I was predisposed to like "The Prophecy" thanks to a kink for angels which I developed some years ago. The current obsession with sugar-spun angels makes me gag and I'd just about given up on them as messengers of the worst God has to offer mankind in the context of the bible, at least, the appearance of an angel is, about 99% of the time, reason to hide under the bed until the screaming stops until I saw this film. My faith has been renewed. In this film, they're horrible creatures but gloriously arrogant and beautiful. Even the ones who are on God's side don't like us very muchChristopher Walken, looking as pared-down as I've ever seen him look, gives a quirky performance as usual, as Gabriel, the angel of death who "smashes in the heads of babies while their mamas watch." This isn't a guy you want perching on your hospital bed or talking to your kids, because no matter what the message, it's not going to make you happy. And yet, Walken conveys a lot of humor in Gabriel who is seen letting school children try to blow his trumpet. One child succeeds in coaxing a note out of it and the windows of the school explode in a very funny reference to Gabriel's horn sounding the notes that herald the Apocalypse. By the end of the film, when Thomas (nice touch, that name, linking this failed priest to Thomas the Doubter.) says to Gabriel "Why didn't you just ASK God?" and Gabriel replies, "He doesn't talk to me any more." I wanted to weep for him.
Stoltz...well he's never been a favorite of mine, but he was good here; not nearly as low-key and passive as usual. His turn as the angel Simon (I thought I heard him called "Samael" once, a name which makes more sense in context.) was done with just the right amount of off-hand humor to make him a good foil for Walken. Despite his position as upholder of God's will, Simon is not a nice guy, and you get the feeling that if there had been no reason to care about humans, Simon would have disposed of them as cheerfully as Gabriel does.
Elias Koteas as Thomas and Virginia Madsen as Katherine, do well as always, but seem hampered by dialogue which occasionally thuds. The angels have all the best lines, the angels and the little girl, Mary, who does a good job with a thankless role. Amanda Plummer is given almost nothing to do as a dying...well, to be honest, a dead woman who is hijacked along the way to drive Gabriel around the Southwest in search of the soul he needs. Ms. Plummer is usually so cheerfully over-the-top that this role seemed like a sad waste of her peculiar talents. I can't help but wonder if there isn't a lot more of this film lying around someplace.
The real star turn, though, is by Viggo Mortensen as Satan an angel both blindingly unpleasant and ravishingly seductive once beloved above all else in Heaven. Boy, does it show. His Satan is a spoiled brat: vindictive, jealous and rude. He has no compunctions about invading personal space and wrapping himself, snakelike, around whoever he's talking to. He's unrelenting in his search for souls, and even at the end, he's not content simply to take his victory and go home.
The plot is a little thin; I have a hard time believing that the soul they were searching for was the most evil soul on earth, though there is some indication that the intention was to present the man as an incarnation of a Sin-Eater. In effect, Heywood has absorbed all the evil of his victims who in their turn absorbed all the evil of their victims and so forth.
The writing is often cumbersome and fairly shouts "B MOVIE, B MOVIE!" in spots. But I rather liked the effects; they were quirky and surprisingly low-key. There isn't much gore, yet you remember the violence because it strikes at some internal chord. The audience isn't dazzled by great light and magic shows, but it is treated to some fairly memorable images such as Satan dissolving into a flock of ravens, or a cave wall covered with angelic script which, when touched, produces something like a video of the war in heaven. Complete with a field littered with dead and dying angels and some impaled on spikes it is an echo of Heywood's war crimes in Korea. In fact, the effects are generally more painterly than cinematic, and the vast, strange landscapes are often right out of paintings by Gustave Doré, or reminiscent of Goya's works.
This is what I call a "face movie." It presents us with a lot of strange and wonderful faces, not just the usual in bland, Hollywood prettiness. They're part of the landscape, too, they give the film richness and depth that it might not have had with more conventional casting. Flawed but interesting. Worth your time.
