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Constantine
John Constantine has literally been to Hell and back. When he teams up with a policewoman to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles.
2005 · Directed by Francis Lawrence · 121 min · Fantasy · Action · Horror · Screenplay in the scene database · 9 frames
Tagline
Hell wants him. Heaven won't take him. Earth needs him.
Plot
In Mexico, a scavenger discovers the tip of the spear that pierced Jesus Christ and, after becoming possessed, takes it to Los Angeles. There, cynical occult expert John Constantine exorcises a demon from a young girl after witnessing its attempt to reach Earth through her, something that should be impossible because of the treaty between Heaven and Hell. Suffering from terminal lung cancer, Constantine meets with the half-breed angel Gabriel to bargain for a longer life, only to be told he is unworthy of such a gift because of his selfish choices.
Meanwhile, detective Angela Dodson investigates the death of her twin sister Isabel, who leaped from a psychiatric hospital roof. Angela refuses to believe her sister, a devout Catholic, would commit suicide and condemn herself to Hell. Watching security footage, Angela hears Isabel say "Constantine" and seeks out his assistance. He refuses to help until he witnesses demons pursuing Angela and fends them off. Constantine then performs a ritual to see Isabel in Hell, confirming she killed herself. He reveals to Angela that as a teenager, he attempted suicide to escape the torment of seeing demons everywhere. He survived, but as suicide is a mortal sin, he is doomed to fall to Hell upon his death.
At the morgue, Constantine's friend Father Hennessy discovers a mysterious symbol on Isabel's wrist but is killed by the half-breed demon Balthazar. Constantine and Angela later uncover that Hennessy carved the symbol into his own hand for them to find. Angela also discovers a hidden message from Isabel referencing a chapter from Hell's Bible. Before being killed by Balthazar, Constantine's armorer Beeman reveals that the symbol represents the antichrist Mammon, Lucifer's son. The chapter foretells Mammon usurping his father and conquering Earth using a powerful psychic and divine assistance; Isabel, a powerful psychic, sacrificed herself to thwart Mammon's plan. Angela confesses that she possessed similar psychic abilities but repressed them to avoid being labeled insane like her sister. To help Angela rediscover her powers, Constantine induces a near-death experience. With her reawakened abilities, Angela locates Balthazar. Constantine interrogates Balthazar, who reveals that the blood of Christ on the spear tip is Mammon's divine assistance, and Angela will be his host. An unseen entity destroys Balthazar and abducts Angela, who becomes possessed by Mammon.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Kevin Brodbin, Frank A. Cappello
- Cinematography: Philippe Rousselot
- Edited by: Wayne Wahrman
- Music: Klaus Badelt, Brian Tyler
- Production design: Naomi Shohan
- Produced by: Michael Uslan, Erwin Stoff, Lauren Shuler Donner, Benjamin Melniker
Cast
- Keanu Reeves as John Constantine
- Rachel Weisz as Angela Dodson / Isabel Dodson
- Shia LaBeouf as Chas Kramer
- Djimon Hounsou as Midnite
- Max Baker as Beeman
- Pruitt Taylor Vince as Father Hennessy
- Gavin Rossdale as Balthazar
- Tilda Swinton as Gabriel
- Peter Stormare as Lucifer
- Jesse Ramirez as Scavenger
Production
- Country: Germany, United States of America
- Language: English, Latin, Spanish, Tagalog
- Studios: Village Roadshow Pictures, Lonely Film Productions, The Donners' Company, Batfilm Productions
- Budget: $100,000,000
- Box office: $230,900,000
- Themes: self sacrifice, angel, christianity, confession, superhero, supernatural, exorcism, archangel gabriel, holy water, redemption
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