"Prophesy"

"Years later, of all the gospels I learned in seminary school, a verse from St. Paul stays with me. It is perhaps the strangest passage in the Bible, in which he writes: 'Even now in Heaven there were angels carrying savage weapons.'" So says the lead character in "The Prophesy," a strange film full of good character actors behaving without moral, practical--or acting--restraint.

 

The story line is that of a war in heaven between two angel groups, one rebelliously objecting to the elevation of Man to the status of immortality, the other defending this new divine decree. A third element , the Devil himself--avec minions--is a mildly interested bystander who hopes the rebels lose so he can continue his monopoly on Hell.
It is an actor's dream dominated by Christopher Walken. Viggo Mortensen is terrific as the devil. Poor Virginia Madsen, who is wonderful as an actress, is simply lost in the craziness. And the movie is the home of a great line by Gabriel: "I'm an angel. I kill firstborns ... I turn cities into salt....... and from now till kingdom come, the only thing you can count on in your existence is never understanding why."

 

A lot of people were interested in the take on Angels as fearsome, dangerous and violent beings. But what was of interest to me was the line opening at the top of the page. "Years later, of all the gospels I learned in seminary school, a verse from St. Paul stays with me. It is perhaps the strangest passage in the Bible, in which he writes: 'Even now in Heaven there were angels carrying savage weapons.'" There is a warning, of course, indicating that even the author was concerned: There is no Bible writing by St. Paul, only epistles. And, indeed, most with even a passing knowledge of the New Testament will not recognize the quote: It is made up.

 

But it is distressing. Historically, great art was an outgrowth of the culture and reinforced belief. As "DaVinci Code" and Brian Williams have shown, manufactured history can really cause some significant damage to peoples' understanding. And to their confidence in the present and the past.