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''Angel Heart'' is a 1987
neo-noir Neo-noir is a film genre that adapts the visual style and themes of 1940s and 1950s American film noir for contemporary audiences, often with more graphic depictions of violence and sexuality. During the late 1970s and the early 1980s, the term ...
psychological horror Psychological horror is a genre, subgenre of horror fiction, horror and psychological fiction with a particular focus on mental, emotional, and Mental state, psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle its audience. The subgenre freque ...
film, an
adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the p ...
of
William Hjortsberg William Reinhold "Gatz" Hjortsberg (February 23, 1941 – April 22, 2017) was an American novelist and screenwriter, who wrote the screenplay of the film ''Legend (1985 film), Legend''. His novel ''Falling Angel'' was the basis for the film ''An ...
's 1978 novel '' Falling Angel''. The film is written and directed by
Alan Parker Sir Alan William Parker (14 February 1944 – 31 July 2020) was an English film director, screenwriter and producer. His early career, beginning in his late teens, was spent as a copywriter and director of television advertisements. After abo ...
, and stars Mickey Rourke,
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...
, Lisa Bonet and Charlotte Rampling. It is an international co-production between the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. Harry Angel (Rourke), a New York City private investigator, is hired to solve the mysterious disappearance of a singer known as Johnny Favorite. His investigation takes him to
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, where he becomes embroiled in a series of brutal murders. Following publication of the novel, Hjortsberg began developing the screenplay for a film adaptation, but found that no major studio was willing to produce his script. The project resurfaced in 1985 when producer Elliott Kastner brought the book to Parker's attention. Parker began work on a new script and made several changes to Hjortsberg's novel. He also met with Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna, who agreed to finance the $18 million production through their
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...
studio
Carolco Pictures Carolco Pictures, Inc. was an American independent film studio that was founded by Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna in 1976. Kassar and Vajna ran Carolco together until 1989, when Vajna left to form Cinergi Pictures. Carolco hit its peak in th ...
. Filming took place on-location in New York City and New Orleans, with
principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
lasting from March to June 1986. Weeks before its theatrical release, ''Angel Heart'' faced ratings issues from the
Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the Major film studios, five major film studios of the Cinema of the United States, United States, the Major film studios#Mini-majors, mini-major Amazon MGM Stud ...
for one scene of sexual content. Parker was forced to remove ten seconds of footage to avoid an
X rating An X rating is a film rating that indicates that the film contains content that is considered to be suitable only for adults. Films with an X rating may have scenes of graphic violence or explicit sexual acts that may be disturbing or offensive ...
and secure the R rating that the film's distributor Tri-Star Pictures wanted. An unrated version featuring the removed footage was later released on home video. ''Angel Heart'' received a mixed reaction from reviewers, who praised the performances of Rourke and Bonet, as well as the production design, score and cinematography, but criticized Parker's screenwriting. The film underperformed at the North American box office, grossing $17.2 million during its theatrical run, but has since been regarded as underappreciated and influential.


