Angel Heart (1987)

Released to decent reviews back in its day, Angel Heart nevertheless managed to offend many who saw it: critics, audiences, even the MPAA at one point. Directed by the very white Alan Parker, this film takes the urban neo-noir thriller and transplants it into New Orleans, complete with voodoo ritual and plenty of the local flavor. If this doesn't bother you, the occult fixation or indeed the sprinkling of incest that later becomes evident would most likely do the trick. For true devotees of the weird, however, you will no doubt find this blend of genres quite satisfying.

The pacing can get a bit pokey at times, especially when our hero has to begin summarizing what seem to be deleted scenes to save time, but I didn't too often notice it or let it bother me because I was far too engaged to care. The criticism that the film is too full of exposition I think is unfair, especially for a film in this genre. Neo-noirs have always had lots of exposition coming hard and fast near their end, and that's part of their charm. Angel Heart is certainly no exception, but I found it was easy enough to grasp, thanks to the ample foreshadowing and endless winking and nudging. I went in expecting a folky horror film, but instead I ended up with a crackling genre blend, not unlike that of Kill List, that turns noir on its head and stuffs it full of faustian bargains, beating hearts being cut out and ritualistically consumed, genitalia being removed and forced down their owner's throat, and the brutal sacrifice of chickens by superstitious locals.

There's a lot of detail in the writing. Repeated motifs, lines of dialogue, jokes and visual touches all create this dense stew of intrigue and shadowy ritual. There's even a Lovecraftian vibe in the way our character is so out of his element, but ultimately ends up much closer to the situation than initially thought. Perhaps that's why the voodoo stuff sometimes makes you wonder, as it's in line enough with Lovecraft's prejudices to make one uncomfortable, but honestly, I give Alan Parker credit for going for it. This is the subject he wanted to broach and the film he wanted to make, and so as long as it's not made with malice or any intention of harming anyone, so be it. It helps that Parker pulls out a great twist, one that is famous for a reason and is a reminder that the nineties had all the best ones. It's a frightening film that blends together many things I like, earnestly and with sufficent skill and consideration to make it a bona fide masterpiece.

The cast all do a wonderful job, but special mention must go to Mickey Rourke, who turns in a great performance as a man so out of his depth he could drown at any moment. He's suave one second, a live wire the next, and a pitiful wreck of a human being at all other times, which makes for the perfect noir protagonist. The scene where he interrogates Edward Kelly, smashing ice blocks and screaming at the old man like a lunatic, was both hilarious and intense. Robert De Niro can't help but steal the show, however, as Louis Cyphre. De Niro does justice to the character and gives what is easily the definitive performance of such a well-worn character archetype. He has style, flash, and patience to spare, not unlike the film he appears in. Visually, the film is sumptuous. It's classy, urban, and withdrawn early on, but as it goes on red becomes more and more prominent as the story elements become just as heated and violent. It feels quite gothic in its visuals, despite the semi-contemporary setting and the strange places it goes. The framing of everything, and the decision-making behind every shot in the film is so wonderfully considered. The faraway shots on the beach that go on for long enough to see the sky change dramatically from the beginning to the end were especially nice and full of so much visual dimension. But the true star of this show is the score, which appropriately blends neo-noir saxophones and jazz with gothic choirs, sparse, lonely piano plucks, and ominous church organs, not to mention a snatch of Tom Waits later on, once the story has arrived in New Orleans good and proper. Never before has Tom Waits so perfectly suited a film's visuals and themes before.

So would I say this film was underappreciated in its time? Absolutely. This is like shlock that's been placed on a pedestal and imbued with style to spare. Shlock that's executed earnestly and intelligently. High-camp, I believe I've heard it described before, and I would totally agree, in a good way. This is a wild and wily genre experiment that succeeds in spite of, or even because of, its exploitative content, and now that I've seen it, I can trace quite a few films and video games that seem to have taken influence from it since its release in '87. Overall, if you're a horror fan and you can appreciate something that's a little exploitative as long as it's done with enough consideration and taste then Angel Heart ought to be more than enough to capture your imagination. Those who are in it simply for the noir might would feel differently, but as a viewer who loves both things in mostly equal measure, I can only say that I heartily recommend it.