"Are you going down?" "Not if I can help it."

Rating: 7/10 (27 September 2017)

Constantine (2005) is a fantastical drama by Francis Lawrence about a man, John Constantine, who possesses the unique ability to see the demons and angels that dwell on Earth. Established to be selfishly motivated, John exorcises demons from the innocent to win the favor of God. Upon meeting a detective, Angela, John assists her in discovering the truth behind her sisters supposed suicide.
The most present aspect I noticed in this film is thread. A large topic in the film is the idea of demons "crossing the plane" to Earth and the world in which humans interact. To further this concept, the film continually uses physical planes. While many threads exist, such as the cross, water, and John's cigarettes, I found the glass acting as a means of transport to be interesting. Glass is barrier broken in many scenes throughout the film, as a transparent means of moving from one state to another. In this film, it took the shape of a separating between Earth and Hell, between ignorance and knowledge, and life and death.
The film quite overtly expresses the archetype of light vs darkness in its cinematography and storyline regarding religion and demonology. The light and dark can be related to aspects of good and evil, but also that of enlightenment, as described in Plato's The Allegory of the Cave. Most notably, it serves as a social commentary on suffering and forgiveness.
I found the film to be fascinating, though the plot, at times, seemed obscure. While there are many aspects I can draw out of it, I do not consider it be a film I would watch again. The resolution left me with little satisfaction and the overt hint at attraction between John and Angela didn't seem to add to the plot in any way, making it a distraction and feel unnecessary. I would rate this film an 7/10.