Angel Heart
Special Edition
Harry Angel, a down-and-out fifties Brooklyn gumshoe, takes us on a journey of violence and murder that canvasses the desperate streets of Harlem, smoke-filled jazz clubs of New Orleans, and ultimately to voodoo rituals in the sweltering swamps of Louisiana. Angel Heart... A truly unsettling film experience.
Member Reviews
excellent atmospheric noir, a little too long though - Scopitone
This is filmed very prettily - in a kind of hazy 80s fashion a la Pretty Baby (which also takes place in New Orleans). Micky Rourke and Robert de Niro are very good in it. The soundtrack adds to the New Orleans atmosphere but I did find my interest waning towards the end and wasn't really sure what was going on. Love all the noir imagery though!An Underrated Noir Thriller - Philo_Beddoe
When Angel Heart was released in 1987, there was a great deal of controversy surrounding a graphic, inter-racial sex scene between Mickey Rourke and the seemingly virginal (as typecast from her role in the Cosby Show) Lisa Bonet. The controversy had the unfortunate(and unfair) effect of marginalizing the movie, which on its own terms is a remarkably chilling and atmospheric noir thriller.
Mickey Rourke stars here as Harry Angel, a hard boiled private investigator who perpetually looks like he just slept off a 5 day bender (in his clothes, to boot). His client, a polished but sufficiently creepy occultist named Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro), has hired Harry to find a missing big-band crooner named Johnny Favorite. His motivations aren't apparent at first, but suffice to say that Louis Cyphre is not the sort of person that you would want looking for you.
During the course of his investigation, Harry will travel from New York City to Algiers, Louisiana. There he will find himself immersed in a dark world where his leads invariably turn up dead in ways for more grotesque than the ritual slaughter of chickens that the resident occultists practice. The fate of Johnny Favorite is ultimately revealed to Harry in ways that he couldn't have possibly imagined.
Director Alan Parker (whose eclectic film-making resume ranges from 'Midnight Express' and 'Mississippi Burning' to 'Fame' and 'Evita') succeeds in this movie on every level, including the advancement of a compelling and deeply disturbing plot, a particularly strong performance by Mickey Rourke and the supporting cast, an effective evocation of both New York City and southern Louisiana, and a soundtrack that is perfectly suited for the material that it supports.
It's a shame that this film didn't achieve greater recognition. It effectively blends elements of suspense, horror, the occult and film noir to create an experience that viewers will remember long after the final credits.Mickey Rourke's Best - onebigeye
Angel Heart is set in 1955, and is the story of Harry Angel (Rourke), a low budget private investigator down on his luck. One day he is hired by Louis Cyphere (DeNiro), a mysterious man who is bent on finding a man by the name of Johnny Favourite, a famous crooner who has disappeared.
With money being no object for Cyphere, and Angel needing the money, he takes the case and is soon led on a wild adventure through the strange voodoo world of Louisiana. Unexplained murders follow each new clue and soon the law, and Cyphere's deadline are catching up with Harry Angel.
The action and suspense intensifies to a boiling point, revealing a truly twisted ending unique to the story.
The first time I watched this movie I was about 12 years old and I watched it at night, alone. It freaked me out. Now, as a far more seasoned film afficcionado, it didn't freak me out but did keep me on the edge of my seat. Enjoy!
Member Reviews
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excellent atmospheric noir, a little too long though - Scopitone
This is filmed very prettily - in a kind of hazy 80s fashion a la Pretty Baby (which also takes place in New Orleans). Micky Rourke and Robert de Niro are very good in it. The soundtrack adds to the New Orleans atmosphere but I did find my interest waning ...An Underrated Noir Thriller - Philo_Beddoe
When Angel Heart was released in 1987, there was a great deal of controversy surrounding a graphic, inter-racial sex scene between Mickey Rourke and the seemingly virginal (as typecast from her role in the Cosby Show) Lisa Bonet. The controversy had the unfortunate(and ...Mickey Rourke's Best - onebigeye
Angel Heart is set in 1955, and is the story of Harry Angel (Rourke), a low budget private investigator down on his luck. One day he is hired by Louis Cyphere (DeNiro), a mysterious man who is bent on finding a man by the name of Johnny Favourite, a famous ...