Plot

In 1955 New York City, a man named Louis Cyphre contacts
private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI; also known as a private detective, an inquiry agent or informally a wikt:private eye, private eye) is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. ...
Harry Angel to track down crooner John Liebling, known professionally as Johnny Favorite. Favorite suffered neurological trauma resulting from injuries received in World War II. His incapacity disrupted a contract with Cyphre regarding unspecified collateral. Cyphre believes that a private hospital where Favorite was receiving radical psychiatric treatment for shell shock has falsified records. At the hospital, Harry discovers that the records showing Favorite's transfer were indeed falsified by physician Albert Fowler. After Harry breaks into his home, Fowler admits that he was bribed years before by a man and woman so that the two could abscond with the disfigured Favorite. Believing that Fowler is withholding information, Harry locks him in his bedroom, forcing him to suffer withdrawal from a
morphine Morphine, formerly also called morphia, is an opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin produced by drying the latex of opium poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as an analgesic (pain medication). There are ...
addiction. Hours later, he finds that Fowler has apparently died by suicide with a gunshot to the eye. A reluctant Harry agrees to continue the search when Cyphre offers him more money. He discovers that Favorite had a wealthy fiancée named Margaret Krusemark, but had also begun another affair. Harry travels to
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
and meets with Margaret, who says that Favorite is dead, or at least dead in her mind. Evangeline Proudfoot, Favorite's lover, died years before but is survived by her 17-year-old daughter Epiphany, who was conceived during the affair. Epiphany has a young light-skinned son of approximately three years old, and claims that she does not remember who fathered the boy. Harry tracks down Toots Sweet, a guitarist and former Favorite bandmate. After Harry uses force to try to extract details of Favorite's last known whereabouts, Toots refers him back to Margaret. The following morning, police detectives inform Harry that Toots has been murdered by suffocation; his penis severed and stuffed down his throat. Harry returns to Margaret's home and finds her murdered; her heart removed with a ceremonial knife. He is subsequently attacked by enforcers of Ethan Krusemark—a powerful Louisiana patriarch and Margaret's father—who tell him to leave town. Harry finds Epiphany at his hotel. He invites her into his room, where they have sex, during which Harry has visions of blood dripping from the ceiling and splashing around the room. He soon confronts Krusemark in a gumbo hut. Krusemark reveals that he and Margaret were the ones who took Favorite from the hospital. Favorite was actually a powerful occultist who sold his soul to Satan in exchange for stardom. He got his stardom but sought to renege on the bargain. To do so, he kidnapped a young soldier from
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
who was his exact age and strongly resembled him, and performed a Satanic ritual on the boy, murdering him and eating his still-beating heart to steal his soul. Favorite planned to assume the soldier's identity but was drafted and injured overseas. Suffering severe facial trauma and amnesia, he was sent to the hospital for treatment. After taking him from the hospital, Krusemark and Margaret left him at Times Square on New Year's Eve 1943 (the date on the falsified hospital records). While hearing Krusemark's story, Harry runs into the bathroom, vomits and continually asks for the soldier's identity. Krusemark says that the soldier's dog tags were sealed in a vase. He returns to find Krusemark drowned in a cauldron of boiling gumbo. At Margaret's home, Harry finds the vase containing the soldier's dog tag—stamped with the name "Angel, Harold". Harry realizes that he and Johnny Favorite are actually the same person. Louis Cyphre, whose name is a
homophone A homophone () is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning or in spelling. The two words may be spelled the same, for example ''rose'' (flower) and ''rose'' (past tense of "rise"), or spelled differently, a ...
for Lucifer, suddenly appears. His true nature revealed, Cyphre proclaims that he can now claim what is his: Favorite's soul. Harry insists that he knows who he is, but his repressed memories of killing Dr. Fowler, Toots, the Krusemarks and Epiphany eventually come flooding back. Harry returns to his hotel room, where the police have found Epiphany murdered by gunshot, the barrel of Harry's gun still inside her vagina, and his dog tags on her body. A police officer comes out of the bathroom carrying Epiphany's young son, who Harry realizes is his grandchild. Harry sees the child's eyes glow, just as Cyphre's had at their last meeting, implying that Satan is the one who impregnated Epiphany. A police detective tells Harry that he will burn for the murders, and Harry says, "I know. In Hell." Harry later stands inside an elevator that is interminably descending, presumably to Hell. Cyphre whispers, "Harry" and "Johnny", asserting dominion over both of their souls.