This movie is blessed with terrific acting. Christopher Walken in particular delivers a powerful portrayal of the tortured archangel Gabriel. There are some pretty good special effects, particularly those showing the horrors of the fighting among the angels in heaven itself. Most religious individuals should have no real problems with The Prophecy because it never portrays itself as representing some kind of truth or challenges its viewers' own beliefs. While the movie has its flaws, it succeeds in presenting a problematical storyline with the required seriousness it requires in order to be effective. It is also improved by small bits of humor along the way, such as Gabriel's dislike for human tears and his inability to drive a car. This is definitely a must-see for Christopher Walken fans.You can tell pretty quickly in this film that Gregory Widen, the man who shot Highlander, also shot this film. It involves a number of great actors, a really bizarre premise, and some great landcapes and characters. In both movies you have to agree to suspend your disbelief about the plot, and just enjoy the power that each actor puts into his or her role.
Here's the basic summary. Angels are not the Renaissance golden-haired glowy, friendly creatures that DaVinci conned us into believing in. Re-read your Bible. Angels were the holders of swords of flame. Angels were the ones out there slicing down the non-believers and killing by the thousands. They were a fierce army. Unknown to mankind, many angels were pretty grumpy when Jesus died on the cross and in essence elevated mankind over the angels. The angels felt betrayed, ignored by God. It's like when Mom came home with a new baby brother and suddenly the new baby was the one getting all the attention. The angels were the older sibling, about to throw a temper tantrum.
Fast forward to modern times. You have an ex-priest-wannabe-turned-cop Thomas, played by Elias Koteas, who starts to get called in on some strange cases. Turns out the dead guy they find is a hermaphrodite, is carrying a 2nd century Bible and is branded with the mark of an angel. The trail leads to Simon, another angel, who is trying to help keep a "really evil soul" from Gabriel (Christopher Walken). Gabriel wants this evil soul to help him storm heaven, to make God pay for turning His back on all the angels. Simon gets his hands on the soul in question, but with Gabriel hot on his heels, he has to hide it somewhere. He puts it into a Native American girl's body.
Soon we have a showdown betwee Thomas, Gabriel, the young girl, her tribe, and of course Lucifer, played by Viggo Mortensen. It comes down not to a fist battle, but to a theological argument how Gabriel looks down on all of us "monkey boys" but is insanely jealous that God will not talk to him any more.
So there are many plot problems here. With the war going on for 2,000 years, they are saying that the prophecy of the worst soul of all was some Korean War guy that just died?? Because he resorted to cannibalism?? Heck, I'm sure we can name many people who became cannibals in desperate times. They're pretty sure the Pilgrims did that when they were all freezing / starving to death. It's sad, but if you're about to die, you make some not-so-sane (or maybe sane depending on your point of view) decisions. Surely if they wanted the Ultimate Evil they could have gone for Hitler ... or one of his scientists ... or how about Pol Pot and slaying 2 million people? Some small time cannibal is the worst they could get?
Then, we have Simon walking into a church to an open casket coffin and taking the soul. Do they really leave coffins open all night long in churches? When Simon took the soul, he really had NO plan at all of what he was going to do, knowing he was injured, and just randomly decided to stick it in this girl? The village had many 30 people in it total. Even if Gabriel had to slay everyone in the village to make sure he got to the soul, it didn't seem like much of a problem for Gabriel. He rather would enjoy that.
However, like I said, plot isn't a big thing here. The characters are. Christopher Walken is EXCELLENT as Gabriel, once the shining boy of God, now cut off from the voice. He's eternally young, powerful, and good at manipulation. He believes completely in his right to power and is just so incredibly weary of stupid little monkey-people screwing things up. That all being said he can't drive?? Surely sometime since cars were invented he could have learned.
Elias is great as Thomas, the doubter who slowly regains his faith. Virginia Madsen (Sideways fame) does well as the schoolmarm who sticks up for Mary, the young girl. Mary really puts in a chilling performance as a once-innocent girl who becomes possessed with the soul of a calculating soldier.
