It leaves me completely curious every time (and makes me want to find the key to the ninth gate myself.)  On the other hand, in Angel Heart, I think we are presented with an opposite point of view.  Harold Angel has done nothing to seek the Devil's power.  That was all Johnny Favorite's doing.  Because of Favorite's bad decisions, Angel is ultimately the one in the end who is forced to suffer.  The notion of Angel Heart is particularly eerie I think, because it operates under the assumption that the Devil can come to collect your soul, even if you never offered him your soul in the first place.

MIKE:  Well, Angel's soul is really long since gone if you think about it.  Cypher is there to collect Johnny's soul--a soul that has been living in the shadow of a dead man's memories.  The misconception is that Angel is suffering for Johnny's sins.  Angel is not there, and only a troubled, confused Johnny remains.  Cypher even explains this near the end.  Which, I guess, leads me to talk about my favorite characters in both of these movies: Angel, rather the memory of him, is one of my favorite gumshoes to come around.  He comes across like a loveable, foul mouthed older brother; the kind of brother you like seeing at family gatherings even though the rest of the relatives don't care for his unpleasant since of humor.  He's a great noir character that I think could have thrived in the pulps of the 40's (bearing cleaning up the "shits," and "fucks," from his language, of course).  In The Ninth Gate, Boris Balkan (played by the brilliant Frank Langellla) is one of the creepiest villains we've come across in our vast movie watching.  Langella strikes me as a Christopher Lee type of actor (both played Dracula at one point), though his career doesn't quite reflect that--he did, however, play Skeletor in Masters of the Universe.  Balkan, as a character, is a poison soaked, black silk sheet that wraps around you just as gentle as can be, while slowly killing you in your quiet slumber.  In a way, Balkan reminds me of Vincent Price's character in The Masque of the Red Death, Prince Prospero: both were cunning, powerful men who murdered without hesitation, and assumed that the Devil was their master, though, in a way, they also seemed to fall under the impression that they could also master the Devil; they both thought that Satan would protect them--after all, they were willing, obedient servants; though they thought they were astute in the "dark ways" of their master, both succumb to the follies of those who THINK they have a complete understanding on anything, and die for their ignorance.

MAX:  Thanks for clarification on the point of Angel and Favorite.  For some reason, even though I understand the difference, I guess I still forget that it's Favorite we've been observing throughout the entire film, not Angel, whose soul was dispatched when Johnny cut out his heart.  I guess it's the point about amnesia which can be confusing, but as you observed, DeNiro aka Cypher explains it pretty clearly.  Speaking of the Devil (sorry couldn't resist) I really like DeNiro in the role of Cypher.  I think DeNiro's naturally sly and sarcastic demeanor really bring a lot to this part.  He plays it so nonchalant; it's not hard for me to believe that he is who he says he is.  There's also the rumor that DeNiro was actually channeling Martin Scorsese for this role, which is entirely possible, given that he appears to look a lot like Scorsese did during his cameo in Taxi Driver.  Where The Ninth Gate is concerned, I also really enjoy Langella in the part of Balkan.  Langella is definitely a natural (like Christopher Lee) when it comes to portraying affluent, charismatic villains.  He more recently brought a lot of Balkan/Dracula to the role of Richard Nixon in Frost Nixon which I highly recommend.  Additionally, this may seem rather obvious, but I really enjoy Johnny Depp in the role of Corso.  I think he succeeds in taking a character who is basically despicable and over the course of the movie, gets the audience to root him.  Lena Olin is another actor in The Ninth Gate who was perfectly cast.  She is really vicious as Liana Telfer, the Satanist/gold digger, and brings a lot of sexuality to that role as well.

MIKE:  It looks like we've wrapped up another session, so, with all of that said and done I give Angel Heart and The Ninth Gate two Bloody Nubs up.  You can't go wrong with their blend of psychological, neo-noir horror: both films serve a hefty portion of suspense and leave you feeling full and satisfied, though, you might have terrifyingly unpleasant ideas about the nature of your soul and what the Devil may, or may not, offer. 

MAX:  I also give Angel Heart and The Ninth Gate two enthusiastic Bloody Nubs up.  Both of these films really bring a fun refreshing angle to the genre of the supernatural thriller (and neo-noir for that matter).  If you are tired of the usual head-spinning Exorcist spin-offs, these are definitely two very unique movies dealing with the subject of the Devil.  Also, if you happen to be like me and you are a fan of both satanic thrillers and film noir, these will probably end up being some of your very favorite movies, as they are mine.  I have watched both of these movies more times than I can count and they just keep getting better.