Cast


Production


Development

Following publication of his 1978 novel '' Falling Angel'',
William Hjortsberg William Reinhold "Gatz" Hjortsberg (February 23, 1941 – April 22, 2017) was an American novelist and screenwriter, who wrote the screenplay of the film ''Legend (1985 film), Legend''. His novel ''Falling Angel'' was the basis for the film ''An ...
began work on a
film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
. His friend, production designer Richard Sylbert, took the book's
manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...
to producer Robert Evans. The film rights to the novel had been optioned by
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
, with Evans slated to produce the film, John Frankenheimer hired to direct, and Hjortsberg acting as screenwriter. Frankenheimer was later replaced by Dick Richards, and
Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...
was being considered for the lead role. After Paramount's option expired, Hjortsberg discussed the project with Robert Redford and wrote two drafts. Hjortsberg, however, felt that no
film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; how ...
was willing to produce his script. He reflected, "Even with edfordbehind the script, studio executives weren't interested. 'Why can't it have a happy ending?' every bigshot demanded." In 1985, producer Elliott Kastner met with
Alan Parker Sir Alan William Parker (14 February 1944 – 31 July 2020) was an English film director, screenwriter and producer. His early career, beginning in his late teens, was spent as a copywriter and director of television advertisements. After abo ...
at Pinewood Studios to discuss a film adaptation of the novel. Parker, who had read the book following its publication, agreed to write the screenplay. He met with Hjortsberg in London before moving to New York City, where he wrote most of the script. After completing the first draft in September 1985, Parker traveled to Rome, Italy, where he brought the script to Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna. The two producers agreed to finance the film through their
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...
studio,
Carolco Pictures Carolco Pictures, Inc. was an American independent film studio that was founded by Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna in 1976. Kassar and Vajna ran Carolco together until 1989, when Vajna left to form Cinergi Pictures. Carolco hit its peak in th ...
, and Parker was given creative control. Pre-production work on ''Angel Heart'' began in January 1986 in New York, where Parker selected the creative team, reuniting with several of his past collaborators, including producer Alan Marshall,
director of photography The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...
Michael Seresin, camera operator Michael Roberts, production designer Brian Morris and editor Gerry Hambling.


Writing

Parker made several changes to the novel. He titled his script ''Angel Heart'', for he wanted to distance his film adaptation from the source material. Although ''Falling Angel'' is set entirely in New York City, Parker had the second half of his script take place in New Orleans, based on the novel's perpetual allusions to voodoo and the occult. He discussed the story-setting change to Hjortsberg, who approved of the decision; the author revealed to Parker that he had also thought of setting his novel in New Orleans. ''Angel Heart'' is set in 1955, whereas the events in the book take place in 1959. He explained, "The book is set in 1959 and I moved it to 1955 for a small but selfish reason. 1959 was on the way to the 1960s with its changing attitudes as well as environments. 1955 for me still belonged to the 1940s—and, because of the historical pause button of World War II, conceivably the 1930s—so quite simply, setting it in this year allowed me to give an older look to the film." Other script changes from the novel involved characterization and dialogue. Parker sought to make Harry Angel a character that evoked sympathy. He said, "In the tradition of the down-at-heel gumshoe, his phlegmatic surface disguised an intelligence capable of unraveling a complicated, larger-than-life story with a degree of belief and conciseness. Also he had to be attractive to audiences while enlightening them, little by little, along the way." Parker also established Angel as being born on February 14—
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
—the same date as his own birthday. He explained that it was "for no particular reason other than Valentine's Day might be easy to remember in a labyrinthine script and the heart reference seemed to have some resonance". Parker also wanted to create a realistic depiction of Louis Cyphre, as opposed to the character's "larger-than-life" personality in the novel. Another script change involved the ending and the identity of the killer. While Angel is framed for the murders (presumably by Cyphre) in the novel, Parker established the character as the killer for the film's ending.