I really enjoyed Lucifer when he showed up at the end of the movie. He perches like a gargoyle, looking down at all of us squirming humans. But he doesn't come across as evil oh no. Everything the Bible says is that Lucifer is handsome, seductive, oh so compelling. He tells us things we want to believe. In fact it's hard to resist him. In the movie, Viggo slides around the people he talks to, circling them like a snake, moving in close. He wants you to trust him ... he says he doesn't want another Hell, he wants to be the sole ruler. He's going to HELP the humans. If they just trust him.
This isn't really a spoiler, since the movie is rather transparent from start to finish, but I was REALLY disappointed that Lucifer's aims were so straightforward. He is above all a deceiver. So what did the plot do? They put him in where he told the truth, people believed him, did what he said and it all worked out. It was a real let down! Viggo did such a great job with the smooth, "beautiful", ultimate power of Lucifer that I was waiting for his dialogue to all be a complex set-up to deceive the people. Instead, nope, he just walks away and turns into a cloud of blackbirds, much like many other movies on this topic.
Still, again, the plot has holes. You just deal with it. There really is a lot of beauty in the storyTELLING from the landscapes people go across, to the looks in the actors eyes in various scenes. It really is quite telling that some angels have no eyes when they are found and that other scenes focus in on the eyes as the window to the soul. Since, after all, that is what the movie is all about.
Read Best Reviews of The Prophecy Here
Gregory Widen, the writer/director of this film has presented us with the marrow of a quintessential apocalyptic horror film. Mostly he has been a writer [HIGHLANDER series, and BACKDRAFT].There is a fair amount of humor in the movie, but it is masked in terrific action scenes. One of the strengths of the film is its perverse view of angels. They are certainly not the winged cherubs of Hallmark and children's storybooks. These angels are formidable, and they rush about wreaking havoc. They can roar like lions, and they can slay like beasts. Widen had the temerity to choose Gabriel to be his villian. It was audacious, like casting the Pope as a drug lord, and making the Vatican a crack palace. And he has angels losing their faith, falling prey to the pitiful emotions of jealousy and envy. As one character said," A whole existence spent praising God, but always with one wing dipped in blood."
The film was dominated by Christopher Walken as Gabriel. He wore a long black frock coat, ala Wim Wenders, and those coat tails flapped menacingly as the strutted amongst us. He seemed to accentuate mannerisms and gestures from his own persona, creating a character that will live in cinematic infamy. He wore yellow contacts some of the time, making his eyes look demonic. He sported corpse-pale skin, and his eyes burned out of that white face. He had dyed his hair jet-black, swirled back in his trademark pompadour. Whenever on the screen the scene would ignite, swirling with his own special electricity. The other actors appeared dim in comparison. It has been said of him that Walken can be scary just whistling a happy tune.
Widen's plot, although vigorous and original, is full of holes. The angels have to become mortal, or partially mortal, to exist on earth. But Gabriel can't drive, so he needs a "familiar", an undead assistant. Several of the angel characters are killed, with their hearts ripped out of their chests. Supposedly, they do not have a soul, so what are we supposed to believe actually happens to their life essence? Our soul is just the spiritual energy that will return to Heaven, where they already reside. What do they need a soul for? They are already on the other side. The notion that countless centuries have passed without any human soul being able to journey to Heaven is a bit harsh to grasp. What about the Big Guy, God himself? It is very existential to assume that God just sat back in his cosmic corner, and was willing to let humans and angels and demons work this out. Where is even the tiniest bit of logic in Widen's premise? How could this situation ever manifest itself without divine intervention?
Viggo Mortensen gave a powerhouse performance as Lucifer. This was a complex cameo; one that could have been wasted on a lesser actor. He gave it tremendous gusto, power, and a creepiness that was unforgetable. He had to find the balance between consumate evil and inescapable logic. This role preceded the RING trilogy, but he was always stardom just waiting to happen.
