Is the movie Constantine based on a true story? With a screenplay by Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, the film is based on DC Comics' Hellblazer comic book, with plot elements taken from the "Dangerous Habits" story arc (issues #41–46) and the "Original Sins" story arc. Click to see full answer.
What is the plot of Constantine?
To make amends with God and earn his place in Heaven, the taciturn occult detective and humankind's reluctant hero, John Constantine, finds himself caught in an interminable battle between the forces of good and evil.
Why is the movie Constantine so scary?
Additionally, Constantine is filled with demons, for obvious reasons. The film shows a series of disturbing zombie-like creatures that are the stuff of nightmares, all brainless because Lawrence wanted the demons to be entities without agency, acting on instinct.
Where is John Constantine from in real life?
In the comic book "Hellblazer", on which the film is based, the character of John Constantine is from Liverpool, England, and is drawn to look like the singer Sting. In the film, the character is from Los Angeles, California, USA.
Is John Constantine a horror comic book?
In that regard, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more intriguing take on the comic book horror story than the tale of the freelance exorcist, John Constantine. Constantine was released on February 18, 2005.
Is Constantine a true story?
John Constantine (/ˈkɒnstənˌtaɪn/) is a fictional superhero character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics.
What was the movie Constantine based on?
Hellblazer comic bookConstantine is a 2005 American superhero horror film directed by Francis Lawrence in his feature film directorial debut. Written by Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, it is based on DC Comics' Hellblazer comic book.
Who is John Constantine based on?
As for the specific visual references that Bissette and Totleben were drawing from, the long coat and suit look that would become John Constantine's trademark was inspired by Sting's appearance in 1979's Quadrophenia, based on the Who album of the same name.
What is the tattoo on Constantine's arm?
The tattoo on Constantine's arms is the alchemical symbol of the Red King, which was worn (by him) for protection. It is "the fire triangle with three radiating arrows below represents the 'Perfect Red King,' the Sulfur of the Philosophers."
Why did Constantine cut his wrists?
It's the small details that have significance in this film. Constantine slits his wrists to summon the Devil (Peter Stormare) in order to have him stop Mammon. After moving Isabel's soul to heaven, he can now return Constatine's soul to hell where it belongs.
Who is the angel at the end of Constantine?
The film's post-credits sequence involves Constantine's friend, Chas (Shia Labeouf), rising from the grave as an angel and taking flight. It's a striking moment, mostly because of the tragic nature of Chas's death and the way it lays out out the potential for a sequel.
What mental illness does John Constantine have?
He said then he could haunt people in his dreams and changed his name by deed poll from Kevin Astley to John Constantine after a cartoon occult detective. Constantine killed Welsh in March 2010 and after his arrest was diagnosed as being "floridly psychotic" and having paranoid schizophrenia.
What is Constantine's backstory?
Constantine was inspired by the haunted Winchester Mystery House, serial killers, and looks like the musician Sting. Creator Alan Moore claims that Constantine was created solely to get Sting into a comic, but the character evolved into something more. Constantine was born into tragedy.
Why does Constantine smoke so much?
In the comics, Constantine was dying of lung cancer and managed to trick the devil into taking it away from him, then continued to smoke as a lung cancer survivor. So...you could say, it's an important trait.
What is the necklace in Constantine?
A necklace with a triquetra (Trinity Knot) pendant is used in the film Constantine to give give its bearer a spiritual "bulletproof vest". In the motion picture Thor a triquetra symbol is displayed on Thor's hammer Mjollnir in response to incantations and other magical stimuli.
Who is Mammon in Constantine?
In Constantine, Mammon is the son of Lucifer/Satan himself, conceived before his father fell from Heaven but born after Satan was sent to Hell.
What is the perfect red king?
Known at the symbol of sulfur, nicknamed the "Perfect Red King", this Constantine Banishment Pendant Necklace is a rare find. "Into the light I command thee!" ~ This symbol seen in the Constantine movie on his forearms, he uses to banish spirits.
What is the world of Constantine about?
The world of Constantine is one in the middle of a Cold War between two superpowers. Only, it’s not a war between two countries, but one between the literal forces of Heaven and Hell, with Earth stuck in the middle. Demons and angels can’t cross over to our plane, but “half-breeds” use humans as “finger puppets,” influencing them to do their bidding in a battle for their souls. Like a good detective story, there’s a plot in place that could end the war in disaster, and it’s only our gritty, cynical, jaded Philip Marlowe-esque protagonist who can stop the conspiracy before it brings about the end of the world. Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a man cursed with the ability to see half-breeds and other supernatural creatures, and when he crosses paths with a detective ( Rachel Weisz) whose twin sister (also Weisz) committed suicide, they find themselves in the crosshairs of both demons and angels.
Who plays John Constantine in the movie?
Keanu Reeves Plays John Constantine as a Proto-John Wick. (Photo by Warner Bros. courtesy Everett Collection) John Wick is considered to be the beginning of Keanu Reeves ’ recent resurgence, as the tale of an assassin-for-hire going back to work following the murder of his dog became a career-redefining moment.
Why is Constantine filled with demons?
The film shows a series of disturbing zombie-like creatures that are the stuff of nightmares, all brainless because Lawrence wanted the demons to be entities without agency, acting on instinct.
Who plays Gabriel in the movie?
In one of the most interesting performances of her career, Tilda Swinton plays the archangel Gabriel as an androgynous and slightly psychotic figure who speaks in a calm, gentle voice befitting someone from a higher plane of existence.
Is Constantine a comic book?