Casting

Parker originally wanted
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...
to play the role of Harry Angel, but the actor expressed interest in making a
cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...
as mysterious benefactor Louis Cyphre. De Niro, however, did not fully commit to the role until after frequent discussions with Parker. The director reflected, "I had been courting e Niroto play yphrein ''Angel Heart'' for some months and we had met a few times—and he had continued to bombard me with questions examining every dot and comma of my script. I had walked him through the locations we had found, read through the screenplay sitting on the floor of a dank, disused church in Harlem and finally he said 'yes'."
Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...
and Mickey Rourke were also considered for the role of Angel. Parker met with Nicholson in Los Angeles to discuss the project. Nicholson ultimately passed on the role. Parker said, "I did my pitch and he was most gracious, although, to be honest, he was quite distracted at the time... my movie and the possibility of him taking part seemed to slip from his immediate area of concentration and interest." Parker met with Rourke, who expressed a strong interest in playing Angel, and secured the leading role after a meeting with Parker in New York. Various actresses auditioned for the role of Epiphany Proudfoot before Lisa Bonet secured the part. Bonet was known at the time for her role on the family-oriented sitcom '' The Cosby Show'', and her casting in ''Angel Heart'' sparked significant controversy. Before securing the role, Bonet discussed it with
Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...
, who encouraged her decision to appear in the film. Parker cast Bonet based on the strength of her audition and was unaware of her role on ''The Cosby Show''. "I didn't hire onetbecause of ''The Cosby Show''," he said. "I have never even seen the show. I hired her because she was right for the role." On preparing for the role, Bonet said, "I did a lot of meditation and a lot of self-inquiry. I did some research on voodoo. My earnest endeavor was really to let go of all my inhibitions. It was really necessary for me to be able to let go of Lisa and let Epiphany take over." Parker had difficulty finding an actress for the role of Margaret Krusemark. "Although it's a small part in the film, the character is omnipresent in the dialogue and he actresshad to have the right balance of class and eccentricity," he said. "I read many actresses for the part without much success." Rourke eventually suggested English actress Charlotte Rampling, who secured the role after Parker contacted her to discuss the part. In January 1986, Parker held an open casting call at a New York nightclub known as The Kamikaze, with more than 1,400 people auditioning for various roles. "I managed to read a short scene with 600 of them as they were filtered through to me," he said. Actress Elizabeth Whitcraft, who had a small role in Parker's previous film '' Birdy'', was cast as Connie, a journalist who aids Angel in his investigation. Parker held another casting call in New Orleans, where he requested that local musicians audition for possible roles in the film. Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Deacon John Moore were among the many musicians who auditioned for roles. Moore was cast as Toots Sweet's bandmate. Parker returned to New York, where he auditioned other musicians, including
Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist and singer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy ...
and
Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...
.
Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
guitarist Brownie McGhee, who plays Toots Sweet, was cast during the film's
principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
.


Filming

During the casting process, Parker and producer Alan Marshall began scouting locations in New York City. The director looked at
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
, believing that the neighborhood was "as un-photographed as other parts of New York are over-used". On January 20, 1986, he traveled to New Orleans, where he continued writing the script. Parker looked at unused buildings on Royal Street that would act as a hotel, and an abandoned house on Magazine Street that would serve as the home of Margaret Krusemark. He returned to New York City, where he looked at
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
and Coney Island. Parker's script for ''Angel Heart'' required a total of 78 locations be used for filming between New York and New Orleans. Principal photography for ''Angel Heart'' began on March 31, 1986, and concluded on June 20, 1986, on a budget of $18 million. Filming began in Eldridge Street, Manhattan, New York City, which acted as Harry Angel's neighborhood. Production designer Brian Morris and the set-decorating team spent two months designing the set prior to filming, hoping to recreate 1950s New York. Because of the warm weather conditions, ice trucks were used to create fake snow. Filming moved to Alphabet City in Manhattan, where several bar scenes and Angel's intimate bedroom scene with Connie were filmed. The production moved to Harlem to film a chase scene set during a
procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...
before moving to Coney Island, where the cast and crew underwent severely cold weather conditions. The location was used to film a scene in which Angel questions Izzy about Johnny Favorite's whereabouts while Izzy's wife Bo stands waist deep in the ocean. The original actress who was cast as Bo was injured when she was knocked off her feet by a wave while delivering her first line. The actress refused to reshoot the scene, which led to her being replaced by her stand-in, whom Parker found to be a better actress for the role. Production returned to Manhattan to film the opening credits sequence. Filming returned to Harlem, where a hospice was used to film a scene involving the character Spider Simpson, and many of the hospice's elderly residents acted as extras for the scene. On April 17, 1986, the production team moved to Staten Island to film exterior and interior scenes involving the character Dr. Fowler. Filming moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, which doubled for a scene set in a New Orleans train station. From April 28 to April 29, 1986, the production team returned to Harlem, where Parker filmed Rourke and De Niro's scene in a Harlem mission. The two actors filmed a scene at Lanza's, an Italian restaurant located on the
Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Historically, it w ...
. By May 3, 1986, production had moved to New Orleans. In the town of Thibodaux, Louisiana, Parker and his crew discovered an entire plantation workers' village that would serve as a graveyard. He said, "We had the good fortune to find an entire plantation workers' village almost intact and, with careful dressing, this became Epiphany's world. The graveyard was a dressed set, but much of what we filmed was already there." An unused Louisiana field was used to create a racetrack where Angel meets the wealthy patriarch Ethan Krusemark. On May 13, the crew encountered some difficulty filming a chase scene involving Angel, for they had to deal with shying horses, trained dogs, gunshots, two hundred chickens and a horse specially trained to fall on top of Rourke's stuntman. Production moved to Magazine Street, where production designer Brian Morris and the art department attempted to recreate 1950s New Orleans. Parker said of the set, "As in New York, we had dressed and clad every single storefront as far as the eye could see in order to be authentic to the period, and drained everything of all primary colours for our monochromatic look." Filming moved to Jackson Square, where the crew filmed one of the final scenes in which Angel runs from Margaret's home. The production filmed a voodoo ceremony scene choreographed by Louis Falco. Falco, who had previously choreographed Parker's 1980 film '' Fame'', based the scene on an actual Haitian ceremony. The sex scene involving Rourke and Bonet was filmed in one of the unused buildings located on Royal Street and took four hours to shoot. Parker limited the crew to himself,
cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...
Michael Seresin, camera operator Michael Roberts, and the camera assistant. To make the actors more comfortable, Parker played music during the shoot. Production moved to a corner of New Orleans, which doubled for flashback sequences set in 1943 Times Square. The crew discovered an unused bus depot, which was used to film scenes set in Ethan Krusemark's gumbo hut. Filming moved to the St. Alphonsus Church, where the crew filmed a dialogue scene between Angel and Cyphre. Production returned to Royal Street in the French Quarter, where the final confrontation between Angel and Cyphre, as well as the film's ending were shot.


