Movie question (constantine)

[...]

I watched Constantine last night for the first time. I really dig Christian mythology so i dunno why i waited so long...anyway, when Lucifer appeared he was depicted in a white suit but barefooted with tar all over his feet. Does anyone know the symbolism/purpose of depicting him with tar on his feet? I consider myself alright about understanding symbolism surrounding stuff like that, but that went over my head.

[Braen]

Originally Posted by ...

I watched Constantine last night for the first time. I really dig Christian mythology so i dunno why i waited so long...anyway, when Lucifer appeared he was depicted in a white suit but barefooted with tar all over his feet. Does anyone know the symbolism/purpose of depicting him with tar on his feet? I consider myself alright about understanding symbolism surrounding stuff like that, but that went over my head.

it have been a while since I saw the movie, but I thought it was dripping blood... I will watch it tonight again to check.

[VariaVespasa]

Was that supposed to actually be tar, or just general-purpose toxic goo? I saw it as toxic goo/corruption.

[Vorph]

You should just read Hellblazer (229 issues and counting), Sandman (75 issues of the single greatest comic series ever written), and Lucifer (75 issues) from DC/Vertigo if you want to understand the mythology. You'll be much better off with guys like Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis, Warren Ellis, Neil Gaiman, Mike Carey, etc. telling the story than the rather lame Hollywood version. It was a decent movie, but it had nothing much to do with John Constantine. Likewise, Peter Stormare played his part well as Lucifer, but the comic version of the character is a whole lot more interesting.

As for Lucifer in the movie, I don't think there was any deep meaning to his clothes. In the comics, Lucifer is often drawn wearing a white suit (all white, no dirt), and I guess someone just decided that after walking around hell for a while his pant legs wouldn't be all that clean.

[Intrinsic]

I assumed it was a reference to Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.

[Kolle]

keep in mind that the main source for christian stuff (the bible) does not place lucifer in hell. he's on earth with the rest of us. he does not and will never rule hell. these things are 100% created by pop culture.

[miguex]

i liked this movie a lot, have seen it 2 or 3 times but not in the last year that i remember and i recall thinking that the tar stuff was cancer/disease manifested. Seems to me theres a scene involving him that made me think that...didnt he pull cancer out of Constantine right at the end or something?

[Vorph]

Originally Posted by Kolle

keep in mind that the main source for christian stuff (the bible) does not place lucifer in hell. he's on earth with the rest of us. he does not and will never rule hell. these things are 100% created by pop culture.

That's the cool part about the Lucifer comic. The series starts up a couple years after the Sandman issue where he locked up hell and handed over the keys to Dream, and he's now running a piano bar in L.A.

[Thorpe]

Originally Posted by miguex

i liked this movie a lot, have seen it 2 or 3 times but not in the last year that i remember and i recall thinking that the tar stuff was cancer/disease manifested. Seems to me theres a scene involving him that made me think that...didnt he pull cancer out of Constantine right at the end or something?

I always assumed it was a reference to the fact that smoking is what was killing Constantine.

[Believe]

Although I'm not sure, I thought it was someway to stop him from going to Heaven (since he redeemed himself), and extending his life on Earth to hopefully fuck up and be sent to Hell.