It’s A Noir Thriller in Addition to a Comic Book Movie. (Photo by Warner Bros. courtesy Everett Collection) The world of Constantine is one in the middle of a Cold War between two superpowers. Only, it’s not a war between two countries, but one between the literal forces of Heaven and Hell, with Earth stuck in the middle.
Who plays Father Hennesy in Constantine?
When the film begins, we meet Pruitt Taylor Vince ( Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Devil’s Candy) as Father Hennesy, a priest driven to drink by visions of demons, and a friend to Constantine. Shia LaBeouf plays Constantine’s young driver and eager apprentice, and Djimon Hounsou ( Blood Diamond, Shazam!) is a sinister former witch doctor now managing a nightclub that serves as a neutral meeting ground for the forces of both Heaven and Hell. Each of them infuses the film with a grounded performance that offers an interesting contrast to the film’s more fantastical plot.
Who plays Constantine's young driver?
Shia LaBeouf plays Constantine’s young driver and eager apprentice, and Djimon Hounsou ( Blood Diamond, Shazam!) is a sinister former witch doctor now managing a nightclub that serves as a neutral meeting ground for the forces of both Heaven and Hell.
What happened to John Constantine in the movie?
A foundational issue in the movie is that John Constantine committed suicide as a child. He had been seeing a frightening supernatural side to the world that is invisible to most people. Since adults could not believe what he was seeing, this drove him to suicide.
Who is John Constantine?
The movie Constantine, featuring Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton, and other notable actors, follows a character, John Constantine, who is a combination of exorcist and demon hunter. The movie character is based on a number of comic books, originally published by DC Comics, under the titles "Hellblazer" (1988-2013, ...
What dreams may come Constantineitself?
The principle of What Dreams May Come, in turn, is not so much a moral attitude but a psychological one, which fits in more with modern "non-judgmental" and "self-realization" psychobabble. Constantineitself is very far from being non-judgmental.
Does Constantine get saved by Satan?
However, the selfless act of saving the sister has earned Constantine salvation, and he begins to rise towards Heaven. Rather than allow this defeat, Satan instead restores Constantine to life and health (he has been dying of lung cancer), apprently in the hope that he will end up damning himself again.
Is Constantine still damned?
This lasted only briefly in the visible world, but time goes more slowly in Hell, and his time there seemed substantial. It is accepted without question in the movie that Constantine is still damned, because of the suicide, and is absolutely destined for Hell when he does die.
Does Satan collect Constantine's soul?
Since he has been exorcizing demons, this annoys Satan enough that he intends to collect Constantine's soul personally at his death. However, this principle, so foundational for the movie, is untrue, according to all traditional Christian doctrine.
Who was the last Pope to visit Constantinople?
The Emperor Constans IIeven arrested Pope Martin I(649-653, d.655) and exiled him to the Crimea. Thus, there was only one legitimate Pope Constantine (708-715), the last Mediaeval Pope to visit Constantinople, while the count of Emperors named "Constantine" reached elevenbefore the Turkish conquest in 1453.
Overview
Constantine is a 2005 American superhero horror film directed by Francis Lawrence in his feature film directorial debut. Written by Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, it is based on DC Comics' Hellblazer comic book. The film stars Keanu Reeves as John Constantine, a cynical exorcist with the ability to perceive and communicate with half-angels and half-demons in their true forms and to trav…
Plot
A scavenger at a ruined church in Mexico finds the tip of the Spear of Destiny, which pierced Jesus. He becomes possessed and starts walking to Los Angeles.
In LA, cynical occult expert John Constantine, who is suffering from terminal lung cancer after years of heavy smoking, performs an exorcism on a young woman. He destroys the demon, but not before it attempts to come through its host into the human plane, which should not happen beca…
Cast
• Keanu Reeves as John Constantine, a chain-smoking cynic with the ability to perceive the true visage of half-angels and half-demons on the human plane. John believes himself damned to Hell for attempting suicide—a mortal sin—and has terminal lung cancer.
• Rachel Weisz as Angela Dodson, a troubled Los Angeles Police Department Detective investigating the suicide of her twin sister, Isabel (also portrayed by Weisz). Weisz also plays Mammon, the son of Lucifer, who has …
Production
The character of John Constantine was introduced by comic book writer/creator Alan Moore in The Saga of Swamp Thing #37, released in June 1985. In 1988, the character was given his own comic book title, Hellblazer, published by DC Comics.
Producer Lauren Shuler Donner began developing the film in 1997. Paul Hunter was …
Music
Constantine: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on February 15, 2005. It is an orchestral compilation of songs from the film, performed by The Hollywood Studio Symphony & The Hollywood Film Chorale and composed by Brian Tyler, the composer for films such as Eagle Eye and Fast & Furious, and Klaus Badelt. Two songs heard in the film, "Passive" by A Perfect Circle (heard as Constantine walks through Midnite's bar) and "Take Five" by The Dave Brubeck Quartet (heard …
Release
The original announced release date for the film was September 17, 2004, but it was subsequently pushed back to February 2005. Although the film was intended to be rated PG-13, it received an R-rating from the MPAA, which Lawrence attributed to its religious overtones.
The film was released on VHS and DVD in 2005. Warner Home Video announced it would be released on HD DVD on March 28, 2006, making it one of the earliest titles released on that medi…
Reception
Constantine opened in 3,006 theaters in the United States on February 18, 2005, earning $29.8 million in its opening weekend and ranking second behind Hitch's second weekend. It ended its run on June 16, having grossed $76 million in the United States and Canada, and $154.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $230.9 million, against a production budget of $70–100 million.
Novelization and video game
To tie-in to the film's release, a novelization by John Shirley and a video game adaption were produced. The novelization states that the buildings in Hell are built with the souls of the damned, rather than brick, and lined with blood, rather than mortar.