Editing and censorship

After filming concluded in June 1986, Parker spent four months editing the film in Europe, with 400,000 feet of film and 1,100 different shots. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) gave the original cut of ''Angel Heart'' an
X rating An X rating is a film rating that indicates that the film contains content that is considered to be suitable only for adults. Films with an X rating may have scenes of graphic violence or explicit sexual acts that may be disturbing or offensive ...
, which is widely associated with pornographic films. The board, composed of industry executives and theater owners, expressed concerns over several seconds of the sex scene involving Rourke and Bonet in which Rourke's buttocks are seen thrusting in a sexual motion. Parker appealed the rating but did not receive the two-thirds vote that was required to reclassify the film to an R rating. The film's distributor Tri-Star Pictures refused to release it with an X rating, for the film would have fewer theaters that were willing to book it and fewer venues for advertising; Steve Randall, executive vice president of marketing for Tri-Star, stated that it was the studio's "firm policy not to release an X-rated film". With only a few weeks before the film's release, the studio was desperate for the less-restrictive R rating, but Parker was reluctant to alter the film. He filed another appeal, on which the board voted 8-to-6 in favor of the X rating. Parker subsequently removed ten seconds of sexual content from the scene. "That scene was very complex, very intricate, and the cutting quite rapid, involving 60 to 80 cuts in the space of about two minutes," he said. "Eventually, I cut only 10 seconds from the scene, or about 14 feet of film." On February 24, 1987, the film was granted an R rating. Parker later stated that the MPAA's concerns led to "a wasteful, pointless and expensive exercise".


