Stuck in the Middle with Oneself
by Sabadino Parker
Concepts of Hell vary.
For some, it’s a netherworld to which condemns souls are sent after
death to suffer everlasting torment at the hands of Satan and his minions. For others, it’s a state of misery or
wickedness, sometimes self-instigated, sometimes resulting from a curse,
sometimes just plain old bad luck. No
matter which interpretation you may subscribe to, it’s something — or someplace
— one would prefer not to experience.
John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) has been to Hell and back...literally. As a kid, he realized he had the ostensible
ability to see half-breed demons and angels that have manifested on earth. Considering this gift a curse of perpetual,
lifelong torment, the young
Constantine, based on
the critically acclaimed DC Comics/Vertigo comic book Hellblazer written by the equally
acclaimed comics writer Alan Moore (responsible for such comics milestones as Watchmen and From Hell), is debut director Francis Lawrence’s take on this
reluctant antihero trapped in a purgatory of self-doubt and stuck between
damnation and salvation. Constantine
makes it his mission to be a sort of divine avenger, sending those half-breed
demons — who, of course, seek to create a Hell on Earth — and other
transgressors directly to Hell while policing the boundaries of Earth and the
realms of Heaven and Hell. In a strange
way, this makes him a servant of both God and the Devil, both of whom make
claims on his time, energy, and soul.
He’s an unbalanced character charged with preserving the cosmic balance
of the armies of good and evil.
According to the film’s premise, God and Satan made a deal
millennia ago: they can dispatch representatives to Earth in human form, the
key rule being that none of these “half-breeds” can interfere will humans’ free
will; they can only persuade and influence.
But, of course, the Devil’s legion breaks the rules as demons start
sticking their misshapen noses into human affairs, and it’s up to Constantine
and his eager sidekick Chas (Shia LaBeouf)
to put a stop to their unholy endeavors.
The film kicks off when John is called in to perform an exorcism
on a girl (Johanna Trias) who’s been crawling on the ceiling
and spitting obscenities at her God-fearing mother. John arrives at their
Exhausted, John still cannot rest.
“That exorcism wasn't right,” he notes, and, indeed, he noticed in the
apartment a drawing of the Spear of Destiny (the spear stuck in Christ’s
midsection during the Crucifixion), suggesting that the demon had grander plans
beyond a mere possession. As John realizes this is only part of a recent trend
of wickedness pushing its way to earth, enabled by the discovery of that Spear
of Destiny by a Mexican “scavenger” (Jesse Ramirez) who, once in possession of
the Spear, turns unstable and brutish. After ravaging his immediate environs,
the scavenger makes his way across the U.S. border, mindlessly determined to
make contact with the next link in an apocalyptic chain: Detective Dodson
(Rachel Weisz), whose part in the scheme has to do
with her dead, psychic twin sister (also played by Weisz). Although she’s unaware of the dimensions with
which she’s dealing, she seeks John’s help. It turns out her sister left behind
a helpful clue: officially designated a suicide, she jumped off the roof of her
insane asylum, turning just before her leap to look directly at the
conveniently located rooftop surveillance camera to whisper
Despite whether this whisper is a delusion (as she’s watching the
tape, seeking some explanation of her loss), John takes it up as a cause — reluctantly,
of course. His investigation leads to a series of encounters with other beings
caught in-between worlds and otherworldly figures who walk the earth, all of
whom are making trouble: Satan’s minion, the half-human Balthazar (Gavin Rossdale); God's emissary, the half-human androgynous angel
Gabriel (Tilda Swinton);
the alcoholic Father Hennessy (Pruitt Taylor Vince); and the cagey former faith
healer and witch doctor, who’s currently a deal-brokering medium between
worlds, Midnite (Djimon Hounsou). None of these folks trusts John, but all respect
(even envy, perversely) his gift which also is, yes, a curse.
Most of the film deals with John’s attempt to save both Isabel and
Angela. Yet the film’s larger themes are far more compelling than Dodson’s agony
over her sister’s inexplicable suicide. That plot strand leads to a trip to
Hell, which Dodson achieves by nearly drowning herself in her bath. (Note to
the kiddies: Don't try this at home.)
And, still,
Director: Francis Lawrence; Cast: Keanu
Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Tilda
Swinton, Shia LaBeauf, Djimon Hounsou, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Gavin Rossdale,
Peter Stormare (Warner Bros., 2005) Rated: R
Release date:
© 2005 Sparker Media