Elias Koteas, a fine actor, did a pretty good job playing the tortured hero, failed priest turned cop, Thomas Daggett. He, initially became a spokesman for the faithless, but when the very skies opened up and the devil ravens swarmed all about, and his immortal soul was on the line, he clung to his renewed faith and his very human soul with the tenacity of a drowning man. Virginia Madsen, the sister of actor Michael, played the teacher, Katherine. She was dedicated to the education and safety of her Navajo students. Her part, although not strongly written, was an important piece of the puzzle. She gave it the feistiness and vulnurability that it needed.
Rounding out the cast was Eric Stoltz as the angel Simon. He had come to capture the Dark Soul, and to prevent Gabriel from retrieving it. When he was mortally wounded, and he decided to "deposit" that evil essence within the confines of a young Indian girl, things began to roll forward at breakneck speed; ala THE EXORCIST. Stoltz found just the right blend of gentleness and ferocity.
The staging of several scenes was quite memorable. Theology, horror, humor, and anthropology mixed very well. It is a film that sticks with you. Even at that, perhaps it did not merit the several sequels that it spawned. I was challenged and entertained in equal portions.This is one ambitious movie. Not only does it cover some seriously controversial territory, it does so with style and an abundance of talented actors. I recall the first time I saw the movie back in the nineties and just how fascinated I was by the whole thing. Watching it now in a more critical way, I realise that it is certainly not without flaws, but nothing can take away just how interesting the plot is, nor how wonderful a couple of the performances are.
Angels come to Earth to continue a war that has been raging in Heaven. The angel Gabriel seeks a soul that he will use to end the war and subsequently open a new Hell. The angel Simon also seeks the soul, but with the purpose of hiding it from Gabriel. It's not surprising that humans become entangled in this battle and it is left to a former priest and a little girl to stop Gabriel, with some help from the least expected of beings, Lucifer himself.
This may all sound fairly ridiculous, and if you really study it, I guess it kinda is. But the style of the movie and the performances make it work. The angels are fascinating creatures. Their way of perching on top of things like a bird is such a simple way of distinguishing them and immediately marks them as different to the humanity surrounding. While the flashes of the war in Heaven may not look as amazing as a bigger budget may have allowed, it certainly gives the viewer an idea of the horror involved, with screaming angels dying upon massive spears.
There is no doubt that Christopher Walken makes this film! He gives Gabriel such an amazing amount of charisma along with such a threatening persona. His regular sniffs, licks and head tilts are both disturbing and fascinating and every piece of dialogue that omits from his mouth is given life and importance. It's just a stunning portrayal of a powerful being and displays why he is such sought after villain these days. Eric Stoltz is also very good as Simon, yet he simply doesn't have the presence of Walken. Viggo Mortenson on the other hand displays his scene stealing abilities that would become even more prevalent as Arigorn years later. It's not often that an actor would get the chance to play the angel of darkness, and even less often that the character would be fighting on the same side as the movie's heroes. It's inspired writing combined with inspired casting.
Although I obviously thoroughly enjoy "The Prophecy", there are certain aspects that stop me from calling it a classic movie. I do feel the creators of the film did wonderfully well with the budget they had, but a movie of this scale could so easily have been made monumental with a bit more money for special effects and sets. Most of the film is situated in the desert, which is a rather strange setting for such a dark film. I can't help imagining how effective this plot would have been had it been located within a major city, with the heavenly battle breaking out into the lives of a large population. But that's being greedy.
Some of the writing also could have been better. The occasionally dodgy dialogue is generally saved by the performances, but there are also quite a few plot holes and lack of explanation that stop the film from rising above being a very good B movie. But I don't want to nit pick "The Prophecy" too much, because it's a thoroughly entertaining and ambitious horror movie, sprinkled with comedy and action. If you're a fan of religious context horror or Christopher Walken, then this is a must see.
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