Angel Heart (1987)

 Angel Heart (1987)

Alan Parker’s Angel Heart is a weird, creepy psychological thriller. This is my second time viewing this picture. The first time, I did not really think much of it and found it rather dull. I was young at the time and didn’t know what to expect. Years later, I do appreciate the movie just a little more. I found the pacing to be trying at certain points, but an interesting story and exemplary performances from Mickey Rourke and Robert De Niro kept me captivated enough. The film did not get much love upon initial release, but it did gain a cult following as the years went on. This film reminded me of an old noir but with a supernatural twist added. It certainly had the grimy atmosphere, the slimy characters, and the mysterious settings we associate with this genre. The film’s ending is often talked about. It received mixed reactions, but I was satisfied with the ending as the movie went deep into supernatural territory.

The film was directed by Alan Parker who always go all out in his movies. The man made it a mission to dip his toes in different genres. He tackles two genres here: the supernatural thriller and the private eye detective story ala Chinatown. While not as striking nor memorable as his powerful Midnight Express, Parker was able to put his directorial and screenwriting skills to work. The screenplay is based on the popular novel from William Hjortsberg. Hjortsberg wanted to sell the movie rights to the big studios but was denied because they did not like the bleak, dark ending. That was unfortunate at first because John Frankenheimer was ready to direct and Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford were in talks to star. Not even star power could convince the studio bigwigs to finance the project. Eventually, Parker got involved and was able to finance the film under an independent studio.

One of my favorite things about the movie is its location shoots. More than 80 different locations. Many of the filming locations, including the place of the devil-worship cult, took place in Harlem. Parker wanted to film in locations that had hardly been seen in cinema. With blessing from Hjortsberg, he also decided to film in New Orleans (despite not being in the book) because of association with a voodoo cult. That is also where the sex scene with Mickey Rourke and Lisa Bonet was filmed and that scene made the headlines because that scene made the MPAA slap the entire movie with a X-rating, which is not a viable rating for moneymaking. Parker had to do some careful editing to earn its R. Compared to what we see in today’s film, that scene is nearly disappointing. Cool bloody raindrops though.

It’s New York City in the year 1955. Private eye Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) is hired by a very mysterious, well-groomed man named Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro). Angel is unaware who Cyphre is but Cyphre makes clear he chose Angel for a reason. His mission is to locate the whereabouts of Johnny Favorite, who has not been seen since after World War 2 ended. As the case progresses, Angel feels like he is losing his mind. His leads take him to seedy folks and most of all, he does not trust Cyphre. Will Angel be able to complete the case with his sanity intact?

The film thrives thanks to Parker’s skillful directing and excellent performances. Rourke is at his best here with his unkempt looks. Parker had to woo De Niro but it worked. De Niro dresses sharply and makes a neat antagonist to Rourke. Of course, he is heavily involved in the film’s famous ending. Also, Lisa Bonet! It was a wise decision to prove her acting skills before she became heavily involved with The Cosby Show. That casting choice proved to be a little controversial considering the subject matter.

On the whole, Angel Heart takes a page out of the noir thrillers from old and adds some supernatural elements to spice things up. I was one of those who enjoyed the ending but leading up to the ending was a little bit of a chore. Parker took his time which allowed the pacing to be slow. The film is tightly edited, and I enjoyed the jazzy score from Trevor Jones. The film may not be a heavy punch, but its worth watching Alan Parker step his toe in this genre.

My Grade: B