Music

The score was produced and composed by Trevor Jones, with
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
solos by British
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
musician Courtney Pine. Parker hired Jones based on his work for the 1986 film '' Runaway Train''. After meeting with the director, Jones viewed a
rough cut In filmmaking, the rough cut (also known as the first cut or editor's cut) is the second of three stages of offline editing. The term originates from the early days of filmmaking when film stock was physically cut and reassembled, but is still ...
version of the film. He stated, "When I sat in the screening room all by myself and began to see those images, I was shaking like a puppy when the movie ended and when I got out of the room I told arkerthat it was a great picture, but that I didn’t understand what exactly he wanted from me. He told me that he expected me to deliver something special to the picture and… to approach the movie from whenever I chose." For the score, Jones wanted to explore the concept of evil, explaining, "Evil is the greatest of human fears… I tried to give that feeling to the score using daily ordinary music that would bridge the world of arry Angelto that which he's getting into, the black magic, his search. It was like a psychological journey for me always trying to relate to the fears and emotions of the audience." He composed the score
electronically Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other electrically charged particles. It is a subfield of physics and ...
on a
Synclavier The Synclavier is an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation manufactured by New England Digital Corporation of Norwich, Vermont. It was produced in various forms from the late 1970s into the ea ...
. Parker chose
Glen Gray Glenn Gray Knoblauch (June 7, 1900 – August 23, 1963), known professionally as Glen Gray, was an American jazz saxophonist and leader of the Casa Loma Orchestra.'' The Mississippi Rag'', "Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra," George A. ...
's 1937 song "Girl of My Dreams" as a recurring song performed by the unseen character Johnny Favorite. He wanted the song to act as a motif that would haunt viewers as it had haunted Harry Angel. Jones incorporated elements of the song into his score. In addition to Jones's compositions, the soundtrack features a number of
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
and R&B performances, including "Honeyman Blues" by
Bessie Smith Bessie Smith (April 15, 1892 – September 26, 1937) was an African-American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Empress of the Blues" and formerly Queen of the Blues, she was t ...
, and "Soul on Fire" by LaVern Baker. Brownie McGhee performed the songs "The Right Key, but the Wrong Keyhole" and "Rainy Rainy Day" for the film, with Lilian Boutté acting as a vocalist. Jones stated, "…the main bulk of the score was worked on with a Synclavier. Basically there were two types of music, one was the electronic stuff from the Synclavier that arkerwanted, and the real jazz musicians. The two work very well together in view of the film's intent." During
post-production Post-production, also known simply as post, is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording indivi ...
, Jones mixed the music tracks at Angel Recording Studios, a
recording studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for Sound recording and reproduction, recording and Audio mixing, mixing of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home proje ...
built in an abandoned church in
Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...
, North London, with final mixing taking place at Warner Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles. Parker said, "One of the great advantages of working with contemporary recording techniques is that we can mix onto film in a recording studio with all of the various components and options of modern, multi-track recordings. I've always been very mistrustful of conventional scoring, whereby a hundred musicians sit in front of the projected film and the conductor strikes up the orchestra." A motion picture soundtrack album was released by the recording labels Antilles Records and
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
.


Release

In North America, ''Angel Heart'' opened in
wide release In the motion picture industry, a wide release (short for nationwide release) is a film playing at the same time at cinemas in most markets across a country. This is in contrast to the formerly common practice of a roadshow theatrical release in ...
on March 6, 1987, distributed by
TriStar Pictures TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is part of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, which is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The compan ...
. The film debuted at number four at the weekend
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, garnering ticket sales of $3,688,721 from 815 screens, with an average of $4,526 per theater. The film's overall domestic gross was $17.2 million against a production budget of $18 million.


