Ten Deep 9.09.10: Top Ten Movie Devils

Posted by Mike Gorman on 09.09.2010

From Trey Parker in South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut and Al Pacino in Devil's Advocate to Tim Curry in Legend and Viggo Mortensen in The Prophecy, 411's Mike Gorman ranks his Top 10 Movie Devils!

" Top Ten Movie Devils"


It would seem it was Shakespeare who first encouraged us to "Give the devil his due," in his play, King Henry the IV – Part I. The phrase, as it has come to mean, recounts how one must give credit for good work to an unpleasant or evil person. This week, Ten Deep attempts to do just that by recognizing the ten best portrayals of the devil on film.

Movie devils come in all shapes, sizes and forms. Each one reflects a unique facet of the traditionally Christian trickster. On this list you will find devils with horns, devils in suits, and even an animated version. They are all interesting and repulsive at the same time. What is our fascination with these personifications of pure evil? Perhaps a trip through the devil's Hollywood pedigree will give us some clues.


10. Gabriel Byrne in End of Days





Well clearly some of the best devils come in some of the worst movies. Case in point, the terrible End of Days. In the film, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a former cop, down on his luck, assigned to protect Gabriel Byrne. Eventually we learn that Byrne is the devil, manifest on earth with an evil mission of course; one that Arnold spends the film attempting to thwart. There is definitely something fantastic about seeing a cheesy action hero take on Satan himself, but the highlight of the film is Byrne's portrayal. He is not really the subtle devil seen in other films, nor a grinning trickster, instead he revels in his evil and power in a way that is truly demonic.



9. Viggo Mortensen in The Prophecy





In The Prophecy, a war raging in heaven amongst the angels comes to earth as the prophecy of a dark soul that could tip the balance of power appears to begin. A rogue angel named Simon and a detective that lost his faith named Thomas struggle against the angel Gabriel (played by Christopher Walken) trying to prevent him from claiming this weapon. Mortensen's Lucifer joins the story as it is in full swing. Here he is the fallen angel, who waged his own war on heaven and sees Gabriel's actions in this new war as encroaching on his own evil territory. He is slick and seductive as he attempts to manipulate events to his own ends. Watching him get into the minds of the human heroes is very entertaining and in the end you almost think they might choose his path. By the film's close, the dark soul has been dealt with by god and Gabriel's fate is literally in Lucifer's hand.



8. Al Pacino in The Devil's Advocate





It was really a no-brainer to cast Al Pacino in the roll of the devil. He has often shown he can be the seducer and the tempter in his work and here he sharpens that role to a razor's edge. Keanu Reeves is a small town lawyer who soon finds that all of his dreams in life are coming true. Sound too easy? It is. The story is really about supernatural nepotism with Pacino playing the proud, yet purely evil, papa. Reeves seemed like he might almost buy into Pacino's offerings until he is told that the woman who has been attempting to seduce him is his half sister, whom the devil wants him to breed with to ensure his line continues in the purest way possible. Pacino's wit and wiles almost bring the devil a victory… almost, which allows us to see the other side of his personality. When Reeves rejects his father's offer, we get to see Pacino explode in a fire and brimstone fueled rage that leaves us convinced it was indeed the devil we are dealing with.



7. Elizabeth Hurley in Bedazzled





Elizabeth Hurley's devil in Bedazzled is a creature of seduction and temptation. The genius in this film is that they finally realized that for the devil to truly tempt a man, the form of a woman is needed, a very beautiful woman. This time around, Elizabeth Hurley offers Brendan Fraser seven wishes in exchange for his soul. What follows are wacky hijinks with an underlying message as each wish backfires on Fraser. Hurley's devil constantly reminds him that he must be specific and while he may think she is tricking him, each wish has been granted according to what he has requested, with a devilish twist tossed in for fun. Hurley is the giddy jokester in this comedy giving the devil an edge of humanity as she seems to grow to truly like Fraser although she does not deviate from her path. In the end, Fraser does find the loophole to release him from his contract with the devil. Don't worry about Hurley, her devil is seen at the film's close, playing chess with a character we have come to assume is god. She'll be back, and she'll bring the red leather pant suit along I am sure.



6. Peter Stormare in Constantine





Constantine is truly an acquired taste; I will admit this. That said I am one of the few people I know who will admit they are a fan of the film (Ok, my friend Sara enjoys it too, so I must shout out to here on this one). The fill is about demon hunter and personally damned John Constantine who seeks to earn redemption to atone for a suicide attempt in his youth. Constantine will fight the forces of hell and heaven if needed, to find the peace he needs. Peter Stormare's turn as the fallen angel Lucifer is one of my favorite performances in the film. He brings a sense of unease and a feeling of sleaze to the character, which makes complete sense. The devil wants to trick you into dealing your soul, and Stormare is the shady character you might expect to show up in that situation. In this story, Lucifer hates John Constantine with a burning passion, so much so that Constantine can trick him into manifesting by attempting suicide again. Lucifer arrives to collect Constantine's soul, but is drawn into Constantine's battle with the angel Gabriel and the demonic Mammon, who wishes to rise and conquer humanity, a prize Lucifer wishes to claim for himself. Constantine uses Lucifer's own twisted dealings and rules to save earth and the soul of the innocent at play. The greatness in Stormare's performance is the weasely nature he exudes. He is a true slimeball whose every action is to further his own plans. Even in the end, when he chooses to heal the cancer and wounds killing Constantine, he does so that Constantine cannot ascend to heaven and tells him it is so that John has a second chance to prove he belongs in hell. This dirty move is a cringe worthy act of evil that you would expect from the devil.



