Title: "City of Angels"
Director: Brad Silberling
Producer: C. Roven, D. Steel, and C. Newirth
Editing: Lynzee Klingman
Composer: Gabriel Yared
Starring:
- Nicolas Cage as Seth
- Meg Ryan as Maggie Rice
- Andre Braugher as Cassiel
Plot and Critical Review: In Los Angeles, Seth is one of many angels who watch over humans and protect them in unseen ways. The movie portrays angels in a somewhat traditional role without referencing a specific faith. Seth's main responsibility is to appear to those who are close to death and guide them to the next life. As part of this task, Seth and one of his fellow angels, Cassiel, like to ask people what their favorite thing in life was. But despite their daily encounters with humans and their ways, they appear to have trouble understanding human beings.
While waiting to escort a man who will not survive heart surgery, Seth is impressed by the vigorous efforts of the surgeon, Maggie Rice, to save the ill-fated man's life. Seth soon becomes fascinated with Maggie and decides to become visible to her despite his obvious inability to give her any convincing details about himself, such as what he does for a living or even his last name. Despite this, they develop a friendship which soon turns to mutual attraction, although Maggie is already involved with one of her colleagues at the hospital.
Seth then meets Nathaniel Messinger, one of Maggie's patients, who can sense Seth's presence and that of other angels. Nathaniel relates to Seth that he, too, had once been an angel but, by way of the free will decided to become human through the process he refers to as "falling". Seth begins to consider exercising this option so that he can be with Maggie in a fully physical and emotional relationship. When Maggie receives a marriage proposal from the surgeon she is seeing, she finds herself having to choose between him and Seth.
Having realized that Seth is impervious to injury, Maggie finally confronts him and demands to know who or what he really is, but she is unable to accept the revelation and sends him away. Maggie later talks about Seth with Nathaniel who gradually reveals his own angelic origin. He explains to her why he himself chose to become human and points out that Seth is thinking of doing the same.
Seth decides to become human through the symbolic gesture of falling from atop a skyscraper. Immediately upon awakening from his plummet he starts to experience all of the human feelings and sensations that he had never been able to understand, beginning with physical injury and pain. Up until this point, Seth's personality and emotions, like those of all the other angels, have been very subdued, but that starts to change.
Director: Brad Silberling
Producer: C. Roven, D. Steel, and C. Newirth
Editing: Lynzee Klingman
Composer: Gabriel Yared
Starring:
- Nicolas Cage as Seth
- Meg Ryan as Maggie Rice
- Andre Braugher as Cassiel
Plot and Critical Review: In Los Angeles, Seth is one of many angels who watch over humans and protect them in unseen ways. The movie portrays angels in a somewhat traditional role without referencing a specific faith. Seth's main responsibility is to appear to those who are close to death and guide them to the next life. As part of this task, Seth and one of his fellow angels, Cassiel, like to ask people what their favorite thing in life was. But despite their daily encounters with humans and their ways, they appear to have trouble understanding human beings.
While waiting to escort a man who will not survive heart surgery, Seth is impressed by the vigorous efforts of the surgeon, Maggie Rice, to save the ill-fated man's life. Seth soon becomes fascinated with Maggie and decides to become visible to her despite his obvious inability to give her any convincing details about himself, such as what he does for a living or even his last name. Despite this, they develop a friendship which soon turns to mutual attraction, although Maggie is already involved with one of her colleagues at the hospital.
Seth then meets Nathaniel Messinger, one of Maggie's patients, who can sense Seth's presence and that of other angels. Nathaniel relates to Seth that he, too, had once been an angel but, by way of the free will decided to become human through the process he refers to as "falling". Seth begins to consider exercising this option so that he can be with Maggie in a fully physical and emotional relationship. When Maggie receives a marriage proposal from the surgeon she is seeing, she finds herself having to choose between him and Seth.
Having realized that Seth is impervious to injury, Maggie finally confronts him and demands to know who or what he really is, but she is unable to accept the revelation and sends him away. Maggie later talks about Seth with Nathaniel who gradually reveals his own angelic origin. He explains to her why he himself chose to become human and points out that Seth is thinking of doing the same.
Seth decides to become human through the symbolic gesture of falling from atop a skyscraper. Immediately upon awakening from his plummet he starts to experience all of the human feelings and sensations that he had never been able to understand, beginning with physical injury and pain. Up until this point, Seth's personality and emotions, like those of all the other angels, have been very subdued, but that starts to change.
