Rating : 5/5
Reviewed by Adam
The Devil's Advocate is the closest to true artistic
cinematography that a motion picture has come. Ayn Rand posed a
criterion for artistry in film: "nothing is accidental." This means
that every scene, and almost as important, every small visual detail,
vocal characterization, and line directly display the theme and its its
logical conclusions. Keanau Reeves, who is not necessarily a
fountainhead of acting talent, is well casted in his role as the
straight man, without many lines. The cunning and purpose with which
the devil should be played was carried to the level of genius by Al
Pacino. Most of the other characters in the movie are inconsequential;
however, the character of the mother of Keanau Reeves was extremely
well designed. She is stupid, and faithful; hence, she operates from
this identity consistently. Unfortunatly, philosophically, this movie
is not very penetrating: it sets up a false alternative between idiot
virtue from commandments and concr!
ete-bound spur-of-the-moment shortsightedness, alternately between God
and the Devil, respectively. Pacino offers a fair refutation of some
of the inherent contradictions of god-belief, in the midst of a speech
detailing the "decline of the twentieth century." Interesting
coincidence that the century which Rand details as the most
philosophically bankrupt is the same which the Devil claims as his own
in this movie. Keanau Reeves is presented with an ultimate
alternative, and one of the fundamental qualities of human nature is
recognized by all the relevant philosophical heavyweights (brining to
fore an underlying theme): that man has free will, and further, that
his free will brought him to this point.
If this movie struggles philosophically, its thrashing is more than
made up for by its brilliant cinematics, and by the fact that it takes
the time to utilize _some_ sort of half way.
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