Movie Analysis: Angel Heart

A Fallen Angel Evil occurs in many forms throughout the movie Angel Heart, whether it is through Louis Cypher who emerges as the devil himself or the voodoo, black magic, devil worship, greed, lust, suspicion, vice and handful of murders that take place throughout the journey of Harold Angel’s search for Johnny Favorite. Despite these being some of the most abominable evils known to man, it is not these encounters that make up the central evil found in the movie, but rather Harold Angel’s denial of himself which leads to his lack of ability to see what is right in front of him. Angel is hired by Cypher to find Johnny Favorite. As the movie progresses his search for Favorite ironically turns into the difficult journey of discovering his own true identity—Johnny Favorite. The difficulty of this journey is symbolically portrayed by Angel’s deteriorating spirit. The further he travels on his journey; the drabber his external appearance becomes; his clothes grow more dismal looking by the scene, while mentally, he becomes more distraught and physically, viscerally ill. Angel’s body is retaliating towards what is wrong; he has become so weak and depressed because of the opacity of his sins. Angel’s denial of his past lead to his feelings of extreme guilt; his guilt derives from his true knowledge of his state of denial. Angel’s knowledge of his denial serves as the drive behind his continued rigorous pursuit to find Favorite and answers. Angel’s countless encounters with evil give him every reason him every reason to desert the search. Yet, his true knowledge of his own denial is what causes him to continue on the rigorous purist to find Favorite and answers. All leading him to remain blind to what is right in front of him—all of the murders that occur, are done by no other than himself. Angel’s inability to see what is happening is spurred from an unconscious desire to mask what he knows but does not want to believe.
Not only has Angel has chosen to believe in a