5. Tim Curry in Legend





While he may not play the Christian devil per se in Legend, more so than any other portrayal on this list, Tim Curry certainly looks the part. His "Darkness" is clearly the devil striking an imposing form with his blood red skin and impossibly huge horns. He is the image of pure evil burnt into the memories of all children of the 80s. Darkness may immediately evoke the fears one has about the devil, in Legend his actions often raise questions and make you curious about his motives. Oh, you know they are demonic, but you are not sure of the route he is following to get you there. He uses all of the devil's seductive power to try and ensure his victory, which will lead to the end of daylight and the victory of night. The film itself is not memorable but Curry's performance is, from his evil grin to the haunting laughter that leaves you wondering in the end if darkness and evil ever really can be overcome.



4. Evil Goo in Prince of Darkness





Prince of Darkness is one of few films that I can honestly say truly terrifies me and for that reason I find it completely addictive. John Carpenter once again shows that he is one our true masters of horror here as he tells the tale of a group of scientists who spend the weekend studying a giant tube of green goo found in the basement of a church. We soon learn the goo is actually the essence of Satan, manifested on earth to assist in his plans to release his father. That's right, we are talking about the father of the devil, described as a purely evil anti-god who will lead the world to ruin. The film rises above this absurdity however and brings you two hours of true terror. Did I mention the army of homeless zombies led by Alice Cooper? The green goo is the ever present evil throughout the film possessing characters to do its bidding in the most gruesome ways possible. Aside from its ability to induce fear I included this film because the presence of the devil is felt palpably in the air even though he never appears in a manifest form. I think that makes the portrayal all the more horrific.



3. Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick





Three women, unaware of their magic power, come together and unwittingly summon the devil to grant their wishes and change their boring lives. What they got was Jack Nicholson's Darryl who was seething with devilish charm and unexpected seduction. The witches quickly fall under his spell and the adventure begins. Darryl is simultaneously repulsive and undeniably attractive to the women he encounters. This is the role Nicholson was meant for as he is able to go over the top, as he usually does, but on purpose this time. He is the devil that you start laughing at until you see his eyes and realize that your time would be better spent running from him. He may not succeed in the end (Seems like most of these devils fail, huh? Probably good for society!) but his seed of evil is planted, no pun intended. Perhaps that is where the devil does find success, implanting the notion that evil is just as undying as good.



2. Emmanuelle Seigner in The Ninth Gate





If Elizabeth Hurley fills the comedic, campy slot for she-devils on this list, Emmanuelle Seigner is on the complete opposite end of that spectrum. In The Ninth Gate Johnny Depp plays a rare book dealer hired to authentic a collector's copy of a book allegedly written by the devil himself. It is also said that there are drawings in the book that when interpreted properly will open the gates of hell. This task leads to a series of adventures across Europe where Depp keeps running into a beautiful yet mysterious woman who seems to know what is going on and displays some supernatural abilities she uses to keep him safe. While never outright called the devil, Seigner's role is subtle and well crafted. Her actions keep Depp on track as he goes deeper and deeper into the world of the book. At the films end Depp's boss is killed as he attempts to open the nine gates, improperly. The woman is there to seduce Depp at that moment. They make love and she tells him why his boss did not succeed. She then tells him how he can find the needed drawing to complete the ritual and open the gate for himself. Many interpretations of the film itself target this unnamed woman as the corporeal manifestation of Lucifer, and I agree. She is smoldering temptation personified and clearly is pulling the strings of many players in this tale.




And lastly…



1. Trey Parker in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut





Does Satan have feelings? Is Satan in a gay relationship with Saddam Hussein? The guys behind South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut certainly think so. Trey Parker himself, one of the creators of South Park, voices this film's devil who is unlucky in love. All he wants is to be heard and appreciated by his lover. Is that too much to ask? Sadly, when your lover is a maniacal Saddam Hussein there is little chance of any of that happening! Their take on Satan is unique and quite comical. Their use of absurd juxtaposition is hilarious. You don't expect to see Satan throwing a hissy fit in bed but somehow it works incredibly well. They are clearly not trying to evoke the traditional presentations of the ultimate evil. As usual, they do all they can to mock their target and take the wind out of its sails. Instead of giving any reverence to the religious stories of the devil, they choose to take that power away from the devil. It is brilliant in my assessment.

Did you know that Satan wanted to live up on earth? Watch him sing about it in this great song from the South Park movie:



Did I leave your favorite movie devil off the list? Well first, ask yourself why on earth you have a favorite movie devil and then tell me all about it in the comments below.


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