Now human, Seth has to find his way to the hospital to see Maggie, but he's told that she has gone to her uncle's mountain cabin for a break. Penniless and naive, he can't pay for the journey and ends up getting mugged and having his boots taken from his feet by a gang of roving predators. He eventually hitches a ride to Lake Tahoe and appears, rain-soaked and cold, at Maggie's doorstep. Seeing the split lip and condensed breath coming from his mouth in the cold air, Maggie realizes that he has given up his exalted status for her love. She sees to his wounds and then they enjoy warm, passionate lovemaking at last.
The next morning, as Seth is in the shower, enjoying his first sensation of running hot water on his body, Maggie rides her bike to a local store to buy some pears for him. On her way back, happy and fulfilled, she rides her bike with her eyes closed and her arms wide open to the Autumn sunlight and her bright future with Seth. Her happiness is cut short by a logging truck that catches her by surprise when it pulls out in front of her. Seth apparently senses that Maggie is in trouble and runs to her aid. He arrives in time for Maggie to tell him that she sees the angels who have come to escort her away. Although Seth is no longer able to see the angels, he knows they are there and begs Maggie not to look at them. Maggie tells him that she's not afraid and that when they will ask her what her favorite thing in life was, she will say it was Seth.
Now grieving and alone, Seth is visited by his former colleague and friend, the angel Cassiel. Cassiel offers comfort and asks him whether he regrets his decision to become human. Seth's answer is a resounding “no”. Seth says, "I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it. ”
Based on the 1987 German film "Wings of Desire", "City of Angels" met a welcome reception at the box office. It was unable to find its way into the cinematic history books, however, with no award nominations to speak of. Still, it is an enjoyable movie and one that should be kept on hand for date nights, moments of despair, and spiritual ponderings.
My Rating: 6/10
Content to Caution:
V-2 - No person-to-person violence, but there is blood and gore associated with surgical procedures.
L-2 - No comment.
DU-1 - Some smoking and drinking.
RT-1 – No comment.
H/S-2 – You might want a pillow during Seth's "fall" and Maggie's bicycle accident.
CH-2 – No comment.
S/N-3.5 – A great deal of intimacy between Seth and Maggie, including one explicit sex scene.
The "Reel Revelation": "Sacrifice"
Have you ever given something up for another person? I recognize that question can be read several ways: "Have you ever given something up in order to be with another person?","Have you ever sacrificed something for the sake of another person?", and so on. No matter how you read it, your answer will still satisfy the original question: "Have you ever given something up (sacrificed) for another person?" I'm sure that most have, although some might not identify their behavior as being sacrificial.
When facing a "gap" or "bridge" in any relationship, it's natural to ask 'What do I have to do to make things right with this person?' This is probably one of the most natural reactions we have as almost all humans instinctively want to resist even the remote possibility of losing a relationship and/or being rejected in one. I can't suggest that all humans feel this way, for I know some people who seem to honestly have no concern with who they are or aren't in relationship with. But I suspect even they have some inkling of desire to overcome the obstacles linking themselves to others. And when we ask ourselves, 'What do I have to do...', I believe the most immediate internal response will lead us to consider sacrifice. It's then that we'll ask "What do I have to give up to see this relationship thrive?'
How much more do we go through this cycle of thought when we consider our relationship to God. I can't count the times i've felt distanced from Christ and immediately asked myself/prayed 'What do I have to do to get right with God?' The next thought is almost always 'What do I have to give up?' I'm not sure why I go to that place so automatically, but I suspect most people do. The Bible confirms my suspicion with stories of sacrifice and the way people sought to heal their relationship with God through the sacrifice of animals, harvest, and self. From Abraham's call to sacrifice Isaac to Jesus sacrificing Himself on the cross in atonement for our sins, the Bible gives testimony to sacrifice as an important part of our lives. But for we who believe that Jesus was the one and only sacrifice God required, what other sacrifice is there to offer that Jesus hasn't already satisfied?
"Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." (Hebrews 13:15-16)
This is Good News, indeed! "Doing good" and "sharing" pleases God! While God may very well call us to offer up specific vices and hindrances in our own lives, we don't have to guess at what sort of sacrifice pleases our Father.
If you're trying to repair a relationship (between another person or between yourself and God), look into your heart and search for how you can sacrifice yourself for God's sake and the sake of others. It's natural to want to give up vices, distractions, possessions, and any other material or temporal thing. That's an important part of the Christian discipline, but what is far more important is the giving of your heart to Jesus. Sacrifice your whole life to Him each day, surrender yourself to His will, and believe that God's love will dwell within the empty vessel of your spirit.
See you Monday - E.T.
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