Reception

The review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
gave ''Angel Heart'' a score of 82% based on a sample of 34 reviews, with an
average In colloquial, ordinary language, an average is a single number or value that best represents a set of data. The type of average taken as most typically representative of a list of numbers is the arithmetic mean the sum of the numbers divided by ...
score of 7.4/10. The site's consensus reads: "''Angel Heart'' lures viewers into its disturbing, brutal mystery with authentic noir flair and a palpably hypnotic mood". William Hjortsberg, author of ''Falling Angel'', voiced his support for the film adaptation, stating, " lanParker wrote an excellent script and went on to make a memorable film. Casting Robert De Niro as Cyphre was a brilliant touch." Although initially supportive of Bonet's decision to appear in the film, Bill Cosby dismissed ''Angel Heart'' as "a movie made by white America that cast a black girl, gave her voodoo things to do and have sex". Initial reactions among film critics were mixed. ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' indicated that reviewers generally praised Rourke's performance, as well as the score, cinematography and production design, while criticism was aimed at Parker's screenwriting for being convoluted and exposition-heavy.
Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' praised the cinematography and production design, but criticized Rourke's performance as being "suitably intense, but to such little effect". Rita Kempley of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' wrote that ''Angel Heart'' "is over-stylized, and we're over-stimulated when the soundtrack goes berserk, from a few thumpity-thumps to a visceral, ventricles a-pumping score". Pauline Kael of ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'' criticized Parker's direction: "There's no way to separate the occult from the incomprehensible... Parker simply doesn't have the gift of making evil seductive, and he edits like a flasher." Kael also criticized De Niro's cameo appearance, writing, "It's the sort of guest appearance that lazy big actors delight in—they can show up the local talent." On the syndicated television program '' Siskel & Ebert & the Movies'',
Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune'' who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert. Siskel started writing for the '' ...
gave ''Angel Heart'' a "thumbs down", while his colleague
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
praised the film and gave it a "thumbs up". In his review for the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'', Siskel wrote that "Parker seems more concerned with style and with hiding the film's big mystery than with pacing". Siskel also criticized the film's controversial sex scene for not being "as shocking as the rating board would have you believe". Ebert, writing for the ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'', gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, writing that "''Angel Heart'' is a thriller and a horror movie, but most of all it's an exuberant exercise in style, in which Parker and his actors have fun taking it to the limit". Ian Nathan of ''
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'' magazine called the film "a diabolical treat with Rourke and De Niro in top form". Almar Haflidason of the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
wrote, "The movie maintains intrigue at every turn and Rourke is spellbinding. Robert De Niro, Charlotte Rampling, and the assembled cast are all excellent. But this is Mickey Rourke's movie, and he puts in a mesmerising performance." Richard Luck, writing for Film4, concluded in his review, "The book's so good it deserves a better movie, but Rourke's performance is such that ''Angel Heart'' stands out from the necromancy movie crowd."


Cultural impact

Filmmaker
Christopher Nolan Sir Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British and American filmmaker. Known for his Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters with complex storytelling, he is considered a leading filmma ...
stated that the film was a major influence on his 2000 film '' Memento'': "In terms of ''Memento'', Alan Parker films such as ''Angel Heart'' and '' The Wall'', which use very interesting editing techniques such as a fractured narrative, were a big influence." The plot and atmosphere of Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers was inspired by the film. In 2010, ''
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'' magazine ranked the film at number 22 on their list of "The 25 Best Horror Films of All Time", and in 2012, Mark Hughes, writing for ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'', ranked ''Angel Heart'' at number nine on his list of the "Top 10 Best Cult Classic Horror Movies of All Time". ''
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
'' writer Ryan Lambie ranked the film at number six on his list of "The Top 20 Underappreciated Films of 1987", writing, "Parker brings a wonderfully shadowy quality to his noir thriller, which takes in New York and New Orleans. Some viewers may be able to predict where this twisty, murky thriller's going to take them, but the ride remains one worth taking thanks to the quality of the acting and direction." Film critic Tim Dirks of the film-review website Filmsite added the film to his list of films featuring the "Greatest Film Plot Twists, Film Spoilers and Surprise Endings", based on two of the film's major plot twists—Harry Angel being revealed as Johnny Favorite, and Louis Cyphre revealing himself as Lucifer. ''
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
'' writer Tim Butters rated Robert De Niro's performance as "One of the 10 Best Movie Depictions of the Devil".


Accolades

''Angel Heart'' received several awards and nominations following its release. At the 10th Jupiter Awards, Mickey Rourke won a Jupiter Award for Best International Actor for his performances in both ''Angel Heart'' and '' A Prayer for the Dying'' (1987). At the 9th Youth in Film Awards, Lisa Bonet won the Young Artist Award for Best Young Female Superstar in Motion Pictures. At the 15th Saturn Awards, ''Angel Heart'' received three Saturn Award nominations, though it failed to win any.


