Musings in Search of a Muse

Observations on The Devil's Advocate (1997)

One would think that a Christian such as myself would not enjoy this movie. But unlike film critic Roger Ebert and Christian Spotlight on the Movies, I did like it. And for many reasons, too.

Al Pacino was great as the Devil. Perfect casting led to a performance that was so good it was scary. Of all the actors (and actresses -- remember the remake of Bedazzled?) to play the role, Pacino has the most believable portrayal. So much so that I sometimes forgot that I was watching an actor. That seldom happens when I watch a film if I'm familiar with the actor/actress. Ebert agrees on this: "The satanic character is played by Pacino with relish bordering on glee."

The other actors are are window dressing compared to Pacino's performance, but still more effective than the typical supporting cast in most movies. Connie Nielsen's performance was good when I was able to remember to watch something other than her striking good looks. As the lead character Keanu Reeves finally breaks with this role the dumb-California-kid casting he typically got early in his career with a really grown up performance of some depth.

Cinematography wasn't really special or groundbreaking, but set dressing and locations were fabulous. John Milton (AKA, the Devil) has a office like a modern rendition of a dungeon from the Spanish Inquisition, but with more comfortable furniture. When the film was released on DVD and when it's shown on TV, the massive wall sculpture in his office was modified because it looked too much like Frederick Hart's "Ex Nihilo" in the National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. But watch it in one of the last scenes for some memorable special effects and editing. A scene near the end showing a completely empty six-lane avenue in New York City -- no signs of life or vehicles anywhere -- is stunning.

The soundtrack isn't especially memorable, but much of the dialogue is. Or it should at least be familiar if you've read Milton's Paradise Lost -- yes, the character's namesake -- or many other works you were supposed to have read in high school or college. Here are some of the better lines, courtesy of the IMDB:

John Milton - "A woman's shoulders are the front lines of her mystique, and her neck, if she's alive, has all the mystery of a border town. A no-man's land in that battle between the mind and the body." The look on Charlize Theron's face made me think she's not acting ... that got to her!

John Milton - "Who, in their right mind Kevin, could possibly deny the twentieth century was entirely mine." This would be a terrific thesis to research and write on. Jiminies! I wish I was back in college!

Here's a bit that surely upsets some Christians: John Milton - "Let me give you a little inside information about God. God likes to watch. He's a prankster. Think about it. He gives man instincts. He gives you this extraordinary gift, and then what does He do, I swear for His own amusement, his own private, cosmic gag reel, He sets the rules in opposition. It's the goof of all time. Look but don't touch. Touch, but don't taste. Taste, don't swallow. Ahaha. And while you're jumpin' from one foot to the next, what is he doing? He's laughin' His sick, fuckin' ass off. He's a tight-ass. He's a sadist. He's an absentee landlord. Worship that? Never."

And as a Christian I am a bit offended, but when I look at it in the context of the film, I can see it was necessary to have dialogue like this to further establish the character and to drive the plot. Since turning my life over to Christ I also have trouble listening to foul language but if I were to hear the above from a person in real life I would be very upset.

And that's where the distinction needs to be made: This is not real life. Christian Spotlight on the Movies puts this very nicely in it's review: "This movie does not glorify sin but exposes it as the tools of a devious, fallen angel. Unlike most movies, in which sin has no consequence, Devil's Advocate shows the consequences of sin. Despite atrocious content, this movie does represent the Bible-believing Christians view of Satan and sin and how we are deceived by the deceiver."

As the Devil says a few times in the movie, "Vanity is my favorite sin." We as Christians need to put aside the vanity that we have about avoiding entertainments that contain sins so that we can perhaps use them in our work of bringing more people into Heaven. For example, most people I work with are younger than me by as much as 20 or 25 years. And when I'm at school I deal with a much younger population. If I did not stay current with popular culture through entertainments and other means then I would not be aware of the problems the bulk of our population faces and how much they could use God's guidance.

Watch this film for whatever value you can find in it: fine acting with a great script or a tool to help bring people to God. But I do recommend this film. Watch it with an open mind and with God in your heart and you might enjoy it as much as I do.