Home video

''Angel Heart'' was released on VHS on September 24, 1987, by International Video Entertainment (IVE). The releases include the R-rated theatrical cut and an uncut version that restores the ten seconds of sexual content that was removed to satisfy the MPAA. Ralph King, senior vice president of IVE, said, "The scene cut from ''Angel Heart'' is both provocative and shocking, but it is by no means pornographic. We're pleased to give the public the opportunity to see the film as Alan Parker originally meant the film to be viewed." The film debuted on DVD on June 23, 1998, by Artisan Entertainment. Special features on the DVD include a theatrical trailer, production notes, a " making-of" featurette, and information on the cast and crew. The DVD release received criticism for its poor video transfer and shortage of special features. Artisan Entertainment released the film on
Laserdisc LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. It was developed by Philips, Pioneer Corporation, Pioneer, and the movie studio MCA Inc., MCA. The format was initially marketed in the United State ...
on August 18, 1998. Lionsgate Home Entertainment re-released ''Angel Heart'' on a "Special Edition" DVD on May 18, 2004. The Special Edition features additional material, including an introduction and audio commentary by Parker, a scene-specific commentary by Rourke, a video interview with the actor, and the theatrical trailer. Lionsgate released the film on
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
on November 24, 2009. The Blu-ray presents the film in
1080p 1080p (1920 × 1080 progressively displayed pixels; also known as Full HD or FHD, and BT.709) is a set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the sc ...
high definition and contains all the additional materials found on the Special Edition DVD. On July 12, 2022, Lionsgate released the film on 4K Ultra HD in the United States.


TV version

An edited television version was produced that removes the more graphic elements of the sex scenes. In particular, the sex scene with Mickey Rourke and Lisa Bonet is re-edited and features additional footage that is not included in any of the MPAA-rated versions. The additional footage features flashbacks of a drunken party with several scantily clad women at the barracks where Johnny Favorite was stationed prior to it being hit by a series of explosions. The sequence ends with a brief shot of Epiphany Proudfoot's body burning amongst a pile of charred rubble.


Deleted scenes

* A graphic sequence in which Herman Winesap is decapitated by the blades of a rotary fan was shot but not used in the final cut. * When Harry murders Toots Sweet, there was additional footage of Harry writing the word "TELOCA" on the wall in the victims blood. The word is taken from the Enochian book of magic, meaning "Damned". * Harry's girlfriend, ''The New York Times'' secretary Connie, was originally revealed to have also been murdered, presumably by Harry shortly after their brief encounter, with her corpse found burned to death.


Remake

In 2008, it was announced that producers
Michael De Luca Michael De Luca (born August 13, 1965) is an American film studio executive, film producer and screenwriter. He is also the former president of production at both New Line Cinema and DreamWorks. De Luca has been nominated for three Academy Aw ...
, Alison Rosenzweig and Michael Gaeta were developing a planned remake of ''Angel Heart'' that would be produced by De Luca's production banner, Michael De Luca Productions. The producers had optioned the rights to both the film and the novel ''Falling Angel''. De Luca expressed that he was a fan of the novel, stating, "It's a great blend of genres with a great Faustian bargain, compelling, universal themes and a rare combination of literary and commercial appeal." However, nothing has been heard of this project since a brief Filmstalker website article in May 2009.


See also

* List of cult films


Notes


References


External links

*
Angel Heart
' at AlanParker.com * * * {{Authority control 1987 films 1987 horror films 1987 independent films 1980s American films 1980s British films 1980s Canadian films 1980s English-language films 1980s thriller films 1980s mystery horror films 1980s supernatural horror films American detective films Films set in New York City American independent films American neo-noir films American psychological horror films American mystery horror films American supernatural horror films British independent films British neo-noir films British psychological horror films British mystery horror films British supernatural horror films Canadian independent films Canadian psychological horror films Canadian mystery horror films Canadian supernatural horror films Carolco Pictures films Cockfighting in film The Devil in film English-language horror films English-language independent films Fiction about Louisiana Voodoo Fiction with unreliable narrators Films about amnesia Films about identity theft Films about incest Films about Voodoo Films based on American novels Films based on the Faust legend Films directed by Alan Parker Films produced by Alan Marshall (producer) Films produced by Elliott Kastner Films scored by Trevor Jones Films set in 1955 Films set in New Orleans Films shot in New Orleans Films shot in New York City Films with screenplays by Alan Parker Occult detective fiction Rating controversies in film Southern Gothic films TriStar Pictures films English-language erotic thriller films English-language mystery films